










































































































































































































































V 



Copyright hi 0 . 


COPYRIGHT deposit. 































\ 






THE 


ENCYCLOPEDIA 

OF 

Face and F orm Reading 

A COMPLETE SUMMARY OF 
CHARACTER ANALYSIS 

THE ONLY MODERN AND COMPREHENSIVE TEXTBOOK SHOWING “THE 
LOGICAL METHOD” OF CHARACTER ANALYSIS, WITH ANSWERS 
TO EVERY QUESTION ON THE SUBJECT CAREFULLY 
GROUPED AND ARRANGED FOR QUICK REFERENCE 

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL TRAITS REVEALED 

BY 

M. O. STANTON 

V 

Author of “A Practical and Scientific Treatise on Physiognomy;” “Chart for the 
Delineation of Mental and Physiological Characteristics;" “Lectures on 

Physiognomy and Hygiene,” etc. 


FIFTH REVISED EDITION 


Illustrated with 380 Engravings 



> > 

) » > 
> > 

> > > 

> . > 


PHILADELPHIA 

F. A. DAVIS COMPANY, PUBLISHERS 









COPYRIGHT. 1839 
COPYRIGHT, 1895 

BY 

M. 0. STANTON 


COPYRIGHT. 1895 
COPYRIGHT, 1913 
COPYRIGHT, 1917 
COPYRIGHT, 1919 

BY 

F. A. DAVIS COMPANY 



-2 1319 



PRESS OF 

F. A. DAVIS COMPANY 

PHILADELPHIA, U.S.A. 


©GI.A529751 




I 






TO THE 


EARNEST 

LOVERS OF SCIENCE, 

TO THE 

AND ENTHUSIASTIC SEARCHERS FOR TRUTH 

THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, 


THIS WORK 


IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED 






PUBLISHERS’ PREFACE. 


Physiognomy or The Study of Character Analysis in the 
Face and Form, as outlined in Stanton’s “ Encyclopedia of Face 
and Form Heading,” takes you into a field of very extensive re¬ 
search. Seldom do you get the opportunity, unless scientifically 
inclined, to follow the paths of these great thinkers and students 
who, we know, are interested in solving the vast problems which 
are hidden in the depths of nature, but after the way is cleared, 
we very gratefully enjoy the result of their investigations. 

All know what tremendous strides have been made in the 
practice of medicine within the past thirty-five years, simply be¬ 
cause science has triumphed over the various conditions met with 
in disease. This was not accomplished without the spending of 
millions of dollars, and the united efforts of thousands of physicians 
and scientists, nor has the development of Character Analysis been 
developed without much expenditure of money and effort. 

We cannot begin to count the schools which have sprung up 
all over this country to teach the individual the value of proper 
development. Books by the thousands have been printed to show 
How to Win Success in the business world; both have their good 
points, but we find them all unconsciously leaning upon the funda¬ 
mental principles of Physiognomy without realizing their basic 
action in the formation of Character. 

Physiognomy will show why the different functions of the 
body should not be developed to the neglect of other functions of 
the body, as an excess of development while apparently satisfactory 
at the time, will later mean the development of Habits, Character, 
Disposition, Health, Disease, and Premature Old Age, as these are 
the results of unwise use made of the various functions or faculties 
of the mind or body. 


(V) 



VI 


publishers’ preface. 


It is well to ask yourself: What do I know about my func¬ 
tions and faculties ? Their Powers and Properties ] 

A little of the circulation of the blood \ Yes. A little about 
the nervous system \ Yes. Something of the process of digestion \ 
Yes. The number of the bones and the action of the muscles ? 
Yes. These you were taught in your school life; coming out of 
school or college only partially equipped to battle in business with 
other men of experience because the most important factor in life 
was overlooked: The knowledge of Human Nature, and its 
Analysis. 

We find around us men of no education, or with the most 
brilliant education, either failing or succeeding. 

What of “ the failures ”] In their endeavor for success they 
overlook their natural field of endeavor. Ignorance of Human 
Nature—of which we all claim to be good readers and yet in which 
we are very poor students—is the greatest drawback in business 
life, and is the cause of 50 per cent, of all the failures. In the 
study of Character Analysis plenty of reasons for failures are given 
which show how the undeveloped faculties of the body and mind 
fail at the most critical time. 

This “ Encyclopedia ” is so very complete in its text, that at 
first it is rather confusing to the reader on account of the scientific 
research work done in connection with the elaboration of the 
scientific foundation of Physiognomy as established in the com¬ 
prehensive work of acknowledged authorities upon which the 
author bases the practical Analysis of Character. It is, therefore, 
well to follow closely the advice given under this, The Publishers’ 
Preface; in so doing you cannot fail to become greatly interested 
in its most intricate details. 

Under no circumstances do we advise the beginner to try to 
study or read the first part of this work until the portions mentioned 
hereafter are first mastered. We heartily recommend, that the 
reader start at Chapter III, on page 749, and in connection with 
this reading take Lesson I, on “ How to Analyze for Heading Char¬ 
acter,” page xxxii. 

Having covered with the Lesson, pages 749 to 1084, the 
reader is then ready to read and study the definitions given of the 


publishers’ preface, 


Vll 


different faculties and their location upon the face. This is out¬ 
lined between pages 271 and 749, and when applied to the indi¬ 
vidual, the reader has all the essentials necessary for Character 
Analysis. 

We would caution the reader not to rely upon himself to 
absorb the entire contents at once, but to get thoughts well im¬ 
pressed upon the mind and to memorize, and apply the principles 
on those around to see if the application is properly made; this 
will do more to make the analysis of these outlines more accurate 
and give the reader the ability to read from the face The Mental 
Characteristics, as well as the Physical Defects of those with whom 
he comes in contact, making for him a place as a leader among men. 

“ The Greatest Study of* Mankind is Man,” and it is to relieve 
the man who only after many years of sad experience discovers the 
signs of character, and can analyze those with whom he comes in 
contact intuitively, that the study of Physiognomy will become an 
asset worth many a dollar and saving of many a heartache and dis¬ 
appointment. 

To some, Character Analysis is a natural gift; to others it is 
not; whether a man is successful in selecting those around him or 
not, he should by all means understand the principles upon which 
Character Analysis can be made part of himself, just the same as 
Hygiene, Physiology, Anatomy, and Language became a part of 
him in his school days. 

We might say here, that there is no work so complete and 
which can answer every question as concisely and dependably as 
can Stanton’s “Encyclopedia of Face and Form Reading.” 

The Publishers. 






' 










CONTENTS, 


Publisher’s Preface, . ......... V 

List of Illustrations xxv 

How to Analyze for Reading Character ....... xxxii 

Introduction, 1 


PART I. 

THEORETICAL PHYSIOGNOMY. 

CHAPTER I. 

The Bases of Principles of Scientific Physiognomy. 

Definition ; Lavater’s work ; Theory of Practical and Scientific Physi¬ 
ognomy ; What it teaches; How the discoveries were made; 
General laws and principles. The human face the index of all 
Nature; Three grand divisions—Chemical, Architectural,Mathe¬ 
matical. Mineral forms. The physical basis of Mind, . . 7 

CHAPTER II. 

The Basic Principles of Form. 

Rotatory motion the origin of Form ; The movement of the earth has 
a direct bearing on the form and destiny of created beings. 
Relation between universal existence and mathematical law. 
Number the proper index to the volume of Being; The human 
countenance the index to these laws and principles. The law of 
Scalenism, or perversion ; Disease a temporary return to abnor 
mal or perverted types; Straightness of the bones indicates 
straightness of the mind. The normal factors of Form and 
Being in Nature, Art, and Science,.27 

CHAPTER III. 

The Five Organ Systems which Create Form and Character. 

All is symbolic in Nature; Form the decisive factor in the interpreta¬ 
tion of character. The five different organ s}’stems. Form, 
character, and earliest appearance of cell life in the organiza¬ 
tion of animal tissue ; The structure of organized bodies, . 59 

The Vegetative System,. 67 

Characterization of the vegetative adult; The organ systems in 
the chemical or vegetative division ; Faculties derived from the 
development of these organs. 


(ix) 






X 


CONTENTS. 


The Thoracic System,.71 

Facial signs for the internal organs; Diseases which assail the 
thoracic system. 

The Muscular System,.75 

Arrangement of the muscles ; Voluntary and involuntary; The 
varied expressions of the human face due to the muscles; The 
mechanical and artistic principles included in the action of 
the muscular system; Faculties that have signs located in the 
muscular division ; Diseases which assail the muscular sj^stem ; 

The dominant systems of man’s organism control his capacities. 

The Osseous or Bony System,.83 

Classification of the bones ; Firmness and integrity of character 
depend upon the bones; Composition of the bony structure; 

Kind of food necessary for good bones; Prominent men who 
have excelled in morality, endurance, and heroism ; Bony people 
the best; Faculties derived from the bony system ; Faculties 
in the architectural division; Diseases incident to the bony 
system ; Remedy for an excessive development of bone. The 
points of character which depend upon the several organ sys¬ 
tems of the body. 

The Brain and Nervous System,.94 

Size of the brain alone not a proof of great mental power; 

Form and congenital quality the most potent factors; Texture 
of the skin significant of mental quality; Physiology of the 
brain and nerves; Diseases which assail this system. 

CHAPTER IV. 

The Sub-Basic Principles of Physiognomy. 

Form and Size ; A large head no indication of superior intelligence; 

The nose the best indication of power. Quality or mental power; 

Fine hair and skin to be considered first. Form; Persons of 
creative or constructive minds are round in form ; The arch, the 
curve, the circle, the ovoid, the square, and straight line; Each 
illustrates different phases of character. Color; The mineral 
the original source ; Pure air the best cosmetic ; Color and heat 
synon 3 T mous,.101 

The Law of Proportion or Harmonious Development, . . . 131 

Proportion a potent factor in determining character; One or 
more faculties excessive^ developed dominate and influence 
the action of other faculties; Secretiveness; Cautiousness ; 
Acquisitiveness. 

Health,.137 

The basis of all really useful character founded on health; 
Organic perfection and morality; Precocious children ; Sensi¬ 
tive, nervous children; Drug medication; Pure air the best; 
Compensation; The established laws of compensation. 


CONTENTS. 


4 

XI 


CHAPTER V. 

Rationale of Physical Functions and Mental Faculties, and 

their Signs in the Face. 

The brain not the sole seat of the mind. Hope directly related to the 
liver. The source of moral power. 

The Kidney System,.158 

Faculties dependent upon it; Analysis of Conscientiousness; 
Morality dependent on the action of the kidneys; Color-blind¬ 
ness ; Analysis of Firmness. 


Faculties Derived from the Different Systems. 

The Intestinal System,.165, 185 

Digestion or Alimentiveness ; Mental power of the nerves of the 
digestive apparatus; Relation of the visceral organs to the brain. 
Friendship ; Its selfish and unselfish action ; Its connection with 
and dependence on other faculties: Analysis; The liver as a 
clearing-house of the entire organism. 

The Glandular System, .169 

Benevolence; Value of the lips as indicators of pathological and 
morbid states of the body ; Economy ; The grade of intellectual 
development shows the kind of economy; Hospitality; Love 
of Home; Patriotism. 

The Reproductive System,.177 

Amativeness, or love of the sexes; Its moral and physiological 
importance should be taught; Love of Y'oung; Mirthfulness* 
Sanativeness; Pneumativeness. 

The Liver, .182 

Hope; Its dependence upon the liver. 

The Nerves op the Skin, .190 

Modesty; Analysis of the glandular system and olfactory gan¬ 
glia ; Cautiousness ; The correlation of function with faculty. 

The Osseous System,.192 

Veneration ; Its connection with the stomach. 

The Osseous and Muscular Systems,.194 

Executiveness. 

The Muscular System,. 195,213 

Self-will; Credenciveness ; Uses of this faculty. Calculation ; 

Music; All art is founded on a circle or sections of it; 
Analysis of Music; Language; Shown by a high quality of the 
muscular system; Musical qualities observed in language. 






CONTENTS. 


> • 

XLl 

The Osseous and Nervous Systems, - . 199 

Observation. 

The Muscular and Brain Systems,.200 

Memory of Events ; A faculty of the five systems of functions ; 

A great memory only is no indication of intellect or wisdom ; 
Memory depends upon a healthy condition of the body; 
Weight; A high development of the muscular system a power¬ 
ful ally to art; Locality; Large in those whose muscular sys¬ 
tem is supreme. 

The Glandular and Arterial Systems,.206 

Analysis of color. 

The Brain and Nerve System,. 209, 233 

Mental order; Physical order. Intuition ; A true and distinct 
sense; Division of the nervous system into two parts; De¬ 
scription of the powers and action of these two departments of 
the brain system ; Organs and functions from which the mental 
faculties derive their powers. 

The Five Superior Systems,. . .210 

Time; Lacking where the vegetative system predominates; 

Time as well as Order one of the leading characteristics of the 
bony system. 

The Brain System,.221 

Comparison; Causality; Reason ; Development of reasoning 
faculties among the masses; Children should be drilled in 
logical reasoning. 


CHAPTER VI. 

Theories of the Mode of Action of Certain Traits. 

Analysis of Amativeness; Should be judged by the adjoining facial 
signs. Analysis of Jealousy ; The result of one of three causes. 
Analysis of Revenge. Analysis of Secretiveness ; Intended by 
Nature to conceal the lack of some other facult}^. Theory of 
Suspicion. Analysis of Anger, Will, and Temper; A dark man 
has the strongest temper; Its effect on the system; Self-will 
the basis of Anger and Temper ; What true religion consists of. 
Analysis of Selfishness ; Two distinct and opposite methods of 
action; Caused by an insufficient development of the glandular 
system. Self-conceit; Egotism. Analysis of Scorn and Con¬ 
tempt. Analysis of Enthusiasm; Faculty that leads to great 
efforts. Analysis of Laziness ; Obstinacy ; Contrariness ; Physi- 
ognomy teaches that all defects can be remedied, to a large 
extent,.239 


CONTENTS. 


Xlll 


PART II. 

PRACTICAL PHYSIOGNOMY. 

CHAPTER I. 

The Three Natural and Primitive Divisions of the Face 
Created by the Mouth, the Nose, and the Eyes. 

The mouth; The centre of the most primitive system of function. 

The nose; Represents the mental powers. The eyes; Repre¬ 
sent the muscular development of the entire body. Facial 
signs of the physiological organs and functions. Digestion, or 
Alimentiveness. Location of the signs for the visceral organs. 
Physiognomy properly a part of medical science. The glands. 

The reproductive system. Lactation. The kidneys ; Conscien¬ 
tiousness dependent on this’system. Method of localizing the 
higher developments of the body; The lungs and heart; The 
Liver ; The stomach. The muscular or motive system ; The eye; 
Motion; Vision; Hearing. The osseous system; Denoted by 
the bones of the eyebrow. The brain and nerve s}^stem ; Train¬ 
ing the feeble-minded and imbecile ; The sense of touch, . . 273 

Mental Signs of Character in the Face,.287 

Five practical subdivisions ; The width and length of the face ; 

The nose high and broad the entire length a good sign ; The 
lower part of the forehead and eyebrows an important part to 
consider; Great size of the forehead no criterion of mentality ; 

Local signs for the mental faculties; Summary to the five prac¬ 
tical subdivisions of the face. 

CHAPTER II. 

Location and Description of Signs of Character in the Face. 

Fifty separate and distinct faculties described; The adaptability of 
the human mind; Man does not possess a greater number of 
mental faculties than woman; Gestures significant in disclos¬ 
ing character; The face an exact register of all mental facul¬ 
ties and bodily functions and conditions,. 297 

The Faculty of Conscientiousness,.302 

Definition; An excess and deficiency of this faculty; Facial 
and bodily signs ; The color of the face an indication of the 
general integrity of a person ; Bodily signs of Conscientious¬ 
ness ; Description of Conscientiousness; Conscientiousness 
large where the bony system predominates. 

The Faculty of Firmness,.312 

Definition; What an excess or deficiency causes; Facial and 
bodily signs ; Description of Firmness ; A receding chin an in¬ 
dication of weakness ; The signs for Firmness observed all over 
the individual. 


XIV 


CONTENTS. 


The Faculty of Economy,. 318 

Definition ; Facial and bodily signs ; Description of Economy ; 

A normal degree of Economy indicates a normal or balanced 
condition of mind; Acquisitiveness not Economy. 


Love of Home,. 324 

Definition ; Facial and bodily signs; Description of Love of 
Home ; This trait should be cultivated in children. 

Patriotism,. 329 

Facial and bodily signs; Definition of Patriotism. 

Benevolence,. 335 


Definition ; Facial and bodily signs ; Description of Benevo¬ 
lence; Faculties in combination modify and influence this trait; 
Difference between benevolence and friendship. 

Bibativeness,.. . 339 

Definition ; What an excess or deficiency of this faculty indi¬ 
cates ; Facial and bodily signs; Description of Bibativeness; 
Situation of this sign most suggestive; Indicates the func¬ 
tional purity of the entire organism. 

Alimentiveness, or Digestion,. 348 

Definition; Facial and bodily signs ; Description of Alimentive¬ 
ness ; The mouth by its shape and color gives the general tone 
or grade of the individual. 

Amativeness,. 355 

Definition ; Facial and bodily signs; Description of Amative¬ 
ness; Training in sexual morality; Works that all young 
people should read; Signs for emotional traits found in the 
glands and muscles, not the bones. 

Love of Young,. 367 

Definition; What an excess or deficiency of this faculty may 
lead to; Facial and bodily signs; Description of Love of 


Young; Should be balanced by reason and justice; Does not 
necessarily impart a tone of kindness to the individual. 

Mirthfulness,.. . . . .373 

Definition ; Facial and bodily signs ; Description ; Mental uses 
of Mirthfulness. 

Approbativeness,. 378 

Definition; What an excess or deficiency indicates; Facial 


and bodily signs; Description of Approbativeness; Essential 
to the success of some people. 

Friendship, .385 

Definition ; Facial and bodily signs ; Description of Friendship; 
Selfish and unselfish friendship ; Friendship with fine inherited 
quality show T s a strong, magnetic nature; Diverse manifesta¬ 
tions of Friendship. 








CONTENTS. 


XV 


Color, 


Hospitality,. 

Definition ; Facial and bodily signs ; Description of Hospitality. 

Pneumativeness,. 

Definition ; What an excess or deficiency of this faculty may 
lead to; Facial and bodily signs ; Description of Pneumative¬ 
ness ; The most essential factor is pure air; Manifestations of 
Pneumativeness; Acuteness of scent; Great energy of mind 
and body. 

Glandular and Arterial System. 

• •••••*••••• 
Definition ; Facial and bodily signs ; Description of Color ; A 
high cultivation of the color-sense a religious duty; Aids 
toward cultivating this sense ; What the color of the face reveals ; 
Color-blindness. 

Sanativeness, .. 

Definition; What a deficiency of this faculty leads to ; Facial 
and bodily signs; Description of Sanativeness; One of the 
normal and primitive functions ; Magnetic healers; The faculty 
of Sanativeness should be large in physicians; Longevity of 
life; Facial signs that a good surgeon or physician should 
possess. 

Self-esteem, ............ 

Definition ; Facial and bodily signs ; Description of Self-esteem ; 
Its relation to other faculties ; Self-assertion and Positiveness; 
The combination of Self-esteem with other faculties; What a short 
upper lip denotes. 

Modesty,.. . . . 

Definition ; Facial and bodily signs; Description of Modesty ; 
Blushing ; Downcast looks not an indication of Modesty; Shy¬ 
ness sometimes spelt “ slyness.” 

F ORCE• 

Definition; What an excess or deficiency of this faculty leads 
to ; Facial and bodily signs ; Description of Force ; Possessors 
of round muscles are the most vigorous; Children should be 
thoroughly trained in gymnastics; Force gives to the voice 
clearness and resonance ; Color of great service in determining 
what degree of force will be exhibited. 

Resistance,. 

Definition ; Facial and bodily signs ; Description of Resistance ; 
Sometimes takes the form of combativeness or contrariness; 
Mental resistance. 

Secretiveness,. 

Definition ; What an excess or deficiency of this faculty leads 
to; Facial and bodily signs; Description of Secretiveness ; 
Physiological peculiarities of secretive men; What deficiency 
of faculties Secretiveness indicates ; This faculty large in priests 
and physicians ; Characteristics of Secretiveness, 


392 


39T 


408 


427 


436 


445 


454 


463 


469 


XVI 


CONTENTS. 


Cautiousness,. 479 

Definition ; What an excess or deficiency of this faculty leads 
to ; Facial and bodily signs ; Description of Cautiousness ; The 
nose the principal sign; Its connection with other faculties. 

Hope, • ••»•••••••»• 486 

Definition ; What an excess or deficiency of this faculty leads 
to ; Facial and bodily signs ; Description of Hope ; Hygienic 
remarks ; Its connection w r itli and indication of the general con¬ 
dition of the internal organs ; Temporary disorders of the liver; 

A clear, fresh-colored complexion. 

Analysis,. 493 

Definition; What a deficiency of this faculty indicates ; Facial 
and bodily signs; Description of Analysis; The capacity for 
analyzing ; Large in all talented persons; Of great help in the 
investigation of human character; Must be judged in combina¬ 
tion with other faculties. 

Mental Imitation,. 499 

Definition ; What a deficiency of this faculty indicates; Facial 
and bodily signs; Description of Mental Imitation; What is 
the basis of supply of Mental Imitation ; All features subject 
to the modifying action of the law of Quality; Signs for literary 
and artistic faculties grouped about the tip of the nose; 
Nosology ; Normal uses of Imitation. 

Sublimity, .. 506 

Definition; What an excess or deficiency of this faculty leads 
to; Facial and bodily signs; Description of the faculty of 
Sublimity; Mental phase of Sublimity; This faculty an attri¬ 
bute of old and perfected races ; Largely observed in the faces 
of the Hebrews ; Prominent Hebrews; Sublimity in combi¬ 
nation with other faculties. 

Ideality,.514 

Definition ; What an excess or deficiency of this faculty indi¬ 
cates ; Facial and bodily signs ; Description of Ideality; Physi¬ 
ological base of Ideality; Great diversities of degree of this 
faculty exhibited; Natural allies and assistants of Idealit\ r ; 

The dimpled chin. 

Human Nature,.525 

Definition ; What an excess or deficiency of this faculty indi¬ 
cates ; Facial and bodily signs; Description of Human Nature; 

The beneficial uses of the faculty of Human Nature. 

Acquisitiveness,.. 

Definition; Facial and bodily signs; Description of Acquisi¬ 
tiveness ; Should be judged in combination with other faculties ; 

The outline of each feature and limb reveals the entire man ; 
Acquisitiveness useful in connection with literary pursuits. 


CONTENTS. 


XVII 


Constructiveness,.544 

Definition ; What a deficiency of this faculty indicates ; Facial 
and bodily signs; Description of Constructiveness; Physio¬ 
logical and anatomical description of the base of each separate 
and mental manifestation; A predominance of the muscular 
system necessary in all artistic pursuits ; Analyze the combina¬ 
tions of systems of functions observed in each individual; With 
a knowledge of physiognomy a knave cannot be mistaken for an 
honest man; Combination of Constructiveness with other 
faculties. 

Veneration,.553 

Definition ; What an excess or deficiency of this faculty indi¬ 
cates ; Facial and bodily signs; Description of Veneration; 

Large where the bony system predominates; Exhibited in vary¬ 
ing degrees and in diverse ways ; The “ scooped ” or pug nose; 

The uses of Veneration ; Natural religion. 

Executiveness,. 561 

Definition ; Facial and bodily signs ; Description of Executive¬ 
ness ; Its relationship to the stomach ; All power not in the 
brain; Different forms of Executiveness ; A vigorous thoracic 
system a great adjunct. 

Self-will,.569 

Definition; What an excess or deficiency of this faculty indi¬ 
cates ; Facial and bodily signs ; Description of Self-will; This 
faculty sometimes necessary to make other traits conspicuous ; 
Secondary signs of Self-will ; Distinction between Self-will and 
Firmness ; Self-will, where deficient, can be cultivated by gym¬ 
nastic exercises. 

Credenciveness,. 578 

Definition; What an excess or deficiency of this faculty 
causes; Facial and bodily signs; Description of Credencive¬ 
ness ; This faculty universal; Its uses in the artistic line; The 
best use of Credenciveness ; Rationale of Credenciveness. 

Prescience,. 588 

Definition; Facial and bodily signs; Description of Prescience; 

Its action best observed in aged persons ; The possession of the 
Prescient faculty gives a love and desire for a future life; 
Manifestations of Prescience different in each individual. 


XV111 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER II. 

(Continued.) 

The Practical Division of the Face. 


A consideration of tlie practical or mechanical group of faculties; 

Bones of the skull and face changed by a regular law of 
development, .......... 

FORM,..«.»»•••••• • 

Definition; What a deficiency in Form indicates; Facial and 
bodily signs; Description of Form ; The basis of all trades and 
professions ; The art of spelling depends upon the development 
of this faculty; Chess-players large in form and size. 

Size, ............. 

Definition ; What a deficiency in size indicates; Facial and 
bodily signs; Description of Size; Impossibility of judging 
the shape and size of the brain by an external examination ; 

The uses of this faculty in conjunction with others. 

Observation,. 

Definition ; What a deficiency of this faculty indicates; Facial 
and bodily signs; Description of Observation; Persons with 
excessive Credenciveness never develop this sign; Attention 
must be paid to the peculiar expression of the e 3 'e; Animal 
observation. 

Memory of Events,. 

Definition ; Facial and bodily signs ; Description of Memory ; 
Analysis of the Memory; How to strengthen this faculty; Dif¬ 
ferent kinds of Memory ; Memory is not wisdom; Disorders 
that this faculty is subject to. 

Locality,. 635 

Definition ; What a deficiency of this faculty indicates ; Facial 
and bodily signs; General and diffused through the muscular 
system; Description of Locality; Surgeons and anatomists 
require a fine development of this faculty; How children can 
be taught to develop it; The study of physiognomy one of 
great interest to children. 

The Muscular System—Weight,. 643 

Definition; What an excess or deficiency of this faculty indi¬ 
cates ; Facial and bodily signs ; Description of Weight; Its uses 
in every-day life. 


601 

602 


609 


61T 


624 


Language, .652 

Definition; Facial and bodily signs ; Description of Language; 

A combination of several faculties; Color has a controllino- 
influence upon Language; Analysis of this faculty; How the 
degrees of force of Language are revealed. 


Music,.865 

Definition; Facial and bodily signs; Description of Music; 
Round, muscular persons make the best musicians; Curves one 


CONTENTS. xix 

of the elements of sound ; Tlie eye and ear; Connection of this 
faculty with Amativeness ; The entire system must be built upon 
the curved or arched pattern; Round form denotes harmoniously- 
constructed organism ; Childish capriciousness of great singers; 

Other faculties necessary to make the perfect musical structure. 

The Mathematical Division of the Face. 

Faculties which assist the mathematical computation and demonstra¬ 


tion found in the upper division of the face, .... 680 

Time, .681 


Definition ; Comprised in the five systems of functions ; What 
an excess or deficiency of this faculty indicates ; Facial and 
bodily signs; Description of Time; Kinds of time inherent in 
the thoracic system; In the osseous system ; In the muscular 
system; In the vegetative system ; Elements of Time; Its con¬ 
nection and operation with other faculties ; Motion the basis of 
Time. 

Order, Mental and Physical, .695 

Definition of Mental Order; Facial and bodily signs; Descrip¬ 
tion of Mental Order; Physical Order; Squareness of the 
bones an indication; Different kinds of Order; A necessary 
and natural ally to other faculties; Exhibited by animals and 
insects. 

Calculation, .705 

Definition ; Facial and bodily signs ; Description of Calculation; 

The base of everything mathematical or numerical; Persons of 
large and sound reasoning powers possess sound and strong 
bodies ; Its cultivation in children. 

Causality,. 715 

Definition ; What an excess or deficiency of this faculty leads 
to; Facial and bodily signs; Description of Causality ; Mere 
questioning not true investigation ; The value of Causality 
governed by the surrounding faculties. 

Comparison,. 726 

Definition ; What a deficiency of this faculty indicates ; Facial 
and bodily signs; Description of Comparison; The natural 
ally and companion of certain faculties; Inductive reasoning. 

Intuition,. 737 

Definition; How this faculty can be cultivated ; Facial and 
bodily signs; Description of Intuition; A separate faculty 
from human nature; Cause and base of Intuition; Women as 
a class possess a more general endowment of this trait than 
men; The investigation of human nature greatly aided by In¬ 
tuition ; Children, as a rule, possess a high development of this 
faculty ; Intuitional genius of animals. 






XX 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER III. 

The Human Face in Outline, Motion, Feature, Expression, 

and Color. 

Every form in Nature reveals its own history; The muscular 
mechanism of the face; The osseous formation; The nervous 
distribution of the same ; The glandular formation of the face ; 

The outline exhibited by each separate being and epitome of 
the entire character; The superior power of the face as a revealer 
of character to that of the skull; Geometrical forms of the face ; 

Five general outlines of the face, caused by shape and degree 
of activity of the internal organs,. 749 

Motions and Form,.757 

Motion also reveals the mind of the individual; Natural ges¬ 
tures strongly indicative of character; Congenital or profes¬ 
sional criminals use very few gestures; Movements of the 
mouth; Differences in the form of the internal organs; Basic 
elements of form as exhibited in the features. 

The Chin,.769 

The signs of the chin ; Three general forms of the chin—the 
globose, the oval, and the square; The three positions of the 
chin; Forms of the centre of the chin ; Three general classes 
of character; Dimpled chins; Forms of the chin; The effemi¬ 
nate chin. 

The Jaw,.791 

Forms of the jaw; The upper and the lower; The embryotic 
lower ; The infantile jaw ; A dyspeptic jaw ; The weak, or nega¬ 
tive ; The consumptive jaw; The crafty and witty jaw; The 
curved, or artistic ; The dramatic jaw ; The square jaw—moral, 
mechanical, scientific; The angular, or contrary jaw; Prog¬ 
nathous jaw ; Prognathism of the upper jaw. 

The Lips,.. 795 

The signs in the lips; The movements of the mouth, lips, and 
adjacent parts highly significant of character; The lower lip; 

The embryonic lower lip; The infantile lower; The gustatory 
lip; The sociable lip; The linguistic lower lip; The witty lower 
lip; The benevolent or sympathetic lower lip; The secretive 
lower lip; The criminal lower lip; Crookedness of the muscles 
indicates crookedness of the language; The undeveloped lower 
lip ; The stupid lower lip ; The destructive lower ; Visions of the 
lower lip ; The embryonic upper; The undeveloped upper ; The 
philoprogenitive upper lip; The modest upper; The imitative 
upper lip; The secretive upper lip; The self-estimative upper 
lip ; The amative upper ; The normal upper lip ; The mirthful 
upper lip. 

The Voice,.825 

Intensity of motion; Analysis of the voice; Reveals the domi¬ 
nant system or systems of the organism; Peculiarities of voice 
of those in whom the thoracic system is dominant—the vegeta- 


CONTENTS. 


tive system, the muscular system; The clearer the voice, the 
clearer the mind ; Lisping tones betray a want of balanced judg¬ 
ment ; Impediment to perfect articulation; Evolution of 
language in connection with evolution of the voice; Harsh 
voices ; Unconscious imitation ; Elocutionary exercises ; A man 
capable of emitting sound independent of the organs of speech ; 
Comparison of the tones of the different races of civilization. 

The Mouth,.837 

The line of closure; Analyzing a mouth; The graminivorous 
mouth ; The singing mouth ; The artistic mouth ; The conver¬ 
sational and oratorical mouth; The meditative mouth; The 
common-sense mouth; The orderly mouth; The economical 
mouth; The destructive or carnivorous mouth; Criminal mouths. 

The Cheeks,.848 

General remarks; The two divisions of the cheeks; The em¬ 
bryonic ; The globose, or infantile; The gluttonous; Oval or 
artistic cheek; The rectangular or conscientious cheek; The 
dimpled or beautiful cheek ; The concave, or consumptive ; The 
dyspeptic; The criminal; Normal upper cheek; Abnormal 
form of cheeks. 

The Nose,.866 

The evolution of the nose; The physiology of the nose; The 
anatomical formation of the nose; Table of elements to be 
considered in relation to the nose; General remarks; Lower 
division—artistic and literary; Middle division—constructive; 

Upper division—executive ; The three general outlines of the 
nostrils; The form or outline of the nose; The three basilar 
forms of the nose; The concave or immature nose of the 
adult, negative character; Embryotic type; Infantoid type; 

Idiotic type ; Snub type ; Pup type ; Retroussee type ; Sing¬ 
ing type ; Straight class—passive character; Poetic type; 
Artistic type; Literary type; Critic’s type; Philosophic 
type ; Dramatic type ; Constructive type ; Athletic types ; 
Convex class—osseous system dominant—positive character; 
Argumentative type; Commercial type; Melancholy type; 
Dishonest type; Scientific type; Mechanic type; Abnormal 
type. 

The Eye,.936 

The forms of the eye; The three general forms of the e}^; 
Artistic type; Reflective type; The agreeable eye; The lin¬ 
guistic eye; Politic eye; Untruthful eye; Upward oblique; 
Double obliquity; Observing eyelid; Licentious and un¬ 
principled form; Secretive and acquisitive eye ; Truthful eye; 
Normal eye ; Abnormal type; The size of the eye ; Expres¬ 
sion of the eye ; Artistic expression ; Observant expression ; 
Magnetic expression ; Brutal expression ; Gluttonous expres¬ 
sion ; Shallow and passionate expression; Nictitating fold. 

The Eyelashes,.969 

The interciliary space; Artistic interciliary space; Super¬ 
stitious type. 






CONTENTS. 


xxii 

The Eyebrows,.974 

Normal position of the inner termini; The conceited brow; 

The observing eyebrow; The credulous eyebrow; Position of 
the middle of the brows—the impractical brow; The artistic 
brow ; Position of the outer termini—the arithmetical brow ; 

The deceptive eyebrow ; The aesthetic e3^ebrow ; The inventive 
eyebrow; The vital eyebrow; The delicate eyebrow; Move¬ 
ments of the brows; The colors of the eyebrow. 

The Forehead,.987 

The practical forehead; The projecting forehead; Infantile 
forehead ; The mechanical forehead ; The artistic forehead ; 

The scientific and mechanical forehead. 

The Head,.993 

The Hair,.997 

The evolution of the hair; The quality or texture of the hair; 

The quantity of the hair; The various colors of the hair; 

The remedy for gray hair; Various sorts of curly hair; 
Straight hair; Cause and cure for baldness ; The beard ; The 
texture of the beard. 

The Ear,.1015 

The significations of the forms of the ear; The position of 
the ear; Defective positions; The external and internal ear; 

The three divisions of the ear; The color of the ear; The 
forms of the ear; The musical ear; The unmusical ear; The 
oratorical ear; The commercial ear; Generous versus stingy 
ear; The courageous ear; The timid ear; The linguistic ear; 

The refined ear; The unrefined ear; The abnormal ear. 

The Human Face,.1032 

The lines of the face ; The wrinkles of the face ; The wrinkles 
in the chin; The wrinkles in the lower cheeks; Wrinkles of 
the lower lip ; Wrinkles about the e} 7 es ; Mirthful wrinkles at 
the outer corners of the e3^es; Wrinkles under the eyes; 
Wrinkles on the forehead; Wrinkles of the neck; General 
wrinkles. 

Dimples,.1042 

Signification of dimples; Dimples in the chin; Dimples in 
the cheeks. 

The Teeth,. 1045 

The physiognomical significance of the teeth ; Animal t3^pes 
of the teeth. 

The Gums,.1050 


The Tongue, 


1052 


CONTENTS. xxiii 

Physiognomy of Smiles and Laughter,. 1054 

The Neck,. 1057 

The wilful neck. 


The Hand,. 1067 

' ♦ 

The construction and divisions of the hand; The position of 
the hand ; The lines of the hand ; The vegetative or infantoid 
hand; Muscular class of hands; Muscular class No. II (round 
muscles); The osseous class (square bones); Brain class; 

Mixed hands; Beautiful hands; Texture of the hand; The 
color of the hand. 


The Nails, .... 
The color of the nails. 


1082 


CHAPTER IV. 

Signs of Health and Disease, Strength and Weakness, Beauty 
and Ugliness, in the Human Face and Body. 

Signs of strength; Compression of the female waist; Signs 
of beauty in woman; The facial features as revelators of 
strength and beauty; The nose, the chin, cheeks, and lips; 

The complexion ; Use of stimulants ; Disease of the eyes ; The 
forehead ; Bilateral symmetry of the face ; The thorough-bred ; 

What are the indications of a thorough-bred person; How to 
reduce the size without losing strength,.1085 


CHAPTER V. 

Choice of Vocations. 

The Combinations of Faculties for Trades and Professions, . 1111 

The method to pursue in reading character; The combination 
of systems and faculties suitable for a hotel or boarding house 
keeper; The combination of systems and faculties required for 
a mechanic ; The combination of systems and faculties required 
for a printer; The systems and faculties essential to a dress¬ 
maker or designer of women’s fashions; The systems and 
faculties required by a cook; The combination of systems 
and faculties required for a farmer; The combination of sys¬ 
tems and faculties required for an engineer; The system and 





xxiv CONTENTS. 

faculties essential to merchants; The systems and faculties 
required for a speculator; The systems and faculties essential 
for a painter; Systems and faculties essential to a pktyer; The 
faculties necessary to a tragedian ; The systems and faculties 
essential to a comedian; The systems and faculties essential 
to a society belle ; The systems and faculties necessary for an 
opera-singer ; The systems and faculties requisite for a musical 
composer; The systems and faculties essential to a sculptor; 
The systems and faculties required by a physician; The systems 
and faculties required for a surgeon; Other classes of surgeons ; 
The systems and faculties essential to the orator ; The electric 
class of orators; Magnetic class of orators; The systems and 
faculties essential to a clergyman ; The systems and faculties 
essential to a lawyer; The systems and faculties essential to 
an inventor; The systems and faculties needed b}^ a commander; 
The systems and faculties necessaiy to a scientist; The systems 
and faculties required by a civil engineer; The systems and 
faculties required by a banker; The systems and faculties 
required by a philanthropist; The systems and faculties neces¬ 
sary to a philologist; The s 3 r stems and faculties essential to an 
editor ; The systems and faculties required by a writer of 
fiction ; The systems and faculties required by a statesman. 

Conclusion,. 


1182 


LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Fig. 1. The Grand Divisions or the Face.15 

“ 2. Mineral Forms.19 

“ 3. A Non-Nucleated Cell, the Protamceba Primitiva.63 

“ 4. Native Australians,.65 

“ 5. A Polyp,.66 

“ 6. Vegetative Infant,.67 

“ 7. Vegetative Man,.67 

“ 8. Thomas H. Benton,.. 72 

“ 9. Herr Fleischman,.75 

“ 10. Andrew Jackson,.84 

“ 11. Herbert Spencer,.94 

“ 12. The Natural and Primitive Divisions of the Face.273 

“ 13. The Practical Subdivisions of the Face.275 

“ 14. Location of the Signs for the Visceral Organs.277 

“ 15. Local Signs for the Mental Faculties,.288 

“ 16. George Washington.304 

“ 17. Charlotte Cushman,.' 305 

“ 18. Anna Dickinson,.314 

“ 19. George Washington (profile),.315 

“ 20. Joseph H. Choate, ........... 318 

“ 21. Benjamin Franklin,.319 

“ 22. Mad. Octavia Walton Le Vert,.326 

“ 23. James Fenimore Cooper,.327 

“ 24. Mad. Marie Jeanne Piiillipon Roland.330 

“ 25. Thomas Starr King,.331 

“ 26. Lady Angela Georgina Burdett Coutts Bartlett-Coutts, . . . 336 

“ 27. Henry Bergii,.337 

“ 28. Alexandre Dumas,.340 

“ 29. Monsieur D’Aubray,.341 

“ 30. Sir John Franklin,.350 

“ 31. A. A. Low,.. 351 

“ 32. The Pundita Ramabai,. . 356 

“ 33. Anthony Raphael Mengs,.357 

“ 34. Alexandra, Dowager Queen of England,.368 

“ 35. William Pitt, Earl of Chatham,.369 

“ 36. Eliza Cook, ..374 

“ 37. David G. Farragut,.375 

“ 38. Miss Otis, .. . 380 

“ 39. Johann Christoph von Gluck,. . 381 

“ 40. M. Louis Adolph Thiers,. . 386 

“ 41. Thomas Mott Osborne, .......... 387 

" 42. Martha Dandridge Custis Washington.394 

“ 43. George William Childs,.395 

“ 44. Miss Florence Nightingale,.398 

“ 45. Chauncey M. Depew,.399 

■ V 46. Maria Angelica K^uff^ann, . 410 

(xxv) 


































XXVI 


LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 


Fig. 47. Hans Holbein,. 

“ 48. Dr. Nellie Beighle,. 

“ 49. Pieatro Andrea Mattioli,. 

“ 50. “Mother” Byckerdyke, . . . - . 

“ 51. Clemence S. L’Ozier. 

“ 52. Thomas Jefferson,. 

“ 53. Henry Ward Beecher,. 

“ 54. Belva A. Lockwood,. 

“ 55. John William Draper,. 

“ 56. Rev. Wm. A. Sunday,. 

“ 57. Wm. J. Bryan, . 

“ 58. Martin Luther,. 

“ 59. Grover Cleveland,. 

“ 60. Mrs. M:,. 

“ 61. Francois Maximilien Joseph Isidore Robespierre, . 

“ 62. Signor Crispi,. 

“ 63. John Fox,. 

“ 64. Ellen Terry,. 

“ 65. Paul Gustave Dore,. 

“ 66. John Ruskin,. 

“ 67. Matthias Jacob Schleiden. 

“ 68. Peter Corneille. 

“ 69. Wilkie Collins,. 

“ 70. Sir John Frederick William Herschell, . 

“ 71. Charles Darwin,. 

*“ 72. Rev. Piiillip Brooks, D.D.,. 

“ 73. Mr. H. Rider Haggard. 

“ 74. Mary Anderson,. 

“ 75. William Shakespeare,. 

“ 76. Johann Kaspar Lavater. 

“ 77. Matthew Vassar,. 

“ 78. Jay Gould,. 

“ 79. John Ericsson,. 

“ 80. John Bunyan,. 

“ 81. Benjamin Moore,. 

“ 82. Thomas Paine,. 

“ 83. Miss Clara Barton,. 

“ 84. William H. Seward,. 

“ 85. Ex-Queen Natalie, of Servia. 

“ 86. Joseph Garibaldi,. 

“ 87. Joanna Southcott,. 

“ 88. Robert Southey, .. 

“ 89. Alice Cary,.. 

“ 90. John Greenleaf Whittier.. 

" 91. Miss Harriet Hosmer,. 

“ 92. Rosalie Bonheur,. 

“ 93. Ludovico Antonio David,. 

“ 94. John Leo Gerome,. 

“ 95. Marcus Tullius Cicero,. 

“ 96. Henry James,. 

“ 97. Frederick Henry Alexander (Baron von Humboldt), 

“ 98. William Hickling Prescott,. 

“ 99. Captain James Cook,. 

“ 100. George Alfred Townsend,. 

“ 101. Francois Jean Dominique Arago, .... 

“ 102. Marco Polo.. 


411 

428 

429 

432 

433 

438 

439 

446 

447 

456 

457 

464 

465 

470 

471 

480 

481 

486 

487 

494 

495 

500 

501 

508 

509 

516 

517 

526 

527 
529 

536 

537 

544 

545 

554 

555 

562 

563 

570 

571 

580 

581 

590 

591 
604 
610 
611 
613 
618 
619 
626 
627 

636 

637 

644 

645 




















LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 


XXVll 


Fig. 


If 

4 « 

It 

it 

II 

II 

II 

II 

II 

II 

II 

II 

II 

It 

It 

II 

II 

II 

It 

It 

ft 

ft 

It 

ft 

II 

It 

It 

II 

If 

If 

ft 

ft 

If 

If 

If 

It 

ft 


103. Louis D. Brandeis, 

104. Noah Webster, . 

105. Homer Rodeheaver, . 

106. Ludwig Van Beethoven, 

107. Etelka Gerster, . 

108. Auguste Emil Wilhelmij, 

109. Sir Isaac Newton, 

110. Miss Maria Mitchell, 

111. Signor Luigi Arditi, . 

112. Patrick S. Gilmore, 

113. Miss Ida Williams, 

114. Mrs. Emily C. Judson, 

115. Baron Cuvier, 

116. Galileo Galilei, . 

117. Joseph Louis de Lagrange 

118. Antoinette L. B. Blackwell, 

119. Goldwin Smith, . 

120. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, 

121. Benjamin Thompson (Count Rumford), 

122. Hermann Louis Helmholtz, 

123. Leland Stanford, 

124. Charlotte Bronte, 

125. Richard Owen, 

126. The Muscular Mechanism of the Face, 

127. The Osseous Formation of the Face, 

128. The Nervous Distribution of the Face, 

129. The Glandular Formation of the Face 

130. Geometrical Forms of the Face, 

131. Localization of Signs in the Chin, . 

132. Three General Forms of the Chin—The Globose 

133. The Oval, 

134. The Square, 

135. The Three Positions of the Chin—The Perpendicula 

136. The Receding, 

137. The Projecting, 

138. Forms of the Centre of the Chin—Flat, or Stupid, 

139 Convex, or Bruta 

140 . Indented, 


“ 141. A Round-Dimpled Chin, 

“ 142. A Cleft-Dimpled Chin, 

“ 143. The Broad and Square Chin, . 

“ 144. A Narrow and Receding Chin, . 

“ 145. A Sharp, Pointed Chin, 

“ 146. The Long, Peaked, and Upturned Chin, 

“ 147. A Chin Composed of Fatty Tissue, . 

“ 148. A Convicted Thief, .... 

“ 149. Prince Talleyrand, .... 

“ 150. Human Embryo,. 

“ 151. Countess of Huntington (Jaw), . 

“ 152. Oliver Goldsmith, .... 

“ 153. Laurence Sterne (Jaw), 

“ 154. Claude Lorraine (Jaw), 

*' 155. Benjamin R. Haydon, .... 

“ 156. Lord Byron,. 

157. Sir Isaac Newton (Jaw), . 

» ),58. Voltaire (Jaw), ? • 


. 654 

. 655 
. 666 
. 667 
. 668 
. 669 
. 682 
. 683 
. 684 
. 685 
. 687 
. 696 
. 697 
. 706 
. 707 
. 716 
. 717 
. 728 
. 729 
. 730 
. 731 
. 738 
. 739 
. 751 
. 752 
. 753 
. 754 
. 755 
. 770 
. 771 
. 771 
. 771 
. 773 
. 773 
. 773 
. 775 
. 775 
. 775 
. 777 
. 777 
. 779 
. 779 
. 779 
. 779 
. 779 
. 779 
. 783 
. 784 
. 785 
. 785 
. 786 
. 788 
. 789 
. 789 
. 790 
. 791 

i T i 



















XXVI11 


LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 


Fio. 159. Prognathous Jaws,.793 

“ 160. Mary and Susie,.803 

“ 161. Alexandre Dumas (Lip),.804 

" 162. William Pitt (Lip),.805 

“ 163. De Witt Talmage (Lip).806 

“ 164. Jules Favre (Lip),.806 

“ 165. Wilberforce (Lip),.807 

“ 166. A Convict (Lip),. 808 

“ 167. A Bashkir.811 

“ 168. The Destructive Lower Lip,.813 

“ 169. Divisions of Upper Lip,.814 

“ 170. Upper Lip Divided Horizontally,.814 

“ 171. A, Normal Position of Lips; B, Lips of an Egotist, .... 815 

“ 172. An Imbecile (Lip),.817 

“ 173. The Philoprogenitive Upper Lip,.817 

“ 174. Sir Walter Scott (Lip),.818 

“ 175. Mirthful May (Lip),.819 

“ 176. Robespierre (Lip).821 

“ 177. The Self-estimative Upper Lip, ..821 

“ 178. Henry Ward Beecher (Lip),.823 

“ 179. Normal Upper Lip,.823 

“ 180. Count Cavour (Lip),.824 

“ 181. Normal Line of the Mouth,.837 

“ 182. Normal Margin of the Mouth,.837 

“ 183. Miss Emma Thursby (Mouth),.839 

“ 184. Rosa Bonheur (Mouth), ..840 

“ 185. Jean Jaques Rousseau (Mouth),.841 

“ 186. John Quincy Adams (Mouth),.841 

“ 187. Samuel Houston (Mouth),.842 

“ 188. Benjamin Franklin (Mouth),.844 

“ 189. Wm. E. Gladstone (Mouth),.844 

“ 190. Michael Faraday (Mouth).844 

“ 191. Chief Geronimo (Mouth),. 846 

“ 192. A Sensual Mouth,.847 

“ 193. The Two Divisions of the Cheeks,. .851 

“ 194. Cherub, by Raphael,.853 

“ 195. The “Diamond Fat Lady,”.854 

“ 196. Lady Pitt. 855 

“ 197. Roger Sherman (Cheek),.856 

“ 198. Dimpled Cheeks,.857 

“ 199. The Concave or Consumptive Cheek,.860 

“ 200. Concave or Dyspeptic Cheek,.861 

“ 201. A Convicted Thief,.862 

“ 202. Normal Upper Cheek,.863 

“ 203. Abnormal Cheeks,.864 

“ 204. Savage Cheek-Bones,.865 

“ 205. The Nose Subdivided,.878 

“ 206. Location in the Nose of the Signs of the Visceral Organs, . . 879 

“ 207. Local Signs for the Mental Faculties,.881 

“ 208. The Horizontal Outline of the Nostrils,.891 

“ 209. The Upward Outline of the Nostrils,.891 

“ 210. The Downward Outline of the Nostrils,.891 

“ 211. The Concave Form of the Nose.891 

“ 212. The Straight Form of the Nose,.891 

“ 213. The Convex Form of the Nose,.891 

“ 214. Embryotic Nose, . . 394 













LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS, 


XXIX 


Fig. 215. Idiotic Nose and Forehead.896 

“ 216. Snub-nose,.897 

“ 217. Pug-nose,.898 

“ 218. Blunt Pug-nose,.898 

“ 219. The Nez Retrouss^e. 900 

“ 220. Singing Nose.901 

“ 221. Greek Nose,.903 

“ 222. Straight Nose,.903 

“ 223. Artistic Nose,.911 

“ 224. Dickens (Nose),. 912 

“ 225. Ouida (Nose),.912 

“ 226. Critic’s Nose, ..913 

“ 227. Philosophic Nose,.913 

“ 228. Dramatic Nose,.915 

“ 229. Constructive Nose, . 917 

“ 230. Athletic Nose,.918 

“ 231. Argumentative Nose.923 

“ 232. Commercial Nose,.924 

“ 233. Executive Nose,.924 

“ 234. Commercial Nose,.924 

“ 235. Melancholy Nose,.928 

“ 236. Dishonest Nose.929 

“ 237. Mechanical Nose,.933 

“ 238. Abnormal Nose,.934 

“ 239. Animal Type,.935 

“ 240. Revengeful Nostrils,.935 

“ 241. The Muscles of the Eye,.943 

“ 242. Large and Round Eye,.946 

“ 243. Narrow and Elongated Eye, ......... 946 

“ 244. Oblique Eye,.946 

“ 245. Artistic Eye,.947 

“ 246. Reflective Eye,. 947 

“ 247. Agreeable Eye,. 948 

“ 248. Linguistic Eye, ..948 

“ 249. Politic Eye, ..949 

“ 250. Untruthful Eye, ..949 

“ 251. Double Obliquity, ..949 

“ 252. Observing Eyelid, ..950 

“ 253. Licentious and Unprincipled Eye.950 

“ 254. Secretive Eye, ..951 

“ 255. Acquisitive Eye, ... ..951 

“ 256. Truthful Eye, ..952 

“ 257. Normal Eye, ..953 

“ 258. Abnormal Eye,. 953 

“ 259. Poly g amic Eye, ..954 

“ 260. Monogamic Eye.954 

“ 261. Conjugal Eye,. 955 

“ 262. Large Eye,. 959 

“ 263. Medium Eye,.959 

“ 264. Small Eye,. 959 

“ 265. Artistic Eye, ..962 

“ 266. Observant Eye. 963 

“ 267. Magnetic Eye.963 

“ 268. Brutal Eye, ..963 

“ 269. Gluttonous Eye, ..964 

« 270. Beautiful Eyelashes, • • • .970 

















XXX 


LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 


Fig. 271. Artistic Interciliary Space,.. 971 

“ 272. Superstitious Type of Interciliary Space,.972 

“ 273. Observant Type of Interciliary Space,.973 

“ 274. Forms of the Eyebrow,.977 

“ 275. Position of the Inner Termini of the Eyebrows.978 

“ 276. Conceited Eyebrow,.978 

“ 277. Observing Eyebrow,.979 

“ 278. Credulous Eyebrow,.979 

“ 279. Impractical Eyebrow,.981 

“ 280. Artistic Eyebrow, . . . 981 

“ 281. Arithmetical Eyebrow,.982 

“ 282. ^Esthetic Eyebrow,.983 

“ 283. Inventive Eyebrow,.983 

“ 284. Vital Eyebrow.984 

“ 285. Delicate Eyebrow,.984 

“ 286. Perpendicular Forehead,.988 

“ 287. Receding Forehead,.988 

“ 288. Practical Forehead,.989 

“ 289. Projecting Forehead,.989 

“ 290. Infantile Forehead,.990 

“ 291. Mechanical Forehead.990 

“ 292. Artistic Forehead.991 

“ 293. Scientific Forehead,.991 

“ 294. Vital Beard,.1008 

“ 295. Vital Moustache,.1009 

“ 296. External and Internal Ear,.1023 

“ 297. Three Divisions of the Ear,.1024 

“ 298. Ear of Patti,.1027 

“ 299. Ear of Gerster,.1027 

“ 300. Ear of Lucca.1027 

“ 301. Ear. of Sembrick,.1027 

“ 302. Ear of Capoul,.1027 

“ 303. Ear of Annie Louise Cary,.1027 

“ 304. Ear of Master Solomon,.1027 

“ 305. Ear of Passmore,.1027 

“ 306. Ear of Master Gibson,.1027 

“ 307. Ear of Campanini.1027 

“ 308. Unmusical Ear,.1028 

“ 309. Oratorical Ear,.1029 

“ 310. Commercial Ear,.1029 

“ 311. Normal Direction of Primitive Line.1032 

“ 312. Primitive Line in Upper Lip.1033 

“ 313. Talker’s Wrinkle,.1036 

“ 314. Approbative Wrinkle,.1036 

“ 315. Malicious Wrinkles, ..1038 

“ 316. Executive Wrinkles,.1038 

“ 317. Conscientious Wrinkles.1038 

“ 318. Persevering Wrinkles.1039 

“ 319. Mirthful Wrinkles.1040 

" 320. Talented Wrinkles,.1041 

“ 321. The Wilful Neck,.1060 

“ 322. The Amative Neck,.1061 

“ 323. The Attentive Neck,.1062 

“ 32 A . The Sagacious Neck,.1063 

“ r .o. The Graceful Neck,.1064 















LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. xxxi 

Fig. 326. The Neck of Coquetry,.1065 

“ 327. The Avaricious Neck.1066 

“ 328. The Vegetative Hand,.1072 

“ 329. Spatulate Hand, ..1072 

“ 330. Artistic Hand,.1075 

“ 331. Superstitious Hand,.1075 

“ 332. Scientific Hand,.1077 

“ 333. Philosophic Hand,.. . 1077 

“ 334. Mental Hand,.1079 

“ 335. Useful Hand,.1079 

“ 336. Beautiful Hands, ..1080 

“ 337. Beautiful Hand. 1081 

“ 338. The Farnesian Hercules,.1087 

“ 339. Normal Female Waist,.1090 

“ 340. Abnormal Female .Waist,.1090 

“ 341. The Venus de Medici.1091 

“ 342. Egeria,. 1091 

“ 343. Daniel Appleton,.1120 

“ 344. John Wanamaker. 1121 

“ 345. Phineas T. Barnum.■.1122 

“ 346. Michael Angelo, ..... ~.1123 

“ 347. Raphael Sanzio,.1124 

“ 348. Alfred Tennyson,.1125 

“ 349. Torquato Tasso, . 1126 

“ 350. Edwin Booth.1127 

“ 351. Adelaide Ristori,.1128 

“ 352. Blanche Barretta,.1130 

“ 353. Joseph Jefferson,. 1131 

“ 354. Madame Recamier,. 1134 

“ 355. Giulia Grisi,. 1135 

“ 356. Franz Schubert,.1137 

“ 357. Richard Wagner, . 1138 

«« 358. Ariadne,.1140 

“ 359. M. Pasteur,.1142 

“ 360. Edward Jenner,.1143 

“ 361. John Hunter,.1144 

“ 362. Master Harry Shannon,.1147 

“ 363. Henry Clay, ..1148 

“ 364. Ernestine L. Rose,.1149 

“ 365. Henry Hart Milman, . • . . 1152 

“ 366. Cardinal Henry Edward Manning,.1153 

“ 367. Cyrus Hall McCormack,.1157 

“ 368. Caius Julius Caesar, ..1160 

“ 369. Sir Charles John Napier,.1161 

“ 370. Mary Somerville, ..1164 

“ 371. Karl Vogt,.1165 

“ 372. Washington A. Roebling, ..1166 

“ 373. James B. Eads, ..1167 

“ 374. Anthony Rothschild, ..1170 

“ 375, George Peabody,.1172 

“ 376. William Dwight Whitney.1174 

“ 377. Henry James, .1176 

“ 378. Charles Dickens,.1178 

“ 379. William Makepeace Thackeray,.1179 

“ 380. Armand Richelieu, ..1181 














THEODORE ROOSEVELT (Statesman, Soldier, Governor, 
President, Author, and Lecturer ) 



xxxii 









CHARACTER ANALYSIS AND READING 

OF 

THEODORE ROOSEVELT. 

To show you the way to get at the analysis we will take one 
of the most prominent figures ever in the public eye, Theodore 
Roosevelt, and give you an analysis of his Character hy reading 
the characteristics in his face. 

See Illustration , page 881. 

The illustration will show the local signs for the mental 
faculties and this is what gives us the analysis of his character¬ 
istics. You will notice the (3) three general divisions on page 
273; you will discern these divisions and their values, and on 
page 275 you will further secure the five sub-divisions of practical 
analysis. 

Now take the photograph and classify the prominent features 
making two divisions, in the (1st) first put the pronounced features, 
in the (2d)second put the others, and you get your subjects grouped 
properly—now after you do this you can readily analyze each 
faculty as follows:— 

The most prominent sign Approbativeness , shows love of 
praise and commendation ; desire to be distinguished and popular; 
love of attention, display, esteem and approval. Ambition ; this 
sign is followed by the sign of Conscientiousness, which shows 
honesty, integrity, morality, and thoroughness, perception of truth, 
love of justice, sense of duty, moral courage and heroism, love of 
right, and hatred of wrong. Force , which is the sign in physical 
strength, boldness, opposition, resentment, strong and passionate 
temper, decided will, danger, self protection; this sign is followed 
by Alimentiveness, that is hunger, love of eating. Self-esteem, 
the sign of self-respect, independence, dignity, love of leadership, 
and elevation of character; the sign of Constructiveness, or an 
innate perception of the laws and operation of natural mechanical 
forces. Causality, or the cause seeking faculty ; ability to reason 
from cause to effect, capacity for deduction, comprehension of 
logical principles and their application; these signs are followed 
by: Benevolence, Music, and Intuition, the latter three are not as 
perfectly developed. 

Grouping the above signs, we would say that Roosevelt had 
a strong will; was very decided in his conception of right or wrong; 
that he was inclined to attack wrong systems of management and 

(xxxiii) 


XXXIV THEODORE ROOSEVELT AND E. H. HARRIMAN. 

not afraid to express opinions or discuss wrong measures, feeling 
absolutely right on the side he took. Opposition only stimulated 
him to greater effort; while he was always looking for praise; criti¬ 
cism would make him fight all the harder. It was on account of the 
self-reliance which was very highly developed, and the combination 
of his other faculties of constructiveness which lead us to admire 
him as his mind penetrated towards the investigation of cause and 
fundamental principles, the harmony of his make up shows him 
mentally developed and balanced. 

By following the study of Stanton’s Encyclopedia of “ Face 
and Form Beading,” we can read the character of others. 

This reading you can easily do when you get to know thor¬ 
oughly the definitions of each faculty, this is very important. 
Study the faculties on the chart shown on page 881, and use the 
index on page 1217 to locate and learn the definitions. 


CHARACTER ANALYSIS AND READING 

OF 

E. H. HARRIMAN. 

E. H. Harriman was well-known as a prominent American. 
His face shows the following mental faculties named in their order 
of importance: 

Analysis that is ability to separate, classify, suggest changes, 
to note differences, ingenuity, invention, resource and fertility of 
expedients. Benevolence showing sympathy, generosity, good-will, 
love of mankind. Amativeness , showing physical passion, manli¬ 
ness, energy, individuality. Causality, showing ability to reason 
from cause to effect; capacity for deduction, calculative and far¬ 
sighted as to results. Conscientiousness , showing morality, honesty, 
integrity, thoroughness, moral courage, Self-esteem , showing in¬ 
dependence, dignity, self-control, love of leadership, elevation of 
character. Modesty, showing purity of thought, unobtrusiveness, 
and reserve. Resistance, showing physical strength, passionate 
temper, resentment, decided will, coolness in danger. Constructive¬ 
ness, which gives and bestows originality, skill, and capacity. 
Music , showing a sense of harmony in speaking, conversing, etc. 

Beading the Face, we find E. H. Harriman was a man con¬ 
tented with his own endeavors; just in his dealings with the op¬ 
posite sex; that what plans he formed would be carried out irre¬ 
spective of others except for the greatest and wisest of reasons, 
also a man of creative talent and broad in Philanthropic schemes 



E. H. HARRIMAN. 


XXXV 


for the amelioration of mankind. Did not crave popularity or 
praise. He liked to make a good appearance and possessed a good 
deal of self-reliance making it possible to stand and combat with 
others; on most occasions being inclined to follow bis own opinions. 
Modest in most things, inflexible, unyielding and disposed to be 
aggressive when placed on the defensive. 



E. H .HARRIMAN. (Railroad Magnate and Philanthropist.) 

E. H. Harriman’s face shows a man to whom the laws of 
nature were very suggestive and any architectural plan would 
always interest him. He could make suggestions of improvements 
which were thought out before being expressed, showing that the 
power of his mind over theories was remarkable. 

The faculty of Causality shows intellectual acumen and vigor 
made active by a fine development of physical strength, while Intui¬ 
tion takes an important part in the reasoning process through 
which his mind travelled. 

All definitions of each faculty is given in the Textbook. Study 
each carefully. You cannot read a face until you can analyze 
faculties and know their meaning. See illustration , page 881. 



HOW TO ANALYZE FOR CHARACTER 

Reading. 


INTRODUCTION. 

In this lesson on Character Analysis, you will find stated the 
facts. We leave it to you to read the textbook for the proof of 
the accuracy of the lesson. 

Let us caution you, however, in the beginning that if you 
find what you think to be inaccuracies, by study of the different 
groups of signs as explained by the author, you will find the 
reason for these apparent differences caused by the more predom¬ 
inant characteristics of the individual. Please do not judge 
hastily. 

You will find as you proceed in this study many interesting 
and instructive points, and a wonderful revelation it will be to you 
when once you fully grasp the possibility and importance of 
Character Analysis. 

Do you remember when you first started to study Physiology, 
how the teacher pointed out the heart, the lungs, the bones, and 
muscles, and explained their uses and how you wondered at the 
mighty engine of our body; just so with this Study. You will 
be astonished at its fascination and deep scientific significance. 

In order to interest you at once and start you along lines of 
practical value, this lesson is given for the comparison of the 
main features; get them marked indelibly in your mind and apply 
one of the features at a time in your daily work until you can 
more readily group them together. Prove the signs by comparison 
and then read up more thoroughly about them in the textbook. 
This will make you proficient. 

Character Analysis will enable you to see your own failings, 
and its knowledge will help you to the development of your latent 
forces which you can guide along natural lines. The foundation 
stones are here to use, and it is for you to build with them. 

Determine to learn this Study and be guided by their instruc¬ 
tions, and you will be repaid many times the effort put upon it. 

(xxxvi) 



HOW TO ANALYZE FOR CHARACTER READING. 


XXX VII 


With the leads given and a careful study of the book from - 
page 749 to 1084, you are given a good foundation on Character 
Analysis. 

Having picked out the most prominent signs in a face through 
analysis pointed out to you by the study of these suggestions you 
will do well to carefully study the textbook. “Man’s greatest 
Study is Man.” 


LESSON I. 

THE CHIN. 

The size of the chin depends upon the underlying bone and 
is considered one of the most substantial parts of the face when it 
comes to analyzing character. 

FORMS OF THE CHIN. 

* 

There are three outlines in the chin ; (1st) The small, round, 
soft chin, with its apparent fat; this shows a soft, yielding Nature, 
Inferior Intellect and relatively weak Character. (2d) The oval 
or muscular chin outlined by the supremacy of muscle; this de¬ 
notes a strong desire for some form of art, hence it shows Culture. 
(3rd) The square or hony chin outline shows Positive Character¬ 
istics, Conscientiousness, Order, Precision, etc., depending upon 
the degree of squareness of the bone. 

See Illustration , page 771. 

THE POSITION OF THE CHIN. 

There are three positions of the chin: (1st) The perpendicu¬ 
lar, which shows the normal type of Character. (2d) The reced¬ 
ing chin, which denotes Weakness and Perversion. (3d) The 
projecting chin, which shows the reverse of true Economical 
Faculties and that its possessor is wanting in some degree in 
Honesty and Mental Power. 

See Illustration , page 773. 

THE CENTRE OF THE CHIN. 

There are three forms of the central part of the chin, i. e., 
that part between the lower lip and the lower part of the chin: 
(1st) The flat or stupid. (2d) The convex or brutal. (3d) The 
indented or highest type. 

See Illustration , page 775. 




XXXViii HOW TO ANALYZE FOR CHARACTER READING. 

REMARKS ON THE CHIN. 

The three general classes of character, if studied carefully 
will show the following: fat represents Domestic Character; if in 
excess, Gluttonous Habits. Muscles denote Emotion and Artistic 
Tastes; bone Mechanical and Scientific Tastes. 

See Illustrations , for the faculty of Conscientiousness and its 
definition, on page 302; for Firmness and its definition, on page 
312; for Economy and its definition, on page 318. 

THE MOUTH. 

The lines of closure of the mouth are very valuable in char¬ 
acter reading. In analyzing the mouth there are certain indica¬ 
tions which must be examined if we wish to gain an accurate 
knowledge of character. We must examine carefully in every 
mouth the following: (1st) The both lips. (2d) The line which 
is the result of their junction. (3d) The centre of the upper lip 
and the centre of the lower lip. (4th) The base of the middle 
line, and (5th) The corners of the mouth. 

In the upper lip we find three well defined curves; in the 
lower lip we find three slight curves. A careful study of these 
curves is most essential. 

See Illustration , page 837. 

THE UPPER LIP. 

The signs of Amativeness and Love of Young are located in the 
colored portion of the center of the upper lip. Mirth is indicated 
by the upward curve at its corners, Self-esteem and Modesty in 
the centre of the lip between the septum of the nose and in the 
fullness, redness and moisture of the centre of the upper lip. 

See Illustration , page 814. 

The normal position of the lip is perpendicular. The concave 
upper lip shows egotists, braggarts, and blowhards, etc., that is, it 
shows a character which will exaggerate. 

See Illustration , page 815. 

THE LOWER LIP. 

Love of Home is the centre under the red part of the lower 
lip, while Patriotism is to the side of this faculty. 

Fullness of the lip (see pages 326) shows Love of Country. 
The indentation under the centre of the lower lip shows the party 
endowed with Sensitiveness and Sympathy. The deeper the mark 
the more pronounced the trait. 


HOW TO ANALYZE FOR CHARACTER READING. 


XXXIX 


See Illustration , page 327, for faculty of Love of Home and 
its definition ; page 336, for Benevolence and its definition; page 
357, for Amativeness and its definition ; page 369, for Love of 
Young and its definition ; page 375, for Mirthfulness and its de¬ 
finition ; page 439, for Self-esteem and its definition; page 447, 
for Modesty and its definition. 

THE NOSE. 

The nose is the great central indicator, and reveals more 
characteristics both mental and physiological than any other facial 
feature. 

OUTLINES OF THE NOSTRILS. 

In the nostrils we will note three outlines extending from the 
tip of the nose back to the lip: (1st) The horizontal line, this is 
the standard form which betokens Noble Characteristics. (2d) 
The upward line—this is undeveloped—and shows like charac¬ 
teristics, as Inquisitiveness, Hopeful Tendencies etc. (3d) The 
downward line—indicating a melancholy, groveling and malicious 
Character, 

See Illustration , page 891. 

FORMS OF THE NOSE. 

There are three basic elements of form : (1st) The concave 
or negative, sometimes called snub-nose. (2d) The straight or 
passive, sometimes called Grecian nose. (3d) The convex or 
positive, sometimes called Homan nose. 

See Illustration , page 891. 

NOSE IN GENERAL. 

As so much depends upon the nose in the analysis of char¬ 
acter, this lesson can not accurately go into the details. The study 
of pages from 892 to 936 will outline the three forms—showing 
the positive, passive, and negative characteristics of the individual. 
It is interesting and worth the study. 

See Illustration , page 481, for faculty of Cautiousness and its 
definition; page 487, for Hope and its definition; page 494, for 
Analysis and its definition; page 501, for Mental Imitation and 
its definition ; page 508, for Sublimity and its definition ; page 
516, for Ideality and its definition; page 526, for Human Nature 
and its definition; page 537, for Acquisitiveness and its definition; 
page 544, for Constructiveness and its definition; page 555, for 
Veneration and its definition ; page 563 for Executiveness and its 
definition. 


xl 


HOW TO ANALYZE FOR CHARACTER READING. 


THE CHEEKS. 

The cheeks are composed of soft tissues, muscles, fibres, 
nerves, glands, and an elastic skin, and are more susceptible to 
changes of their form than those which depend on the bone ex¬ 
clusively from their outline. 

DIVISIONS OF THE CHEEKS. 

There are two divisions of the cheeks, (he lower part, and the 
upper part taking a line drawn from the point of the nose straight 
back. 

See Illustration , page 851. 

FORM OF THE CHEEKS. 

There are several forms of the lower cheeks, eight in number, 
all modifications or combinations of one or more of these general 
forms. They can be classified as the embryotic, the infantile, the 
exaggerated, the oval or art form, the rectangular or moral, the 
irregular or criminal, the concave or consumptive, and the 
dyspeptic. 

See Illustration , page 860. 

The upper cheek is influenced by the underlying bones. The 
large cheek bones indicate Brutal Force and Combative Propen¬ 
sities. Cheeks that are flat at the malar bones, and which present 
a perpendicular line where the curves should be, denote Weak¬ 
ness and Consumptive tendencies. 

SYMMETRY OF THE CHEEK BONES. 

Symmetry of the cheek denotes Refinement as well as Proper 
Strength, and Combative Tendencies all depend upon the develop¬ 
ment of the bones underlying the muscles. 

See Illustration, page 341, for faculty of Bibativeness and its 
definition ; page 350, for Alimentiveness and its definition ; page 
381, for Approbativeness and its definition ; page 387, for Friend¬ 
ship and its definition ; page 394, for Hospitality and its definition. 

THE EARS. 

The ears are the organs for receiving sound or tone, and upon 
the accuracy of what is heard depends the mental thoughts of the 
individual. 

DIVISIONS OF THE EARS. 

The ears are divided into three parts. (1st) The lower part 
which shows The Vegetative System and its development. (2d) 


HOW TO ANALYZE FOR CHARACTER READING. 


xli 


The centre, The Thoracic System. (3d) The upper part or bell 
part which shows the development of The Muscular System. 

If you wish to understand these different systems, read text¬ 
book. 

See General Index , page 1217, under Ear. 

By the proportionate development of these different systems, 
the aural, musical and linguistic capacities of the person is readily 
discerned. 

See Illustration , page 1024. 

POSITION OF THE EARS. 

You will note some ears flat and placed closely against the 
side of the head, other ears will project far out, and still others 
only slightly away from the head. 

Ears set back flat are not likely to catch sound accurately; 
all musicians, elocutionists, or those who possess special ability to 
sing or talk intelligently have the projecting ears. 

See Illustration , page 1027. 

The position of the ear bears relation to the general structure 
of the head and body, as to size, form, texture, and color, all of 
which subjects are described under Ear. 

See General Index , page 1217. 

COLOR OF THE EARS. 

Some ears you will find are bright red, other ears white and 
transparent, still others pinkish. The bright-red ear denotes Aural 
Capacity. The weaker colors show relative weakness, that is 
Strength, Tone and Beauty are not fully developed. 

See Illustration , page 665, for faculty of Music and its defini¬ 
tion ; page 681, for Time and its definition. 

THE EYES. 

The functions of the eye are sight and motion, hence it is the 
physical and mental organ of the features and gives expression to 
the emotions felt rather than to the mental processes. 

FORM OF THE EYE. 

There are three forms of the eye: (1st) large and round, 
(2d) narrow and elongated, (3d) oblique. 

The Large Eye is the one to receive correct impression ; the 
small one shows Secretiveness, and the Oblique; deceptive, sly and 
crafty Character. 


HOW TO ANALYZE FOR CHARACTER READING. 


Xlii 


SIZE OF THE EYE. 

Very large eyes denote exaggeration in the use of language, 
small ones indicate secretive characters. The largest sized eyes 
belong to the Artistic and Emotional Classes; the medium to the 
more Observing and Thoughtful Minds, while the very small eyes 
to those of Weak Organization, either morally, mentally, or 
physically. 

EXPRESSION OF THE El r E. 

The eye is indebted to the form, size, and color of the other 
features for its expression, each class of mind exhibits a similarity 
of structure peculiar to itself. 

See Illustrations , page 963. 

See Illustration, page 578, for the faculty of Credenciveness 
and its definition; page 588, for Prescience and its definition ; 
page 602, for Form and its definition ; page 609, for Size and its 
definition ; page 619, for Observation and its definition ; page 739, 
for Intuition and its definition; page 429, for Sanativeness and its 
definition. 

THE EYELASHES. 

The lashes of the eye are primarily for purposes of protection, 
but also indicate certain characteristics peculiar to themselves. 

KINDS OF LASHES. 

The lashes may be (1st) long or short, (2d) straight or curved, 
(3d) thick or thin, (4th) regular or irregular, (5th) dark or light. 

QUALITY SHOWN BY THE LASHES. 

Long, curved, fine, regular, silken lashes denote Refined 
Characteristics, and Delicacy of Feeling and Sentiment. 

Straight, coarse, thick, and projecting lashes show Vigor and 
Bluntness. 

See Illustration , page 970. 

THE EYEBROWS. 

Like the eyelashes, they are primarily for protection of the 
eyes, but if we observe carefully the form, width, color, position, 
direction, and distance between them, and the space between them 
and the eyes, much will be revealed to us. 

If the brows meet in the centre and form a continuous line, 
there is associated with the person a certain degree of Conceit. If 
the brows come close down to the eyes the person shows earnest, 


HOW TO ANALYZE FOR CHARACTER READING. xliil 

deep and firm Characteristics, the more remote the brow the more 
Volatile, Easily Moved, and Less Enterprising. 

See Illustration , page 979. 

THE HUMAN FACE. 

The lines in the face are best described as the wrinkles of the 
countenance. First of the principal lines exhibited on the face is 
the line leading from the nose downward to the corners of the 
mouth, its depth denotes Friendship; if exceedingly deep, wide, 
and fat it denotes a Good Eater. The next line in the face is the 
little line running perpendicularly through the center of the upper 
HP to the septum of the nose and is the sign of Modesty; the 
deeper this line the stronger the characteristic. 

WRINKLES OF THE FACE. 

A smooth, shining face indicates an absence of Reflection, 
Intelligence, or Feeling. A small, shining face belongs to the 
suave, plausible, dishonest, and unprincipled. The general rule 
for reading wrinkles is as follows: Deep wrinkles indicate a 
mind that has been improved in study; eacli face has its peculiar 
wrinkles. The general law of form applies to mental state and 
normal qualities. There are many kinds of wrinkles which it 
would be well for any student to spend time in studying. 

See page 1034. 

THE VOICE. 

The voice is related to the ear. The quality of the sound 
reveals each individual’s ability. The voice is the expression of 
thought and gives us a clearer knowledge of the secrets of the in¬ 
dividual. It is the outward expression of emotions giving ex¬ 
pression to the interior state of the mind. 

The general rule : The clearer the voice the clearer the mind, 
the sweeter the voice the more affectionate. A harsh voice indi¬ 
cates a strong, harsh Character. A rich, full, round voice indicates 
Sociability, and lisping tone wanting in good, balanced Judgment. 

See page 825. 

THE NECK. 

The neck is the main part of motion and shows nearly every 
act of the individual physically. The importance of the neck 
makes it a necessary part of analysis when we come to consider 
its position and office, and reveals by the size and color, the quality 
of the mental powers. 


xliv 


HOW TO ANALYZE FOR CHARACTER READING. 


The principal traits revealed by the neck are: Will, Ama¬ 
tiveness, Self-Esteem, Hypocrisy, Avarice, Veneration, Youth, Old 
Age, etc. 

See page 1057. 

THE HANDS. 

The position of holding the hands is a strong indication of 
Character, carrying the hands with the fingers slightly open de¬ 
notes Secretiveness. The shape of the hands is formed by the 
muscles and shows the character of the individual. 

It is well to study all of these different classes and discern 
the difference between them. 

See page 1067. 

Chart showing the location of the mental faculties. See illus¬ 
tration, page 881. 

Eacli sign is numbered for location and can easily be recog¬ 
nized, if in connection with their study of position the different 
mental faculties are looked up between pages 297 and 748. 


INTRODUCTION. 


I F the most learned man of the twelfth century were to return 
to earth and become cognizant of our advance in the 
sciences and industrial arts, he would doubtless believe, at 
first, that he was in the midst of works of magic more won¬ 
derful and powerful by far than the mysterious and occult 
operations of the Magi of his own age. He would note the use of nat¬ 
ural forces in the economics of life through complicated machinery : 
see the wonders wrought by steam and electricity; travel at mar¬ 
velous speed on the earth, in the air, on water or under it; find 
distance annihilated by telephone and telegraph, be astounded at 
the telescopic and microscopic discoveries which startle even this 
progressive age. The knowledge of the laws of sound, motion, 
light, and color, which this epoch has evolved, would unfold to his 
senses a world of realities as new to his mind as if he, in verity, 
were transported to quite another planet than the one which had 
been his former habitation. After taking note of all our increased 
knowledge of science in its various departments, and after examin¬ 
ing our museums and institutions of learning, if he were to ask, 
What do you now know of man 1—of his powers and properties ] 
what reply could we make] We might answer that we understand 
the circulation of the blood, a little about the nervous system, 
somewhat of the process of digestion; that we know the number 
of the bones and have named them, and also the action of the 
muscles; that we are in a state of uncertainty as to the function 
of the brain ; that we know very little of the prevention of dis¬ 
ease, much less about its cure, and nothing at all as to the meaning 
of his physiognomy. What think you would be his opinion of 
our progress in useful knowledge ] Surely, he would conclude 
that we had vexed our minds with many things that could be dis¬ 
pensed with, and had neglected the most useful of them all. The 
knowledge of man and how to improve his capacities, how to pro¬ 
tect his bodily powers, how to prevent and remedy the diseases 
which assail him, is surely of more importance than many of the 
studies upon which valuable time lias been spent without advanc¬ 
ing the knowledge of man one step. All through the ages of 
which we have any recorded history we find inklings of an 
instinctive perception of physiognomy. 

i 


(i) 



2 


INTRODUCTION. 


The writings of Moses show him to have been a profound 
student of human nature, and possessed of a power to read and 
understand countenances and features. His knowledge of sanitary 
law, in regard to food and diet and the. protection of the body, and 
tlie success attending the application of these laws, place him even 
beyond the sanitarians of to-day. Among the earliest Greek 
writers, Aristotle, Plato, and Galen may be named as having 
written and taught physiognomy. Hippocrates also formulated a 
system based upon the several colors of the human complexion. 
This classification has passed down to the present day, and has 
been accepted by naturalists in its application to man, while at the 
same time, with singular inconsistency, the lower animal kingdom 
has been classified on the basis of form, and correctly so, as color 
is an effect, not a cause; it is dependent on climate, food, habit, 
and other accidental surroundings. Even phrenologists, who ought 
to know better (since their researches extend widely among the 
animal kingdom), have retained the classification which Hip¬ 
pocrates set up. The differences observable in the human family 
he denominated temperaments—a word which has no intelligent 
application even to the false basis upon which the old Greek phy¬ 
sician founded his system, long before the circulation of blood was 
discovered by Harvey, and before the functions of the liver, heart, 
and brain were at all understood. 

Each age has added its contributions to our knowledge of 
physiognomy, and if these contributions have not given us hereto¬ 
fore a correct system, at once practical and scientific, they have 
maintained an interest and a belief in this science. This interest 
and belief have served as beacon-lights which have flashed far 
down the ages made brilliant by the works of the most renowned 
philosophers and literates. Among the Grecians, Aristotle wrote 
extensively on this subject. Pliny, Cicero, and others of ancient 
Rome found this science worthy of their consideration, while, later 
in the advancing centuries, we find Petrus d’Abbano lecturing on 
physiognomy before the students of the University of Paris. After 
him followed the renowned Avicenna, Averroes, Michael Scott, and 
the Italian sculptor and naturalist, J. Baptista Porta, the discoverer 
of the camera obscura. Later still, many German, French, Eng¬ 
lish, and American observers left their writings among us to be 
added to and built upon. Lavater, in 1801, wrote numerous 
volumes on the subject, copiously illustrated, in which he had the 
assistance of some of the best artists in Europe. It is through his 
works, and from his associations that this science is best known to 
modern students. His purity of life and high position (he having 
been an eloquent clergyman, pastor of St. Peter’s Church, at 


INTRODUCTION. 


3 


Zurich) placed physiognomy on a footing of credibility. His 
works are what he named them—“ Fragments —merely, without 
system and largely impractical. His efforts, like those of his 
piedecessors, have assisted in continuing the belief and interest in 
the science. 

Prominent among the German and French observers are 
found the eminent Blumenbach, Spurzheim, Camper, Bichat, 
Broussais, and He la Sartlie; among the English, Sir Charles Bell 
and Alexander Walker; and among Americans, James W. Bed- 
field. In 1817, Dr. John Crosse published from the University 
Press, at Glasgow, a series of lectures on physiognomy which he 
had delivered, setting forth a system which contains practical 
knowledge, susceptible of proof and capable of application by any 
ordinary observer. 

Prof. Joseph Le Conte, of the University of California, in 
an able article in the Popular Science Monthly describing the ad¬ 
vance of science, says:— 

“ In all sciences, but especially in the higher and more com¬ 
plex departments, there are three distinct stages of advance. The 
first consists in the observation, collection, and arrangement of 
facts—Descriptive Science. The second is the reduction of these 
to formal laws—Formal Science. Thus far the science is inde¬ 
pendent of all other sciences. The third is the reference of these 
laws to the more general laws of a more fundamental science—in 
the hierarchy as their cause—Causal Science. It is this last change 
only which necessarily follows the order indicated above. Its 
effect is always to give great impulse to scientific advance, for then 
only does it take on the highest scientific form, then only does it 
become one of the hierarchy of sciences, and receive the aid of 
all. Thus, to illustrate, Tycho Brahe laboriously gathered and 
collated a vast number of facts concerning planetary motions— 
Descriptive Astronomy. Kepler reduced these to the three great 
and beautiful laws known by his name—Formal Astronomy. But 
it was reserved for Newton, by means of the theory of gravitation, 
to explain the Keplerian laws by referring them to the more gen¬ 
eral and more fundamental laws of mechanics as their cause, and 
thus he became the founder of physical and causal astronomy. 
In other words, astronomy was at first a separate science, based on 
its own facts. Newton connected it with mechanics, and thus 
made it one of the hierarchy. From that time astronomy advanced 
with increased rapidity and certainty. Astronomy first rose as a 
beautiful shaft, unconnected and unsupported, except on its own 
pedestal. In the meantime, however, another more solid and 


4 


INTRODUCTION. 


central shaft had grown up under the hands of many builders, 
viz., mechanics. Newton connected the astronomical shaft with 
the central column of mechanics, and thus formed a more solid 
basis for a yet higher shaft.” 

This description truthfully and beautifully shows the progress 
of scientific research. The system which this work presents to 
the reader has advanced to the third stage of progression. It 
presents a description of facts in relation to the human physiog¬ 
nomy and organism which have been observed and collected ; it 
reduces these facts to laws, and, lastly, shows the correspondence 
of this science to the general and fundamental laws which under¬ 
lie all matter, viz., those of chemistry, architecture, and mathe¬ 
matics. The sum of all human action is based on these three 
fundamental principles of Nature, and man’s organism illustrates 
the influence of these laws. I would like to see the facts contained 
in this work in the hands of all who love their kind, and who de¬ 
sire its elevation by scientific methods. In the years to come I do 
not doubt that more ample knowledge of physiognomy will be 
disseminated by greater minds, with better opportunities of obser¬ 
vation than have fallen to me. It would seem a very appropriate 
time for spreading the knowledge of man, now that so much is 
known of his environment, and while so many hitherto unknown 
applications of the forces and substances of Nature are coming 
daily to light which are immediately connected with his welfare. 
Earnest and religious regard for the advance of mankind to grander 
heights of purity and nobility of life, added to the belief that 
nothing short of the knowledge of scientific laws and their appli¬ 
cation can regenerate the human race, has impelled the writing 
of these ideas: 


Part I. 

Theoretical Physiognomy. 




0 

















CHAPTER I. 


Basic Principles of Scientific Physiognomy. 

“The mind is invisible to those who understand not the body of physiognomy/* 

—WINKLEMAN. 

I AVATER defines physiognomy to be the “art or science of 
discerning the character of the mind from the features of 
i the face, or the art of discovering the predominant 
temper or other characteristic qualities of the mind by 
the form of the body, but especially by the external 
signs of' the countenance, or the combination of the features.” 

This definition scientific physiognomy accepts in so far as it 
relates to the human species, but extends it in a more compre¬ 
hensive manner so as to include all animate and even inanimate 
nature. The form of every rock, tree, animal, and object in ex¬ 
istence has come by design , and is seif-revealing as to its true 
character. That we fail in many instances to comprehend the 
meaning of certain forms observed in Nature is due to our lack 
of acute observation, or want of comparison, or ignorance of the 
meaning and significance of the basic principles of form,-—a science 
which this system of physiognomy undertakes to unfold and apply 
to the human and animal face and body, as well as to vegetable 
and mineral formations. 

It is logical to infer that form has general laws which are self- 
revealing. Without knowledge of these general laws we must 
forever remain in ignorance of most of Nature’s meanings in 
regard to the myriad things in the universe. Without some 
principles of form to guide us, character remains a sealed book; 
but Nature has equipped many if not most of her children with 
faculties suited to the true interpretation of signs which are thrown 
out in the most affluent manner by every form in existence. 

Nature’s hieroglyphics are easily deciphered by the keen ob¬ 
server, and the facial signs of every human creature can he under¬ 
stood by those who are willing to study and apply the basic prin¬ 
ciples of form. 

In entering upon the study of physiognomy, or mental science, 
it will be well if we consider briefly the methods formerly employed 
by metaphysicians in the investigation of the science of mind, and 
then, as we proceed to contrast them and their results with the 

(V 


8 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


system which I shall present to your attention,—a system which 
has occupied the best thought of thirty-five years of my life. You 
will doubtless ask what relation there is between the human phys¬ 
iognomy and metaphysical theories. II we were intending to con¬ 
fine our study to ancient metaphysics or even modern metaphysics 
and theological theories of the mind, I should be compelled to 
answer that there is no relation between them, since these two 
classes of thinkers confined themselves to speculations merely and 
sought no solution in the investigation of the mechanism through 
which mind is manifested. Modern scientific observers, however, 
pursue the study of mind by investigating the body it inhabits and 
of which it is a part, and, as the face is proven to be the index or 
register of the entire organism (which you will acknowledge as we 
proceed), we are compelled to study the mechanism within the 
body which we find to be the moving cause of those expressions, 
forms, and colors that reveal to us the mind or character of the 
individual. 

Our knowledge of the history of mental science reaches far 
back into the age of Grecian civilization. The philosophical or 
metaphysical method of studying the human mind was coeval with 
the age in which configuration or sculpture reached its acme. It 
was also coeval with the creation of the greatest epic poems, of 
some of the grandest dramas and most sublime orations known to 
man. In short, it was an age of art, not of science. The great 
metaphysicians of Greece,—Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Thales, 
Pythagoras, Anixamander, and many other ancient philosophers, 
—however they may have differed in their several systems of 
philosophy, all alike believed in and used one common method of 
investigating mind. This method consisted in the investigation of 
self-consciousness, that is to say, an observation of the manner in 
which the mental processes—viz., those of memory, reason, will, 
comprehension, and perception—were carried on in the mind of 
the observer. Each philosopher sat in judgment, as it were, on his 
own method of thought, etc., and then gave to his investigations 
the name of “ mental science.” Observations were pursued in this 
manner by all of the Greek thinkers, without any reference to 
bodily conditions, with the single exception of Aristotle, whose re¬ 
searches in natural history among insects, birds, and beasts, had 
given him greater insight into the origin and development of mind, 
both in the lower animals and in man. He, beyond all the other 
philosophers of his age, possessed a better comprehension of the 
physiology and anatomy of animal organisms, together with a very 
moderate knowledge of the physiology of man. The superstitions 
of his age prevented the dissection of human bodies, and thus these 


BASIC PRINCIPLES OF SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


9 


philosophers were cut off from pursuing one practical and scien¬ 
tific method of* studying mind. 

For two thousand years these impractical systems of mental 
science dominated the world of thought, then the great Bacon 
arose and began the study of mind from an entirely different stand¬ 
point. His studies in the practical sciences—he having been the 
inventor, it is said, of the telescope, air-pump, diving-bell, and of 
gun-powder, besides having written very learnedly upon optics, 
chemistry, medicine, mathematics, and many other sciences—natu¬ 
rally led him to adopt a scientific method of investigating mind; 
but as very little more of physiology was known in his day than 
in the age of Aristotle, his writings on mental science are not as 
reliable as those of the more modern thinkers, yet his. method was 
an advance on those preceding him. The circulation of the blood 
was not discovered by Harvey until four hundred years after the 
death of Bacon; the construction and operation of the heart, liver, 
lungs, and brain were not known until still later periods. How, 
then, can it be expected that a knowledge of the mind of man 
could be studied or comprehended without an intimate knowledge 
of his bodily functions 1 

The subjective method (as it is denominated) of the ancients 
would not have seemed so impractical a mode of studying mind, 
had all persons been alike normally constituted; but so large a 
proportion of persons are insane (it is now estimated that one in 
five hundred is so at the present day, and there are also many un¬ 
developed races in existence, and were then, as well as children 
who are also in a state of undevelopment), that if the subjective 
method is to be employed, we should never know anything at all 
about these several classes of beings who form a large proportion 
of our population. Now, in any system of mental science, to 
ignore the knowledge of the character of all children, of all un¬ 
developed races, and persons such as idiots, imbeciles, and the in¬ 
sane, as well as those who are laboring under temporary aberration 
and weakness of mind of any degree whatsoever, is to deprive 
mankind of the most useful and necessary part of the knowledge 
of himself; hence any system of mental science which fails to treat 
of these several classes, together with the means for their improve¬ 
ment, cannot be considered either practical or scientific. 

In order to understand the human mind practically, we must 
commence with its first manifestations in childhood. It was in 
this manner that Locke, so justly celebrated for his wonderful 
essay on the “Human Understanding,” commenced the investiga¬ 
tion of mind in the eighteenth century. He considered the nature 
of children and of savage races. He was the first metaphysician 


10 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


who made any decided advance in the method of studying, inves¬ 
tigating, and interpreting the human mind, and this advance was 
due to his observation of Nature , by his discarding the old 
metaphysical methods, and by basing his laws upon observations 
made on living subjects. He first observed natural phenomena in 
children and savages, and then, by generalizing, was able to dis¬ 
cover the laws underlying the actions of the individuals thus ob¬ 
served. He also made observations among animals, and here 
the investigator will find corroboration of many laws which are 
recognized in the human family. 

Writers of the greatest eminence, among whom we find the 
celebrated M. de Quatrefages, Herbert Spencer, Darwin, Dr. H. 
Maudsley, and Professor Huxley, all agree in their methods of 
investigating character by first observing plants and animals. 
M. de Quatrefages, in his celebrated work on “ The Human 
Species,” remarks:— 

Now, plants and animals have been studied for a much longer period 
than man, and from an exclusively scientific point of view, without any 
trace of the prejudice and party feeling which interferes with the study of 
man. Without having penetrated very deeply into all the secrets of animal 
and vegetable life, science has acquired a certain number of fixed and indis¬ 
putable results, which constitute a foundation of positive knowledge and a 
safe starting-point. Whenever there is any doubt of the nature or signifi¬ 
cance of a phenomenon observed in man, the corresponding phenomena must 
be examined in animals and even in plants. They must be compared with 
what takes place in ourselves, and the results accepted as they are exhibited. 
What is true of other organized beings cannot but be true of man. This 
method is incontestably scientific. Every solution which makes or tends to 
make man an exception from those laws which govern other organized and 
living beings is unsound and unscientific .* 

Dr. Maudsley asserts:— 

The study of the plan of the development of mind as exhibited in the 
animal, the barbarian, and the infant furnishes results of the greatest value, 
and is as essential to a true mental science as the study of its development 
is to a full knowledge of the bodily organism. 

Those who have read Lavater’s renowned work on physiog¬ 
nomy, will doubtless look for some theoretical testimony from his 
facile and prolific pen. Now, although Lavater wrote many volumes 
on physiognomy, and was himself a great intuitional physiognomist, 
he was, unfortunately, not a scientific student. He says of him¬ 
self that he did not understand anatomy and physiology, and 
without a thorough knowledge of these sciences it is impossible to 
found a system of physiognomy. At the same time, such was his 
rare gift of observation and correct intuition, and such his ardor, 

* The Human Species, M. de Quatrefages, p. 27. 


THEORY OF PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 11 

that, added to his noble character and purity of life, it enabled 
him to revive the belief in physiognomy, which had waned during 
the middle ages, or had become classed with the “black art” and 
works ol magic. And tins pure-minded minister of the gospel 
was received at the courts of kings and princes, and his observa¬ 
tions and researches were hailed with enthusiasm by the most emi¬ 
nent men ot his day. His writings, although they lack system and 
are really what he terms them, “Fragments” merely, restored 
physiognomy to that rank which it had held in the estimation of 
man two thousand years before, when such great minds as Plato, 
Galen, Aristotle, Pliny, Cicero, Seneca, Hippocrates, and others as 
learned and renowned, had written upon and taught physiognomy 
as an art. From Lavater’s day to the present, a period of over 
one hundred years, inventions and discoveries of mechanical in¬ 
struments and principles have given us means of investigating the 
human body and mind, wholly unknown to any former age of the 
world. 


THEORY OF PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

The theory of mental science which I shall present to you is 
the most advanced and comprehensive that has ever been offered 
to the world, and to the discoveries made by the microscope and 
in anatomy and physiology I am largely indebted for the discov¬ 
eries which I have made in this department of science. 

Let it be understood at the outset, that physiognomy teaches 
and proves that the mind and body are a unity, acting in unison 
and harmony; that all mental power is originated primarily by 
sensation; that all parts of the body contribute to mental action; 
that the heart, the liver, the lungs, the kidneys, the glands, the 
muscles, the bones, the nerves, and all other organs are each in¬ 
strumental in creating and assisting mental efforts. This system 
also teaches that there is a unity of action and universality ot* law 
running from the lowest creation, the inorganic or mineral, up to 
the highest, the animal and human kingdoms. It shows, too, that 
all form has meaning and character, that every form observed in 
Nature is shaped by law and design, and discloses the character 
of the mineral, plant, tree, or animal under observation. This 
system of physiognomy goes still farther. It proves that certain 
physical functions are directly related to and sustain certain mental 
facidties. The idea that all or nearly all parts of the body con¬ 
tribute to mental action was vaguely perceived by some anatomists 
in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Sir Charles Bell re¬ 
marks that he had a dim though strong conception that it was an 


12 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


error to limit sensation to the action of the special senses. He 
observes:— 

It appears to me that the frame of the body exclusive of the special 
organs of seeing, hearing, etc., is a complex organ,—I shall not say of 
sense, but which ministers, like the external senses, to the mind.* 

George Henry Lewes, one of the most philosophic and scien¬ 
tific writers, remarks:— 

If every distinct part of the organism which is the source of distinct 
sensation is to be called a sense, we must necessarily include the muscles 
and viscera among the senses, for the sensation derived through the muscles 
are as specific as those derived through the eye or tongue, and the glandular 
sensations are assuredly distinct from those of the muscles. The sensations 
derived through the viscera are not less specific nor less important than 
those of the eye or ear. We are not at liberty to reject this fact, because it 
is capable of proof as rigorous as the proof of the existence of sight or 
taste. Mind is the sum total of the whole sensitive organism; no one exclu¬ 
sive organ of mind can he said to existf 

Ill this theory and its proof lie the greatest advance made in 
mental science in this era. The celebrated gentlemen whom I have 
mentioned as having taught that mind inheres in the entire or¬ 
ganism stop short at that theory, but scientific physiognomy, as 
taught by this system, goes farther, and proves the relation between 
Conscientiousness and the kidney or fluid system of the body; 
between Benevolence and the glandular system; the relation of 
Amativeness, or the love of the sexes, to the reproductive system ; of 
Hope to the liver; and, in short, proves that all so-called sentiments 
have a physical base as well as a representation in the brain, which 
organ may be likened to the counting-house of a manufactory, the 
emotions being manufactured by the muscles, nerves, and viscera, 
and registered in the brain, where consciousness and abstract 
thought has its home and origin; and, lastly, shows that all this 
is revealed in the face, as well as by the voice, the walk, the color, 
movement, gesture, etc. 

A practical application of the laws of scientific physiognomy 
is the only method that can make possible race improvement by 
intelligent design. As long as the human face is a sealed book, 
men and women cannot intelligently cl loose partners in marriage, 
and the progress of the race will be left to natural selection, which 
is a slow process, as we observe in the present instinctive methods. 
But where reproduction is the result of laws intelligently under¬ 
stood and applied, there is no reason why the races of man should 
not advance in nobility as rapidly and surely as have the scientifi¬ 
cally-bred animals of the past few years. Aristotle tells us that 

* The Anatomy and Philosophy of Expression, Sir Charles Bell, M.D., p. 83. 
f Physiology of Common Life, G. H. Lewes, p. 194. 


THEORY OF PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 13 


“ a life devoted only to sensual enjoyments is brutish, an ethico- 
political life is human, but a scientific life is divine/’ If by a 
scientific life he meant living up to the laws of God as shown by 
the laws of Nature, I can wholly and heartily agree with him. 

In announcing the discoveries which I have made pertaining 
to the human physiognomy, it may not be uninteresting to the 
reader to know in what manner they were reached, what mental 
process or scientific observation was required to elaborate the sys¬ 
tem setting forth the three grand divisions of the face, and why I 
denominate them the Chemical, the Architectural, and the Mathe¬ 
matical. In the first place, my studies in anatomy and physiology 
had shown me that the action of the glands is purely chemical, 
and, as I found that the development and normal action of this 
system were most apparent in the lower part of the face,—in the 
cheeks (as is observed in healthy infants), in the lips, and adjacent 
parts,—it occurred to me that this part of the face must represent 
the purely chemical or vegetative department of the human or¬ 
ganism. Knowing as I did that nearly all the principles of me¬ 
chanical forces were illustrated by the action of the several lever 
powers in the movements of the muscles and bones, of the hinge 
in the joints, of the pulley in the muscles of the eye, of valves in 
the heart and arteries, while the principles of optics are exhibited 
in the eye, the principles of acoustics in the construction and action 
of the ear, the principles of hydrostatics and capillary attraction in 
the veins, tubes, and tissues of the several parts of the body; 
knowing that electricity is a property of the nerves and magnetism 
of the muscles, I saw that these several systems constituted a 
mechanical or an architectural system, the signs for which I have 
discovered are located in the middle portion of the face. 

When I had discovered and located the signs for the heart, 
the lungs, the liver, the muscular, the nervous, and bony systems, 
logic came to my aid, and I argued that if the signs for chemical 
action and architectural powers were to be found in the human face 
I must look there for the signs of the mathematical powers also. 
I had years previously ascertained by observation and reflection 
that these three laws or principles govern all matter. Reflection 
soon convinced me that in the upper part of the face I should find 
the signs for mathematical power indicated, and, as in the upper 
part of the forehead we have the signs for Logical Deduction, or 
reason, so in the lower part of the forehead are located the signs 
for Form, Size, and Calculation. I at once saw that here were the 
signs for the last of the three ruling principles needed to complete 
the harmonic system of laws which underlie all matter , and of 
which man is the highest expression and exponent. 


14 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Is it not logical to infer that in the countenance of man (which 
is certainly the most perfected object that the human mind has ever 
studied) should be found concentrated and combined all the general 
principles which assist in the formation of man’s organism 1 I 
know that this is a novel theory, and one perhaps as startling and 
revolutionary as was Newton’s theory of the law of gravitation, but, 
as time rolls on, a scientific knowledge of man and of his physiog¬ 
nomy is as certain to evolve as is the knowledge of the laws of light, 
sound, color, and other abstruse departments of natural law. The 
proof of my theory is so easy of verification that any person of 
ordinary observation and reflection can satisfy himself experi¬ 
mentally of its truth. I now address myself to scientific thinkers 
and those accustomed to investigating the correlations of the laws 
and forces of Nature, and I ask them if it seems to them unreason¬ 
able or illogical that the basilar laws of all the lower creations 
should find illustration in man and his countenance l When we 
reflect that man is the outcome or evolutionary product of all the 
lower kingdoms, mineral, vegetable, and animal, it should not seem 
improbable that man’s face, read scientifically,—that is, according 
to his physiological and anatomical organization,—should typify 
and disclose the action of all these formative and creative powers. 

The general laws and principles enunciated in this chapter, 
together with the connection of physical functions with mental 
faculties, will appeal the strongest to naturalists, scientists, and phy¬ 
sicians,—those who are accustomed to observe in Nature’s processes 
the action of that law discovered and set forth by the eminent 
Baron Cuvier, viz., the law of the correlation of organs, 64 accord¬ 
ing to which a certain conformation of structure in one organ is 
always found in conjunction with a certain conformation in 
another.” Now, under the operation of this law it is quite safe to 
predict the existence and presence of certain mental faculties by 
observing the signs for certain physical functions in the face; as, 
for example, where the signs for Amativeness and Love of Young 
are exhibited in a highly developed degree the sign for the glandu¬ 
lar system is also well defined, and the same is true of other 
faculties and functions. Not only do we find that certain faculties 
are correlated, but that certain physical functions and mental 
faculties are always observed to develop pari passu. Another proof 
of this interaction is shown where the sign for a faculty is small in 
the face and the action of its related function is weak and corre¬ 
spondingly undeveloped in the body, as, for instance, where the 
sign for Hope is small in the face the activity of the liver is corre¬ 
spondingly feeble. Later on all of the various organs will be 
treated of in this connection. 


THE HUMAN FACE THE INDEX OF ALL NATURE. 


15 


THE HUMAN FACE THE INDEX OF ALL NATURE. 

Standing at the apex of all creation is man, the very epitome, 
sublimification, and essence of creative energy. What more natu¬ 
ral, then, that in this high and complex organization should be 
found in combination all of the components of what may be termed 
the lower creations ? 

Man is literally made of the “dust of the earth.” Considered 
as a chemical compound, man will be found upon analysis to be 
composed not only of the “dust of the earth,” but also of nearly 
all the primitive elements contained in the earth. In his composi- 



FlG. i.— the three grand divisions of the face. 

1, Chemical; 2, Architectural; 3, Mathematical. 

tion will be found oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, hydrogen, calcium, 
iron, sodium, chlorine, sulphur, phosphorus, potassium, and a small 
amount of other minerals. 

In the face of man will be found, by dividing it into three 
grand divisions, the signs of character representing the three basilar 
principles underlying all matter, as well as man’s own organism, 
viz., those of Chemistry, Architecture, and Mathematics. 

If one examine closely a grain of sand, and enters into an 
analysis of its constituents, he finds that it has, first, chemical 
properties,—a portion of one kind of element, another particle 
of some other sort; perhaps several other elements enter into 





16 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


its constitution. These various elements have an affinity for 
each other and harmonize in their combination. This is-the 
power which binds them in one and forms them into a chemical 
compound. 

Upon further examination it will be found to possess a definite 
form. In the case of crystals of the various minerals this form is 
always defined by law, and the mineralogist recognizes each object 
by its form. This natural law of shaping of all objects, both ani¬ 
mate and inanimate, is an illustration of architectural law. If the 
crystals be reduced to their elementary particles the number of 
their constituents is discovered. This is the mathematical law 
exemplified. 

All creations, from a grain of sand up to the planetary bodies, 
have their chemical properties, their architectural formation , or 
shape, and the number of particles which mathematical law re¬ 
quires for their completion. 

The same constituents which compose planets, which form 
minerals as well as plant, insect, and animal life, form also man’s 
organism. These elementary constituents bring with them into 
man’s body their basic principles, and wherever we find man we 
can but observe that in the chemical action of the elements com¬ 
posing his body and surrounding him,—that in his form and pro¬ 
portions, and in the number of elements entering into his consti¬ 
tution,—the same laws of chemical action, of architectural forma¬ 
tion, and of mathematical quantities or particles which govern all 
other departments of life are as potential in fashioning him and in 
determining his character. 

In this wonderful microcosm, as exhibited in man’s face, we 
find illustrated in its three divisions the signs of character which 
denote man’s ability to be either chemical, architectural, or mathe¬ 
matical, or, in other words, exhibiting vegetative, constructive, or 
reasoning power. We shall find, upon investigating the lower 
organisms, whether of plant, insect, or animal life, that chemical 
action is the primary mode of organization, next that the formative , 
or architectural, follows chemical action, and the perfection or com¬ 
pletion of the life of all organisms requires the full and complete 
number of particles of matter which compose its entirety, thus illus¬ 
trating the mathematical law which dominates every department 
of organic and inorganic life. 

In the mineral world we find, as I have previously stated, 
that chemical action precedes formation, and -that formation pro¬ 
duces the number of faces or sides and angles which each species 
of mineral assumes, and mineralogists are able to classify each 
mineral by its architectural or geometrical formation. 


MINERAL FORMS. 


17 


MINERAL FORMS. 

The first and most primitive formations of any kind whatso¬ 
ever are found in the crystals of minerals. Here, at the very be¬ 
ginning of inanimate organization on the globe, the law of Form 
discloses its supremacy. This law is dominated by the law of 
Number , which lies at the base of all things in existence, and from 
Number, Form proceeds. Although minerals are inanimate, they 
have their precise laws of shaping as set and rigid as those that 
form the plant, the animal, or man. They fall into shape by laio 
and design . They are not chaotic, shapeless masses of matter, but 
in their interior, microscopic, molecular construction, as well as in 
their completed outward shape, they afford us fine illustrations of 
the dominance of the law of Form, which is exhibited in a much 
more complex manner in higher organizations, in the vegetable, 
animal, and human kingdoms. After minerals have become 
solidified by passing through the chemical processes of heat, incan¬ 
descence, vaporization, or by condensation, as water does in freez¬ 
ing, they each assume a definite and diverse fixed form, each one 
differing from every other, and by their forms alone mineralogists 
are able to say to which class each belongs, and can also state their 
properties by inspection of their forms. An inherent law of shap¬ 
ing causes one mineral to form crystals which are cubical in form,— 
salt, for example,—while another assumes six-pointed sides or 
prisms, as exhibited by quartz. 

The most plentiful mineral—water—becomes solid at 32° F., and 
then crystallizes and constitutes snow or ice. F lakes ol snow consist of 
a congeries of minute crystals and stars, and may be detected by a glass.* 

One significant fact in regard to snow-crystals is that, although 
many hundreds of different shapes have been observed and figured, 
they all with singular unanimity show that the laws both of Form 
and Number preside over their construction, for without exception 
they present six points or rays, as shown in Fig. 2, E, F, G, 
regardless of the peculiarities ol their formation. Thus it is shown 
that the number six is the underlying law which controls water 
when it assumes a solid form. 

Of the identity of the various mineral species, Professor Dana 

tells us:— 

The true foundation of a species in mineralogy must be derived from 
crystallization, as the crystallizing is fundamental in its nature and oiigin ; 
and it is now generally admitted that identity of ci ystalline foi m and 
structure is evidence of identity of species .f 

* Manual of Mineralogy, J. B. Dana, p. 78. 
t Ibid., p. 74. 


2 


18 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


As we proceed in the study of physiognomy the reader will 
find that the highest expression of divine architecture—the human 
face—combines and illustrates all of the primary elements of Form 
which are exhibited in the structure and form of all minerals. 
These elements are the point (or central axis), the sphere, the line, 
the angle, the square, and cube. The sphere is represented by 
the spherical molecule, which it is now known that the mineral 
assumes while in a state of fusion or incandescence, as I have shown 
in the chapter entitled “ The Basic Principles of Form.” From 
these few primary elements of Form all other forms are derived by 
multiplication or combination. Of the constancy of crystalline 
forms in the mineral kingdom Professor Dana observes:— 

Each mineral maybe properly said to have as much a distinct shape of 
its own as each plant or each animal, and may be as readily distinguished 
by the characters presented to the eye. Crystals are therefore the perfect 
individuals of the mineral kingdom. The mineral quartz has a specific 
form and structure as much as a dog or an elm, and is as distinct and 
unvarying as regards essential characters, although, owing to counteracting 
causes during formation, these forms are not always assumed. In whatever 
part of the world crystals of quartz may be collected they are fundament¬ 
ally identical. Not an angle will be found to differ from those of crystals 
obtained in any part of this country. The sides of the faces vary and also 
the number of the faces, according to certain simple laws hereafter to be 
explained, but the corresponding angles of inclination are essentially the 
same, whatever the variations or distortions. 

Other minerals have a like constancy in their crystals, and each has 
some peculiarity, some difference of angle, or some difference of cleavage— 
structure—which distinguishes it from every other mineral. In many cases, 
therefore, we have only to measure an angle to determine a species. Both 
quartz and carbonate of lime crystallize at times in similar six-sided prisms, 
with terminal pyramids, but the likeness here ceases, for the angles of the 
pyramids are quite different and also the internal structure.* 

Minerals, like plants, animals, and human beings, possess 
many other properties besides form, number, and chemical con¬ 
stituents. These are primitive, or fundamental, common to each 
kingdom of Nature. The mineral possesses other properties, among 
which are lustre, color, diaphaneity, refraction, taste, odor, mag¬ 
netism, electricity, specific gravity, density, luminosity, and phos¬ 
phorescence. It is thus shown that although minerals are not 
vital, animate objects, they yet possess many characteristics which 
are observed in plant and animal life ; it is from these fundamental 
sources that these very qualities are obtained, for the higher mani¬ 
festations of life derive these qualities from the foods grown upon 
the mineral soil, and bring up -into the plant, animal, and human 
being the same elements of lorm and color, and other properties 
with which the mineral abounds. All the primitive mineral ele- 

* Manual of Mineralogy, J. B, Dana, p. 22. 



MINERAL FORMS. 


19 


ments and primary forms of the mineral are found in the human 
hody and are illustrated and revealed in his face,—the most wonder¬ 
ful evidence of the harmony of Nature’s laws in the universe. 

tig. 2, shown below, discloses the supremacy of the law of 
form in several of the best-known minerals. 

In the shells of the ocean we observe that the same laws govern 
their formation, and that the “ mollusk forms a perfect geometrical 
curve, and proportions the size of its valves to the distance between 
them.” 


A B 





”Yl 

^ - 


v_ 






Fig. 2.—MINERAL FORMS. 



A, B, C. common salt: D. quartz; E, F, G, snow; II, sulphur; I, J, gold; K, L, diamond. Common 
salt crystallizes in cubical forms, as shown in A, B, C. Quartz, D, always crystallizes in six-sided pyramids. 
Snow assumes many forms, yet they all express the dominance of the number six, as exhibited by the diagrams 
E, F. G. Sulphur appears in octahedral forms, and is yellow in color, as in II. Gold, I, J, has several forms 
and is of a yellowish color ; its crystals are cubical. The diamond, K, L, is a crystallized carbon, and is found 
in octahedrons, dodecahedrons, and other complex forms. After cutting it appears in various forms, as seen 
in the above figure. [Note.— These illustrations are from works on mineralogy by Prof. J. B. Dana.] 


Mathematical law governs in the vegetable kingdom, and 
regulates by number the petals, sepals, stamens, pistils, and leaves 
upon every blossom and branch. In the human family the number 
of bones, muscles, joints, etc., proves its dominance, and wherever 
we look we must admit that these three great laws are universal 
and general. It is thus shown that man, in himself, in his own 
person, typifies all creation, proving that he is the very essence, 
the subtle, refined organization or force evolved from all forces, 
powers, causes, and chemical activities in the universe, and that the 
face of man reveals the action of all these laws. 
































20 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


A correct understanding of this grand organization is the 
first science in the world, the first in importance to each one of us. 
It has its laws, which are exact and yet complex; but where is 
the reader skillful enough to understand them ? As Nature is per¬ 
fect in her works, and has made few laws so mysterious as not to 
be comprehended, is it not natural, then, to infer that man is 
capable of understanding his own organization and the laws which 
govern it f He may, if he will but seek the truth and fear not. 

As the dial is to the clock, so is the face to man; it is his 
exponent, morally, mentally, and physically; on it are written not 
only his mental powers, his moral strength or weakness, but also 
his physical capacities, powers, weaknesses, predispositions to 
health and disease, and there is no one of ordinary capacity who 
cannot perceive these signs almost at a glance. The importance 
of this knowledge is incalculable. Inasmuch as we all have to 
pass our days in intercourse with our fellows, it is of the greatest 
importance not only that we should understand ourselves, but also 
that we should be able to comprehend to a nicety all with whom 
we associate, not merely for our protection and the pleasure we 
may derive from it, but also for the good we may do. Again, this 
knowledge will teach us that what we now call “ charity” in over¬ 
looking the faults and weaknesses of others is but simple justice, 
for it is not just to expect something different of an organization 
than Nature has given it power to accomplish. Therefore, we may 
spare our charity and, through knowledge, give justice. 

The three grand divisions of the face—namely, the Chemical, 
the Architectural, and the Mathematical—have also their sub¬ 
divisions. The Chemical includes and reveals the signs for the 
moral, the domestic, and the supplyant powers; the Architectural, 
the faculties which indicate the building, artistic, religious, and 
literary traits; and the Mathematical includes the reasoning powers, 
which are the chief faculties in numerical demonstration. 

Within the three grand divisions of the face we find the facial 
indications of jive different systems of functions which create the 
different forms of man, and which are always found in combination, 
but in different degrees of development in different persons. These 
are named the Vegetative, the Thoracic, the Muscular, the Osseous, 
and the Brain and Nerve systems. Upon the different degrees of 
development of these several conformations depends man’s power 
for being mainly either chemical, architectural, or mathematical 

The organization, which is mainly chemical in its operation 
and effects, is known by a predominance of the vegetative system, 
and is accompanied most largely by all those functions which serve 
to supply the body with material, and for the protection and pro- 



MINERAL FORMS. 


21 


creation of the race. The functions included in this division of 
the organism are those of digestion, reproduction, respiration 
(through the mouth), secretion, excretion, and growth. These 
functions are productive of the following faculties: Conscientious¬ 
ness, Firmness, Benevolence, Amativeness, Love of Children, 
Mirthfulness, Approbativeness, Modesty, Self-esteem, Friendship, 
Digestion, Bibativeness, Sanativeness, Hospitality, Pneumativeness, 
Color, Economy, Love of Home, and Patriotism. These include 
in their action all the laws common to vegetable life, and the de¬ 
velopment of all these traits proceeds mainly from chemical action, 
as, for instance, the sustentation of the body and the procreation 
of the race. These operations are almost entirely chemical. 

The architectural division is shown by a predominance of the 
muscular, thoracic, and osseous systems, which embrace within 
their own action almost all of the principles of mechanical forces , 
such as the different lever powers, different principles of valves, 
and the representation of a pulley (in the action of the superior 
oblique muscle in rotating the eye); also other mechanical powers 
which will be mentioned hereafter. The traits indicated in this 
division are : Force, Resistance, Secretiveness, Hope, Cautiousness, 
Analysis, Imitation, Ideality, Sublimity, Human Nature, Construct¬ 
iveness, Acquisitiveness, Veneration, Executiveness, Self-will, Cre- 
denciveness, Prescience, Observation, Memory of Events, Form, 
Size, Weight, Order, Calculation, Locality, Music, Time, Language. 
You will observe by these names that the artistic and religious 
faculties are included in this as subdivisions. 

The mathematical division of the face has its work performed 
mainly by the brain and nerve system. The faculties shown in this 
division are named Time, Order, Causality, Comparison, Intuition. 
The several systems of the body and faculties of the mind act and 
react upon each other and sustain inter-relations to each other, hut 
each division is mainly sustained by the action of the system to 
which the several different parts of the face indicate it as belonging. 

As I have before stated, the principles of physiognomy are 
founded on the same general laws which underlie all matter, but 
they have for their demonstration special lav^s. When we reflect 
that brain-matter in the form of nerves and nervous ganglia, as 
well as the muscles, are instrumental in producing mental mani¬ 
festations, we must at once conclude that the rather contracted 
views and theories of the ancient metaphysicians and modern 
phrenologists must give w 7 ay to more extended and Avell-demon- 
strated facts. The entire surface of the body, being covered with 
a cuticle upon which a tine net-work of nerves ramifies, gives us a 
very extensive sense-organ, and makes us cognizant of temperature, 


22 


practical and scientific physiognomy. 


tactile sensations, and pressure, and by the aid of these several 
sensations very many mental impressions are conveyed. 

The theory of mind which is set forth in this system of physi¬ 
ognomy is more comprehensive than any which has been given 
hitherto. Many advanced and eminent scientists and physicians to 
the insane have recently become imbued with the idea that the 
brain is not the sole and exclusive mental organ, but that the 
muscles and the nervous ganglia and plexuses of human and ani¬ 
mal organisms may be of a mental character and exhibit or assist 
in illustrating mental manifestations. Not only is the idea held 
that the nerves and muscles are contributive to mental power and 
expression, but it is found that the several organ-systems within the 
body, as, for example, the heart, the liver, the lungs, the glands, and 
kidneys, also promote and are the direct cause of what has hitherto 
been held to be produced by brain-power exclusively. This sup¬ 
position arises probably from the fact that all of these organs have 
representation in the brain through their connection with the great 
sympathetic chain of nerves and ganglia, entitled the nervus vagus. 
Among those who advocate this theory as probable I may mention 
George Henry Lewes, Dr. Henry Maudsley, Dr. Alexander Bain, 
and Dr. J. Lauder Lindsay,—men whose opinions are received 
with credence and respect. 

Those who have passed years in the study and investigation 
of any branch of science are presumed to be more learned on the 
subject of their pursuit than those who have given it little atten¬ 
tion, and I hold that the opinions of the former are entitled to the 
credence and respect of the latter. Believing this most fully, I 
append the following extract from the work of Dr. Alexander Bain, 
who, in his celebrated volume entitled “ Mind and Body,” remarks 
as follows:— 


Yet although the brain is by pre-eminence the mental organ, other 
organs co-operate; more especially the senses, the muscles, and the great 
viscera. So far as concerns the entire compass of our feelings or emotions 
it is the universal testimony of mankind that these have no independent 
spiritual subsistence, but are in every case embodied in our fleshly form. 
This very strong and patent fact has-been kept out of view in the multi¬ 
farious discussions respecting the immaterial soul. Apparent as it is to the 
vulgar, and intently studied as it has been by the sculptor, the painter, and 
the poet, it has been disregarded both by metaphysicians and bj 7 theologians 
when engaged in settling the boundaries of mind and body.* 


On this same point Dr. Henry Maudsley observes:— 


We cannot limit a study of mind even by a full knowledge of the 
functions of the nervous and muscular systems; the organic system has 
most certainly an essential part in the constitution and functions of mind.j* 


* Mind and Body, Alexander Bain, LL.D. (Humboldt Library), pp. 2 and 3. 
f Body and Mind, Henry Maudsley, M.D., p. 34. 


MINERAL FORMS* 


23 


Elsewhere he remarks :— 

The internal organs are plainly not the agents of their special functions 
only, but by reason of the intimate consent or sj^mpathy of functions they 
are essential constituents of our mental life.* 


In corroboration of the views of the highly respected gentle¬ 
men above quoted, I add the following from the pen of George 
Henry Lewes, who observes:— 

I do not agree in the opinion respecting the brain as the organ of the 
mind; one of the principal conclusions to which fact and argument will 
direct us in these pages will be that the brain is onlj 7 one organ of the mind, 
and not by any means the exclusive centre of consciousness. It will be 
understood by the word Mind we do not designate the intellectual opera¬ 
tions only. But the word Mind has a broader and deeper signification ; it 
includes all sensation , all volition , and all thought. It means the whole 
psychical life, and this psychical life has no one special centre any more 
than the physical life has one special centre; it belongs to the whole and 
animates the whole. The brain is a part of this whole, a noble part, and its 
functions are noble, but it is only the organ of special mental functions. It 
is not the exclusive sensorium, and its absence does not imply the absence 
of all consciousness. It cannot, therefore, be considered as the organ, but 
only as one organ of the mind.f 


The following from the work of Dr. J. Lauder Lindsay, en¬ 
titled 44 Mind in the Lower Animals,” will not be without interest, 
and is entitled to our respect in consideration of the source whence 
it emanates, Dr. Lindsay being for many years at the head of 
an institution for the insane in Scotland, and also a Fellow of 
the Loyal Society of England. His investigations of diseased 
mental peculiarities of the insane have opened the way to an un¬ 
derstanding of the locale of the mind, and he states his belief of 
its location and action thus. He remarks:— 


The student of comparative psychology cannot too soon divest himself 
of the erroneous popular idea that brain and mind are in a sense synony¬ 
mous ; that the brain is the sole organ of the mind; that mind cannot exist 
without brain; or that there is any necessary relation between the size, 
form, and weight of the brain and the degree of mental development. 
Even in man there is no necessary relation between the size, form, and 
weight of the brain and the degree of mental development, while the phe¬ 
nomena of disease in him show to what extent lesions oi ceiebial substance 
occur without affecting the mental life. Physiologists are gradually adopt¬ 
ing or forming a more, and more comprehensive conception of mind, and 
are coming to regard it as a function or attribute not of any paiticular 
organ or part of the body, but of the body as a whole. 

Long ago the illustrious Milton, discoursing of mind and its seat, 
properlv described the human mind as an atti lbute ol man s body as a 
whole. ' In various forms and words this view has been expressed in recent 
times by Muller, Lew r es, Lay cock, Bashman, Bastian, Maudsley, Carpenter, 


* Ibid., p. 38. . _ i TT „ 

f Physiology of Common Life, G. H. Lewes, Part II, p. 3. 


24 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


and others. According to these authors, “ the seat of mind is throughout 
the body” (Muller); “mind pervades the body” (Laycock and Bashman); 
“mind comprehends the bodily life” (Maudsley); “psychical life has no 
one especial centre” (Lewes); “the whole nervous system is the seat or 
organ of the mind, the brain being only its chief seat or organ ” (Bastian). 
The brain, then, is only one organ of mind,—the organ, it may be said, only 
of special mental functions. The old doctrine or assumption of the phre¬ 
nologists, as represented by Gall and Combe,—the doctrine in which they 
have so greatly prided themselves and foolishly continue to do so,—that, 
namely, which regards the brain as the sole organ of the mind, must un¬ 
questionably be given up. We must henceforth regard the true site, seat, 
or organ of the mind as the whole body , and this is the only sound basis on 
which the comparative psychologist can begin his studies. There would be 
the less difficulty in accepting such a basis were it only borne in view that 
the muscular as well as the nervous system, that muscular action has an 
intimate relation to mental phenomena,—to ideas as well as feelings. u Mus¬ 
cular action is essential in certain ;, if not in all , mental processes ,— e.g., in 
feeling or emotion, outward muscular expression (i.e., facial), and inward 
ideas and feelings are in separately correlated ” (Maudsley).* 

There are many more of our leading physicians, anatomists, 
and naturalists of every nationality who believe and demonstrate 
the theory of the physical basis of mind , but enough evidence 
from the writings of the most eminent has been adduced to assist 
the reader in gaining a knowledge of the course I propose to take 
in this work. Further evidence will be presented as the reader 
advances. 

It lias been reserved for me to extend their theories and ob¬ 
servations to a finality, and to show that mental faculties are directly 
related to and sustained by the action of physical functions, and 
also to prove by the lace the direct connection of physical functions 
with mental faculties. The diffusive locale of the mind will be¬ 
come more and more apparent as the rationale develops, and I 
believe that the proofs will not be wanting to substantiate my 
position. 

I maintain that nearly all errors in regard to man—his life, his 
surroundings, his relations to them and their relations to him, his 
religion, his sense of right, his misconceptions of beauty, his ex¬ 
ceedingly scant knowledge of governmental principles—proceed 
directly from utter ignorance of himself; and, while he has a 
knowledge of the planets, stars, winds, rocks, beasts, birds, snakes, 
and animalculse, he does not know the laws which govern his own 
body. He understands not one single sign of character as indi¬ 
cated by the face; he knows not the meaning of different voices; 
the walk of man conveys to him no meaning ; the color of the eyes 
and hair declare nothing to his sense of sight. He is like a mole 


* Mind in the Lower Animals, J. Lauder Lindsay, M.D., Part II, pp. 3,4. 


MINERAL FORMS. 


25 


groping in daylight. He plans and executes grand enterprises; 
he spans continents; he examines the character of the uttermost 
stars; calculates eclipses; traces the paths of comets to remote 
ages; understands to a nicety the great world and the little world 
as shown by the telescope and the microscope, and yet cannot 
sound the depths of his child’s character, which appear to him 
unfathomable. Why is this ? Is it because the science of man is 
more abstruse and occult than all others \ Because it belongs to 
the unknowable'? Not so. It is because he has not thought of 
these things, and because he has not been taught them as he has 
the other sciences. I regard it as the most simple of all sciences, 
the most easily demonstrated, the most essential to human happi¬ 
ness and welfare. 

And until the .science of physiognomy is commonly under¬ 
stood, government, as a science, cannot go forward. Legislating 
for beings of the laws of whose existence one is in utter ignorance 
is an absurdity and will fail. Not until the masses can put them¬ 
selves in harmonious relations to their environment can government 
go forward, and this can result only from a complete knowledge 
of man, his capacities, his needs, and his possibilities. This knowl¬ 
edge proceeds only from a scientific study of himself. When man 
becomes convinced that his face registers his life, and that 64 he 
who runs may read ” what he has been about, and that he cannot 
hide his inner self from the gaze of the world, he will endeavor to 
make his life so good and so noble that he will not be ashamed of 
the most rigid scrutiny, because it is only in thus doing that he 
will be enabled to have either a character or a reputation. “ Ex¬ 
perience daily declares that certain irregular and vicious propensi¬ 
ties impress very sensible traces on the countenance. The surest 
method, then, to embellish our physiognomy is to adorn the 
mind.” 

Physiognomy as a science, with rules and established prin¬ 
ciples so plainly set forth as to be comprehended by the masses, 
had never been given to the world until my recent publication. 
Lavater possessed the power of reading the human face intuitively, 
but he has left among his writings no rules nor principles by which 
students can learn this science. The best book and school for 
students is Nature. Still, a keen observer may record such dis¬ 
coveries in this field as to be a benefit to coming generations. This 
science is gigantic in its proportions, and when we reflect that 
there are in the world no two organizations with exactly the same 
combinations of traits we see that the field is wide, with room for 
many observers. I leave the case in the hands of the scientific, 
the logical, the unprejudiced reader. My motives are based on a 


26 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


love of humanity, nature, and truth, and will enable me to reject 
any idea, however much I may respect it, if it be found untrue and 
unscientific. 

All true lovers of humanity must surely take as great interest 
in promoting the right generation of the race as in regenerating 
the defectively organized. A scientific knowledge of the face of 
man is the first step toward this great work; the next is the union 
of suitably adapted men and women for parentage,—those who, by 
the union of their traits and physiological powers, would produce a 
higher type of children than they could were they unsuitably united. 
In order to bring about this much-to-be-desired result a certain 
degree of positive knowledge of the human face and body is essen¬ 
tial. This course demands that some factors other than “ blind 
love ” be brought into the marriage relation to sanctify it. In this 
sacred relation there should be no “ blindness. ” Cupid should be 
all eyes. This course, then, presupposes a recourse to observation 
and reason, to love of purity, noble traits, and righteousness,—in 
short, to scientific religion. 

The motive which attracts the majority of men and women to 
matrimony could be shown to be nothing higher than animal mag¬ 
netism or instinct, if the truth were told. Probably most people 
never pause to analyze their feelings on this subject. It is upon 
this self-same plane that animals mate. Should not lovers of hu¬ 
manity and of religion act from higher motives than those which 
move the lowly beasts of the field ? The object of this book is to 
afford the assistance necessary toward the right generation of man¬ 
kind and the creation of the highest types of human beings possible 
under our present limitations. Its laws and principles, being 
founded on Nature, will teach how to distinguish the false from the 
real, for the “ laws of Nature are the thoughts of God,” and science, 
being an exposition of the laws of Nature, deals with realities and 
demonstrable theories. 


CHAPTER II. 


The Basic Principles of Form. 


‘‘The philosophy of expression is based on the science of human nature. The 
science of human nature involves a knowledge of universal and eternal nature. 
The microcosmos is an epitome of the cosmos. Man when thoroughly compre¬ 
hended is a key to eternal nature, but again he who fails to comprehend nature fails 
to comprehend himself.”—J. Buck, M.D. 


“The human frame, unlike that of the animal, is co-ordinate with the whole 
eternal universe. It is an organization correlated and responsive to the entire series 
of the natural creation. The brain is a form of the elemental kingdom, the lungs of 
the atmospheric world, and the abdomen of the terraqueous globe.”— Swedenborg. 

T he basis of all form is motion. The basis of time is also 
motion. The basis primarily of form, motion, and time 
is numerical, or mathematical. These profound truths 
were wrought out by the Greek philosophers; for it was 
Plato who exclaimed : “God perpetually geometrizes.” 
All motions, forms, distances, spaces, and chemical products are 
resolvable into numbers. The chemical constitution even of all 
matter is a question of atomic proportions or quantitative particles, 
and primordial chemical atoms must present specific forms , or 
possess weight , and are posited in space, and subject to the laws 
of time or duration. These chemical atoms or gaseous quantities 
as they rise into form (as in the motion and shape of the planets) 
become more and more the subjects of mathematical laws, as they 
become more and more complex in their structure and movements. 
The laws of all structures whatsoever are deducible from this 
single science, mathematics. In the first condition of atoms, the 
number of particles of which they are composed, or their weight 
(as in gases) is their prime factor. The next ruling principle is 
the form which they eventually assume. This is geometrical and 
numerical as well, for all lines running in any direction create 
shapes; more particularly is this the case when concreted with 
substance, as in the form of planets or of vegetable or animal cells 
or structures. 

Another property of an atom, a planet, a mineral, a plant, or 
an animal cell, is its chemical or real character-condition. Which 
comes first'? The chemical quality of the atom, the numerical 
quality, or the form which is necessarily a part of these objects'? 
It must be supposed that the elementary or primordial nebula is 

( 27 ) 


28 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


homogeneous, without “form or void.” Yet the principle of 
number presides over this state of being, for nebulous matter must 
possess weight, and this is the fundamental basis of all shapeless 
substances, ethers, and gases, as well as of objective forms; hence 
chemical character and the principle of number or of weight are 
co-existent in primordial matter, and thus represent the positive 
and the negative principles,—the father and mother,—substance 
and number, or the parental and conjugal condition of the first 
beginnings of planetary life. Stated in other words, there must 
be something to weigh or measure before it can be measured or 
weighed, and this something must have a qualitative basis, and 
this again is reducible to mathematical condition by its specific 
gravity or weight; thus substance and number are a unity and 
convertible terms. They become a trinity when a form is assumed; 
thus we have the basis of the universal trinity , three in one, and 
this trinity is well illustrated in the three grand divisions of the 
human face. 

View the question as we may, we are led by the irresistible 
force of truth and logic to the conclusion that number or mathe¬ 


matics lies back of all these phenomena; also, that number and 
form are indissolubly united, and. that in the structure of every¬ 
thing in Nature the chemical property is equally essential. It is 
thus we find that number , form , and quality are at once the unity 
and the trinity which preside over the initiation of being, either 
animate or inanimate. In other words, chemistry, architecture, 
and mathematics rule everywhere. These three ruling princi¬ 
ples are dominant in every minute microscopic cell of animal 
and vegetable life, and their action can be analyzed and verified. 
The same principles govern man’s entire organism, and their action 
can be discovered and demonstrated in his face,—the highest 
specimen of divine architecture in the universe. 

The form of the ultimate mineral atom, or the smallest par¬ 
ticle conceivable by the human mind, has been demonstrated by 
the most eminent physicists to be spherical. Silliman, in his 
“First Principles of Philosophy,” page 6, tells us that “ the second 
theory brought forward by Wollaston, in 1824, but more fully de¬ 
veloped by Ampere, supposes each ultimate atom to be a sphere, 
possessed of certain forces of polarity, which tend to produce the 
various forms which crystallized bodies assume.” The verification 
of this theory has been made and still further elaborated by the re¬ 
searches of a French chemist, as mentioned by Comte; he says:_ 


A French chemist, M. Brand, has quite recently made a wonderful dis¬ 
covery, which, it it be established, shows that previous to crystallization 
certain bodies assume an embryonic cellular condition, the outgrowth and 


THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF FORM. 


29 


consequence of which is a crystal; and what is still more remarkable in this 
cellular embryo, not only has the microscopic cell an enveloping membrane, 
inclosing within it a s'oft, semi-transparent matter containing vapor, which 
when condensed forms a crystal, thus furnishing a “ cell-membrane ” and 
“cell-contents,” but these cells assume an arrangement analogous to that of 
the organic tissues.* 

In observing the external forms of the various mineral crys¬ 
tals, we find that they have assumed various angular shapes, such 
as hexagonal, rhomboidal, cubic or tetragonal. Now, these forms 
are built upon a number of spherical cells, which shapes have been 
assumed by the minute molecules of mineral matter while in a 
state of incandescence or while gaseous. On this point, Professor 
Silliman observes:— 

The form of the ultimate crystalline molecules is supposed to be 
spherical for the cube and other rnesometric forms, spheroidal for the 
square prism, and ellipsoidal for forms of the last four systems. The 
ellipsoid is either that of revolution, that is, a form produced by the revo¬ 
lution of an ellipse upon one of its axes, or it is a flattened ellipsoid.f 

The further elucidation of primitive or Nature forms is thus 
stated. He observes:— 

The raindrop falling from the cloud, the mottled lead from the tower, 
each assumes the form of spheres before reaching the ground. The celestial 
bodies, it will be remembered, also approach this form.J 

The evidence here presented by Professor Silliman of the 
uniformity of the spherical form in elementary mineral molecules 
might be* added to indefinitely from the writings of other physicists, 
but sufficient is here noted to prove that the universal law of 
primitive forms is expressed by spheroidal shapes. Now, this 
evidence is not as accessible to the general observer as is the action 
of the same law in primitive vegetable and animal cells, and these, 
as all know, are of the same form, or modifications of it, caused by 
pressure or other external circumstances. Not only do the germs 
of all life assume this form, but the perfected or matured shape of 
all things in Nature; such, for example, as the planets, the shape of 
the trunks of trees, of men and of animals and of their several parts, 
also present this form or some one of its numerous modifications. 
When the earth took on its rotatory motion, its vibrations caused 
it to assume a spherical shape, and this shape became the type of 
all forms. This form, then, prefigured the ruling or type-form of 

* Comte’s Philosophy of the Sciences, G. H. Lewes, p. 154. 

f Silliman’s First Principles of Philosophy, p. 51. 

X Ibid ., p. 27. 


30 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


everything to come. Its motion, also, set up a mechanical law of 
shaping. So the molecule, the primitive cell of all oiganic life, 
and the perfected vegetable, animal, and man, are of necessity 
rounding, ovoid, or spherical, like their prototypes, the atom and 
the earth. It is true that the square-built man presents an 
angular outline as compared with the form ol the vegetative infant, 
yet the primitive law of shaping in the direction of the spherical is 
dominated by his squared or perfected outline; the manner of the 
conversion of the ovoid to the square form will he explained later. 
The underlying principle of form, or the force which is the cause of 
all formative effort, comes along up the line of progressive growth, 
bringing with it this dominant law, as well as all other laws and 
principles, just as the chemical elements of lower organizations are 
brought up into tire human organization, from the mineral to the 
vegetable, and from the vegetable up through the animal to man. 
The vegetable and animal derive their support from the mineral, 
and man is a compound of all. 

Here, then, we have the most primitive, elemental, or Nature 
form, as the archetype or basic plan of all form whatsoever. This 
form could only be created by motion and developed by time. 
The rotatory motion of our planet undoubtedly influences both the 
form and motion of all natural objects upon it, as well as all of 
the processes of Nature, such as the circulation of the sap in the 
cells of vegetation and in the corpuscles of blood; in short, rota¬ 
tory motion is the origin of form, both animate and inanimate ; 
thus, “ when a crystal is broken there is a tendency to repair it; 
it continues to increase in every direction, hut the growth is most 
active upon the fractured surface, so that the proper outline of the 
figure is restored in a few hours.”* This healing process takes place 
through the laws of polarity; as its result shows, it is a movement 
of forces along its line of formation. The reparative and creative 
forces in vegetable and animal cells are regulated by rotatory motions • 
of the liquid of which they are composed. Building proceeds from 
a central nucleus outward in all directions equally, producing a 
globular or spherical form. The nucleus of the cell answering to 
the axis of the crystal and the electric and magnetic forces at work 
in building up both the cell and the crystal are doubtless identical, 
as they operate in the same manner and their results are shown by 
orderly arrangements of forms, which reveal a wonderful symmetry 
in the plan of Nature. The central axis of the mineral molecule, 
where the creative forces cross each other to form the angular 
external shape, is doubtless the most elementary illustration of 
the law of the angle translated into form, and is the least element 

* Youman’s New Chemistry, p. 56. New York. 


THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF FORM. 


31 


of the square and cube which is cognizable to our senses, although 
abstractly we can think of it in a yet more primitive state. The 
lines of force cross each other here; hence its force is central , just 
as with the forces which set up development in the vegetable and 
animal cell, and which finally are the forces which are situated 
centrally in man’s organism, and there continue the processes of 
growth and development outwardly in all directions to every part 
of his body. The law of motion as related to organic life is thus 
described by Spencer. He observes:— 

Development of life is primarily central. All organic forms of which 
the entire history is known set out with a symmetrical arrangement of parts 
around a centre. In organisms of the lowest grade no other mode of 
arrangement is ever definitely established, and in the highest organisms 
central development, though subordinate to another mode of development, 
continues to be habitually shown in the changes of minute structure. 
Leaving out the rhizopods, which are wholly structureless, every plant and 
animal in its earliest stages consists of a spherical sac full of liquid con¬ 
taining organic matter in which is contained a nucleated cell, more or less 
distinct from the rest; and the changes that occur in the germ thus con¬ 
stituted are changes that take place around centres produced by division of 
the original centre.* 

The nucleus , or germinating spot, and the axis of the molecule 
are similar in action, and the point is the form-analogue of both as 
well as the form-analogue of the sphere and of motion ; for motion . 
is produced primarily by rotating spheres and continued by the 
laws of centrifugal and centripetal motion, in the planet and in the 
organic cell. No other form but a globular one could create 
motion; hence it creates rounding forms. The addition of axial 
or longitudinal law of motion to the spherical shows up in pro¬ 
gressive evolution very early in development. Of this more com¬ 
plex mode, Mr. Spencer says:— 

From central development, we pass insensibly to that higher kind of 
development for which axial seems the most appropriate name. A tendency 
toward this is vaguely manifested almost everywhere. The originally cel¬ 
lular units, out of which higher organisms are mainly built up, usually pass 
into shapes that are subordinate to lines rather than to points, and in higher 
organisms considered as wholes an arrangement of parts in relation to an 
axis is distinct and universal. Of animals, the advanced are without excep¬ 
tion'in this category. There is no known vertebrae in which the whole of 
the germ-product is not subordinate to a single axis.j* 

All mechanical forces and powers are rotatory in action. Even 
the lever acts upon the same principle, for when wielded by the 
hand of man it describes a segment of a circle, and, like a gesture, 
produces a circuloid shape through the atmosphere, thus coming 

* Biology, Herbert Spencer, p. 133. t Ibid., p. 135. 


32 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


under the head of abstract form. “ For motion is the form of 
force as form proper is that of substance; and hence the exist¬ 
ence and law of force express themselves only through the motions 
which it causes.” * 

Mr. Andrews also says:— 

It facilitates the conception of force to ally it with some object which 
manifests it or in which it is manifested, and no object is more favorable for 
this purpose than the human body. Force herein derived from its interior 
source in the mind, and then outwardly upon the limbs and members, and 
finally through them upon the external objects surrounding the body.f 

It is logical to infer that the shape of any object would bear a 
direct relation in its external form to the internal force creating 
and governing it. This is undoubtedly true of all natural objects, 
for as I have shown that the countless motions of the fluids within 
the body are circular, so the external form in every part partakes 
somewhat of the same shape. The motions of the celestial bodies, 
our own planet included, also rotate upon their axes about a com¬ 
mon centre, and, all combined, influence the form of everything in 
the universe. The “ ultimate atom” is proven by scientists to be 
spherical. This being the case, why may not the spirit or law of 
the primitive atom come into the human body and there form a 
nucleus around which all the elements of nutrition arrange them¬ 
selves after the pattern and ideas of the great archetypal plan of 
the entire universe'? There can be no doubt whatever of this 
being the fundamental plan and design of creative wisdom. It is 
our high privilege to be able to trace out the operations and rela¬ 
tions of this grand and universal plan, and to interpret the mean¬ 
ing of the innumerable forms about us. This can be readily done 
if we succeed in comprehending the basic principles of form as 
revealed throughout Nature, who, like the prodigal mother that she 
is, has strewn the world broadcast with the signs, symbols, and 
revelations of her designs. This singular coincidence of form is 
something more than mere analogy; it is the analogy of law show¬ 
ing its power; first, in the most infinitesimal atom of which it is 
possible to conceive; afterward, manifesting its action in the most 
perfected form in Nature,—in the head, and body, and face of man. 
Of the influence of the motion of the earth upon man, Comte 
remarks:— 


Llie double movement ot the earth, and especially its rotation, may 
pi obably be as necessary to the development of life as to the periodical dis¬ 
tribution ol heat and light. Too much care, however, cannot be taken to 
avoid confounding the motion produced by the organism itself with that by 
which it is affected fiom without, and analysis had therefore better be 
applied to communicated than spontaneous motion. | 

* Basic Outlines of Universology, S. P. Andrews, p. 4B8. + Ibid n 437 

t Comte’s Positive Philosophy, p. 358. T ’ P * 


THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF FORM. 


33 


In this paragraph the great philosopher shows that he recog¬ 
nizes the influence of the motion of the earth upon our lives in a 
limited manner only, but at the same time proves that he did not 
go to the foundation of the subject, for had he done so he would 
have found that the motions of the planet, or the motions of the 
entire solar system, primarily are instrumental not only in 44 develop¬ 
ing life,” but that they also give form to all organic life, for, as 
the rotatory motions of the planets and solar system produce the 
spherical shape of the bodies influenced, so these same motions 
in connection with electricity, gravitation, and magnetism set up a 
sphericity of motion in all of the created processes of cell-building. 
The same motion is characteristic of the motion of the circulation 
of the blood in its entire course through the heart and veins, and 
is also manifested by the rotatory motions of all the juices of the 
body, as well as of the sap and juices in the various classes of vege¬ 
table life. We might follow out the course and influence of this 
law of motion (although it is complex, I admit), and show that as 
it is influential and all-pervading, not only in the initiation of life 
in its most comprehensive sense, but is equally potent in declaring 
its effects upon our pathway through life; in short, it must exert 
a regulative influence upon all our movements, in individual and 
associated efforts, hence controls our destiny. 

It must be apparent to all those who observe closely and reflect 
deeply that the movements and conditions of the earth, and other 
planets as well, have a direct bearing upon the life and destiny of 
all created beings. There were, doubtless, many grand truths 
mingled with grave errors in ancient astrology, but, inasmuch as 
our forms are dependent primarily upon the movements of the solar 
system, it would not be too great a tax upon our credulity to be¬ 
lieve that in many ways the various aspects, conditions, and move¬ 
ments of the heavenly bodies exert a mighty and controlling influ¬ 
ence upon our lives. The subject may be too vast and complex 
for finite minds to grasp completely, yet we know that the appear¬ 
ance of the 44 sun-spots ” is simultaneous with great and important 
changes in the atmospheric conditions of our own planet. These 
changes and conditions affect the health and lives of thousands, as 
the reports of the meteorologists prove; hence, their destiny is in¬ 
fluenced by certain changes in the sun, for whatever produces 
changes in the health of men affects their plans and purposes. The 
ideas of the ancient astrologers may yet, in part at least, be proven 
to have a scientific foundation. 

As our present knowledge of chemistry grew out of ancient 
alchemy, and as astronomy derived many of its important truths 
from the observations and the speculations of the superstitious 


34 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


astrologers, and as astronomy lies at the foundation of all laws and 
sciences and is based upon mathematical certainty, it would seem 
that its laws should be in direct relation to our pathway through 
life and have a governing influence upon human affairs and des¬ 
tinies. I am greatly influenced in the belief that this may be (in 
the course of time) scientifically proven through my knowledge of 
the astronomical basis of form, as well as by the striking coinci¬ 
dences which exist between the calculations of certain astrologers 
and the laws of scientific physiognomy. I am aware that I am 
now getting into deep water, but if science is to be useful to man 
its most important application is in the line of prevision (foreknow¬ 
ing), as has been noted by the most eminent minds, and astronomy 
and the sciences arising out of it are dependent upon mathematical 
calculations which predict from certain present indications what 
the future progress, aspects, and conditions of the planets and the 
weather of our own habitation will be at certain fixed and definite 
times. The meteorologist foresees and predicts a storm which will 
pursue a certain path and affect a certain area, and directly the 
signal service telegraphs its warnings, and thus the mariner is en¬ 
abled to shape his course so as to avoid the threatened danger. 
The astronomer by his calculations is able to predict with certainty 
the eclipses for hundreds of years to come, and other planetary 
changes which affect life here. Hence this science is most emi¬ 
nently “ provisional ” in its operations. The physiognomist, read¬ 
ing the face of man, reveals his weaknesses as well as his powers, 
and by this knowledge is able (with as great certainty as the as¬ 
tronomer) to prognosticate what will be the result of the weak¬ 
nesses which threaten if not averted by hygienic measures. He is 
also able to state what will be the future course of conduct, mentally 
and morally, to a certain large extent, for a square-built man will, 
in the main, act from conscientious motives, and exhibit scientific 
or mechanical powers; a friendly man will always have friends, on 
the principles that “ like attracts like ” and that “ we receive that 
which we give.” Here, again, prevision (foreseeing) provides 
against suffering and assists man in shaping his pathway through 
life. This same application of the provisional character of every 
science may be extended indefinitely, and is applied constantly in 
mechanism particularly (for this is based upon mathematical laws), 
as well as to all trades and professions, the followers of which may 
make the application unconsciously, yet it is nevertheless present 
and potent. 

The elementary principles of form, weight, motion, and num¬ 
ber, as in mechanical movements, are all embodied in the human 
organism, and are outwardly exhibited by mechanism, artistic and 


TIIE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF FORM. 


35 


scientific works. Man is but a part of “ one stupendous whole,” 
as we shall have every reason to believe as we progress in the 
study of scientific physiognomy. The great French philosopher, 
Comte, recognized the intimate relation between universal existence 
and mathematical law, and he expresses his sense of it thus. He 
observes:— 

It is necessary for physiologists to have geometrical and mechanical 
knowledge to understand the structure and the play of the complex appa¬ 
ratus of the living, and especially of the animal, organism. The laws of 
equilibrium and motion are, as we saw when treating of them, absolutely 
universal in their action, depending wholly on the energy and not at all on 
the nature of the forces considered, and the only difficulty is in their 
numerical application in cases of complexity. Thus, discarding all idea of 
a numerical application in biology, we perceive that the general theorems 
of statics and dynamics must be steadily verified, in the mechanism of 
living bodies, on the rational study of which they cast an indispensable 
light. The highest orders of animals act in repose and motion like any other 
mechanical apparatus of similar complexity, with the one difference, of the 
mover, which has no power to alter the laws of motion and equilibrium. 
The participation of rational mechanics in positive biology is thus evident. 
Mechanics cannot dispense with geometry, and, besides, we see how ana¬ 
tomical and physiological speculations involve considerations of form and 
position. * 

America has given to the world a philosopher who has perhaps 
grasped a profounder idea of the unity of law than any philoso¬ 
pher of ancient or modern times, and from his work I have received 
much instruction, as well as the verification of my theories upon 
the “ Basic Principles of Form.” Mr. Stephen Pearl Andrews, in 
his “ Basic Outlines of Universology,” formulates a universal basis 
for everything in existence, and this basis is Number. It is a dar¬ 
ing, comprehensive, and masterly undertaking, and its laws can be 
applied to all other theories, facts, systems, and objects in the uni¬ 
verse if they present truthful aspects. I had made all the dis¬ 
coveries pertaining to the law of form as applied to scientific physi¬ 
ognomy before I read Mr. Andrews’ work, and I was both delighted 
and sustained by the support which his larger conceptions and 
generalizations afforded me. In my own department of research 
I am constantly surprised and gratified at the breadth of his 
philosophy and the manifold applications of its logic which I am 
enabled to make. Just here a temptation arises to give the reader 
some extended quotations from his work, trusting that as they pro¬ 
gress in physiognomy, more particularly as they advance in the 
practical division, they will see more and more the use and beauty 
of his discoveries, which both indorse and assist in explaining my 
own theories on the symbolism and signification of form generally. 


* Comte’s Positive Philosophy, pp. 325,326. 


36 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


I am here undertaking perhaps a most difficult task, that is, to 
give the reader a tolerably clear idea of what Mr. Andrews deems 
the absolute basis of all thought and all things. The more I study 
the subject, the more difficult becomes the undertaking; but, as it 
corroborates my own theories, and more particularly that of the 
geometric outlay of the face, as shown in Fig. 1, and as his basis 
corresponds to and confirms my own ideas of the ruling principles 
of Nature in chemistry, architecture, and mathematics, and also 
that these three are a unity, or, in other words, are resolvable into 
number primarily, I shall attempt in as brief a manner as possible 
to make it clear to my readers, for in order to comprehend the 
“grand man ” we must have some knowledge of basic or universal 
principles. No intelligent person should be satisfied with less. 
And now let us proceed to investigate why and how 44 Number is 
the proper index to the whole volume of Being, the inventory and 
label of the contents of the universe.”* 

I shall now give the statement of Mr. Andrews in regard to 
the scope of his discoveries, and shall then proceed to show 
the correlations existing between his discoveries and my own. I 
hold this to be the mutual corroboration of the truth of both his 
and my own observations and deductions, for all sciences , if based 
upon natural law , will coincide and mutually expound and verify 
each other . Mr. Andrews has made a very free use of capitals, 
and I have retained his style of printing as nearly as possible. 
This, together with the coinage of some new verbal forms, shows 
the marked individuality and strongly assertive selfhood of the 
man. The same attributes and tendency to originate a new vo¬ 
cabulary are observed in all original minds; besides, the demands 
of a newly discovered science or principle require new forms of 
style and expression. 

Scientific laws and observations that harmonize are a part of 
eternal tiuth, hence mcontiovertible and immortal, for 44 a law once 
demonstrated is good for all time.” The definition given by Mr. 
Andrews of the science which he has formulated is stated thus. 
He observes:— 


Universology is therefore based on finding in the determinate particular 
(any one thing, however minute) a General Law, or, more properly speakino- 
a Group of Universal Laws, as a new basis of Generalization distinct from 
and traversing the law or laws of Being gathered from observation • all 
generalization (Universal) as distinguished from observational generalization 
(namely, tlm collection of numerous facts and the deductions made there- 
fiom). This is analytical generalization (Universal) as distinguished from 
observational generalization (always partial or fragmentary, or fat all events 
less than Universal). It is the Interior and Vital Law of All Organization’ 

* Basic Outlines of Universology, S. P. Andrews, p. 191. 


THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF FORM. 


37 


and hence of the Constitution of Being itself (transcendental), as distin¬ 
guished from the external and dead law. It is a new or a newly discovered 
Scientific Entity, a New Element in Science, revolutionary, exactifying, 
inaugurative of New Careers, and Scientifically Supreme.* 

This new element which Mr. Andrews proposes to introduce 
is Number, the same by which Plato, Pythagoras, and other emi¬ 
nent Greek philosophers sought to pierce the veil of the infinite 
and open up to the world the secrets of creation. Many modern 
philosophers have sought from this basis to deduce a law of uni¬ 
versal application. Comte, in his “ Philosophic Positive,” has 
come perhaps the nearest to it of the moderns up to the time of 
the appearance of “ Universology.” In his system he endeavors 
to make mathematics the basis of all things, yet Mr. Andrews 
goes farther, both in simplicity and complexity, and founds upon 
very simple numbers the whole scheme of being, viz., the domi¬ 
nance of the law which he terms “ the spirit of the numbers 1, 2, 
and 3.” The arithmetical reader will immediately recognize the 
fact that these are basic numbers, from the combinations of which 
all other numerical powers proceed. He says:— 

Comte lias furnished the rational basis for the first of these beliefs, viz., 
that the fundamental principles of all science are to be sought in the mathe¬ 
matics by establishing the fact that the mathematics are the basis or funda- 
mentum of the pyramid of the sciences, in virtue of their greater simplicity 
and generality,—properties which constitute the elementary character of 
this as of other elementary domains. He failed, however, to draw from the 
demonstration the consequence which I am here deducing from it, namely, 
that it is in this elementary domain of science that the first principles of all 
science must be sought, f 

I shall now proceed to show Mr. Andrews’ ideas of the 
supremacy of the first of these three units, and thence how they 
come to stand as representatives of the science of morphology or 
form; how, in fact, they create the sphere and cube, which he 
terms the “ morphic measurers ” of the universe, and which I find, 
when applied to the forms of man, to be the measurers and revela- 
tors of his character. On page 102 lie remarks that “the number 
two (2) is the virtual basis of the whole of mathematics; more 
properly speaking, it is not a sum. Two (2), the first sum, is the 
simplest form of division ; its included units being divided even 
before it is a sum, and division by thought lines or real lines is the 
Essence of Form.”% Of the dominance of simple numbers in all 
domains of thought and substance, he remarks :— 

If mere number is the simplest, most general, and hence the most ele¬ 
mentary of the Domain of Thought and Being, we have next to inquire 
what is most simple, most general, and most elementary within this whole 

f Ibid,, pp. 137,138. I Ibid., page 103, 


* Ibid,, p. 590. 


38 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Domain of Being. Here the numbers (1), two (2), three (3) answer to our 
call, and appear as the first heads or principles prima capita of the whole 
positive numerical Domain. It is here that the Child begins to acquire 
Science in the pure and exact meaning of the term, and it is with these 
numbers or with the recognition of the Spirit or Meaning of these Numbers, 
enlarged into the Universal Principles of Being, that the Thinking World 
will pass from its infancy—the stage of mere observation and vague specu¬ 
lation—to an exact comprehension of the Universe. * 

The First law of Universal Being, in the natural order of precedence, 
has relation to the number one (1), and may be regarded as the spirit of 
one, whence it is denominated Unism, from the Latin anus , one. It ramifies 
or permeates all thought, all existence, and all movement, and is one of the 
two organizing forces, or factors, or principles of all things in the Universe 
of Matter and Mind. The second law of Universal Being, in the natural 
order, has a similar relation to the number (2), and may be regarded as the 
spirit of two, whence it is denominated Duism, from the Latin duo , two. It 
likewise ramifies or permeates constitutively all thought, all existence, and 
all movement, and is the remaining one of two antagonistic but co-operative 
organizing forces, or factors, or principles of all tilings in the Universe of 
Matter and Mind. The third law of Universal Being has relation to the 
number three (3), and may be regarded as the spirit of three, whence it is 
denominated Treism or Trinism, from the Latin tres , three. 

From these three laws or principles the whole Universe is wrought out 
by their successive repetitions in new forms of manifestation in infinite 
variety, but in serial order and traceable regularity of structure from the 
lowest to the highest domain, from the basis of the scientific pyramid in the 
Abstract Mathematics up to its culminating point in Theology, or the sci¬ 
ence of God. 

In quoting so copiously from universological laws as I shall, 
I leave out, as far as possible, all that pertains to the transcendental, 
the abstract, and abstruse, and come as quickly as possible to the 
practical applications of number to form, and as an application of 
the evolution of form from number I quote the following, which is 
simply and concisely stated. Mr. Andrews says:— 

Posit through the imagination two points anywhere in space, and let 
these two points represent two units. Conceive of them as the sum called 
two, that is to say, collectively, or as co-existing at the same time in the 
mind; and this conjoining of the two individual or separate units into a 
collective twoness is necessarily effected by drawing a line of abstract 
thought as a trait d anion or connection between them. This line so impro¬ 
vised and interposed by the operation of the mind itself is then Limit , and 
as such it is the governing element of Form. Form is thus generated from 
Number, j* 

The preceding shows how the mind first by abstract reflection 
and imagination creates- Form mentally. We can illustrate the 
process practically by placing two articles of any sort whatsoever 
in space, as, for example, two pencils, and we create a third object, 
viz., the form resulting from the space inclosed between the pen¬ 
cils ; that is the most simple form that can be shaped. 

* Basic Outlines of Universology, pp. 139, 140, et seq. f Ibid., p. 356. 


THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF FORM. 


39 


Number is, then, the simplest or most elementary and primitive kind or 
variety of Limitation. The mathematical unit representing the Individual 
Thing is in turn represented Geometrically by the mere point, and Number 
is an aggregation of Geometrical Points. This is lower down in the Ele- 
mentismus of Limitation than the line which pertains to figure or Form, and 
hence to Geometry, above the domain of mere Arithmetic. It is here, there¬ 
fore, in Number and in the First Elements of Number that the definite 
limitations of Being must first be considered. * 

Mr. Andrews includes a system of comprehensive analogies, 
by which Form is made to echo to or repeat Number, and this idea 
of echo or analogy is carried through everything in Nature, as well 
as into every human scheme, plan, government, system, and all 
modes of conduct whatsoever. I can only refer in a meagre man¬ 
ner to these manifold subjects, as I need all my space for the con¬ 
sideration of my own particular branch of science. Suffice it to 
say that all thinking persons can apply his system infinitely and 
absolutely unlimitedly. To return to the consideration of the anal¬ 
ogies of form and number, Mr. Andrews observes:— 

The Morphic Analogies of the 4, the 3, and the 7 are the square, the 
equilateral triangle, and the House, Edifice, or Temple with its body and its 
roof. The Gompass (dividers) associates with the Circle. This, together 
with the Square, the Triangle, and the Edifice or Temple, again reminds us 
of the Symbolism of Masonry, as the Instinctual Stage of the religion of 
science and of the science of morals.| 

The point is a very important factor of Form and Being. 
Aside from its significance as a unit in mathematics and its import 
as the type of the “least element of roundness” in general 
morphology, it is the analogue of the nucleus or “starting-point 
of development” in all organic processes, and it must also type 
the centre of the mineral crystal , where the polar forces cross each 
other in the development of that object. Although here the angle 
is formed, yet it corresponds to the point. It is the analogue of 
motion, and hence of development in the egg or vegetable cell, 
because it is from this central point, as in the germ spot in the 
animal egg, that the forces of the egg-substance are set in motion 
which commence the evolution or progressive development of the 
chick or mammal. It is, therefore, the type-form of Nature domi¬ 
nated by art in its inceptive or embryotic state. Motions are the 
essential forces of art acting upon substance. 

We all know that the ovoid is the primitive type-form of the 
mineral, vegetable, and animal cell. How, then, do we arrive at 
the square, cube, and angle in primitive forms l By motion, by 
segmentation. 


* Jbid. y p. 190. 


t Jbid., p. 541. 


40 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


The yelk or true mass of nutritive matter in the egg begins its course 
of development by being, as it were, completely cut up, segmentized, or sec- 
tionized. Nor is this process of segmentation a merely random cutting up, 
but an orderly succession of central and equal divisions ol the spheroidal 
yelk into halves, quarters, eighths, etc., thoroughly hemispheroid, quadiatoid, 
cuboid.* 

It is in this manner that we obtain the angular and squaring 
principles of form in living organizations, primarily illustrated to 
our senses. The law of the square and angle, of the line, the 
point, and the cube, are all contained in the spherical egg, just as 
all of the 44 potencies and possibilities of life ” are contained in the 
human ova or embryo. I think I have now demonstrated the pri¬ 
mary origin of the several factors of form ; later I shall make the 
application to matured or developed form, as seen in the various 
shapes of perfected human beings. I use the term 44 primary ” 
here in a limited sense. The most elementary principle of form 
lies back of anything of which the human senses can take cogni¬ 
zance. If we believe these principles to have existed in nebulous 
matter, we should be obliged to look back of that for the law which 
is existent in that chaotic state of evolution. It is as inconceivable 
to our minds as are the laws of squaring to our senses .in the egg- 
substance before the motions of the forces which develop it have 
shown themselves by segmentation. Let it be understood, then, 
that the terms primary and primitive are used by me in this second¬ 
ary sense unless otherwise stated. The segmentizing of the ova 
into lines or furrows of latitude and longitude shows the influence 
of the measuring—the geometric or formative power—of the law 
of number. From this law proceeds exactness, scientific or posi¬ 
tive illustration (diagrammatic as in form), and demonstrable as to 
the number of lines, etc., exact, scientific ; the primitive compound 
of form and number,—primal principles which repeat themselves in 
the perfected man in every part of his body and mind in infinite 
number and variety. As before stated, the sphere is capable of 
bisection into equal halves, and these must cut each other at right 
angles , and here we have the beginning of the orderly, exact, and 
scientific—the type of truth, accuracy, conscientiousness—of accu¬ 
rate measurement, the prime elements of the cube and square, 
which last is (as shown by Mr. Andrews) to be the 44 type or 
analogue of exactified science.” The correspondence of this basic 
law is wonderfully illustrated in the form of the natural scientist, 
moralist, and mechanic; all square-built men. I have shown else¬ 
where that the square-built individual illustrates the scientific 
aspect of humanity, and exhibits this character by his pursuit of 

* Basic Outlines of Universology, p. 76. 


THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF FORM. 


41 


scientific subjects and discoveries of natural laws, as is demon¬ 
strated by the body and face of Sir Isaac Newton, whose counte¬ 
nance could easily be made to fit into a rectangular frame, thus 
showing the uprightness and downrightness, the squareness, and 
integrity, or wholeness of the man, and uprightness and squareness 
of form gives the shape the best adapted to the comprehension of 
scientific law as well as to the illustration of conscientious con¬ 
duct, for all forms exhibited in the human body disclose their mean¬ 
ing if the true and natural significance of the primal principles of 
form be applied to them. George Washington stands as the rep¬ 
resentative of the law of the rectangle, as applied to human form 
and conduct; he was over six feet in height, perfectly upright in 
his bearing, and his general outlines and features were at right 
angles to each other; hence, his uprightness and obedience to the 
laws of rectitude and morality was in accord with the law of his 
form. He was also a surveyor by profession,—a scientific pursuit 
based on number and form. 

A spherical or primitive type-form is exemplified in the ovoid 
shape of the physiognomy of Herbert Spencer, the creator, as it 
were, of theories which possess a universal application to the 
beginnings of life, as they are basilar or underlying. This round¬ 
ing form is observed in the faces, heads, and limbs of all the great 
creative artists, for the ovoid is the most primitive type-form, and 
art-forms and nature-forms are nearly identical, while scientific 
forms, such as the square, angle, and cube, belong to later and 
more developed shapes, as seen in the mineral crystal after it is 
cooled. Thus, the ovoid or globose form represents infancy,— 
creation,—the first beginnings of life ; and this form confers ability 
to represent the same shape in external works, as in art, in 
gesture, dancing, painting, acting, or singing; for all art is 
founded on the circle or sections of it, and art-forms and nature- 
forms more nearly coincide than nature-forms and scientific forms, 
yet both partake of the nature of each, for, as we have seen, the 
scientific form has arisen out of the natural or primitive spheroidal 
shape by motion primarily, and the artist combines all these forms 
by motions of his hands and eyes. 

The making of lines of latitude and longitude upon a globe 
is an unconscious repetition of the law of development, as exem¬ 
plified in the segmentation of the ova of the mammal, outworking 
according to the law of inherent geometry, the primal principles 
of which have come up from the mineral to the vegetable, and 
from this to the animal; from the animal, vegetable, and mineral 
to man. The same forces and principles of form which shape the 
crystal come along up the line of progressive evolution, and find at 


42 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

last their highest manifestation in the shape of the body, the head, 
and, pre-eminently, in the face of man. 

By going back of animal organizations for our demonstrations 
of the universality of the law of form, we shall find that geomet¬ 
rical and mathematical laws and principles are equally potent and 
equally well illustrated in all the forms of crystallization of 
mineral and other substances. 

Ice and snow exhibit the most beautiful forms of crystals, and 
always crystallize according to law in six-pointed rays. Although 
many hundred diverse forms of these crystals have been observed, 
this number always rules. In the human kingdom the law of 
form dominates, and each individual acts according to the law of 
his form as infallibly as the crystal obeys the inherent laws of its 
shaping. 

I have shown previously that the first or primitive form of 
the mineral molecule is spherical. I have also evidenced the fact 
that the primitive cell of vegetable and animal life is spheroidal, 
globose, or ovoid; as, for example, the germ of all mammals, and 
the eggs of fowls, reptiles, fishes, insects, etc. I have put in evi¬ 
dence the manner in which the form-principle of the line, angle, 
square, and cube manifests itself in the germs of organized life. 
Now it is in order for me to explain how and when the square 
principle of form makes its appearance in the crystal, and how it 
becomes the type or symbol of scientific form, as expressed by the 
square-built man. I am now again coming to deep water, yet not 
so deep but the eye of man can penetrate below the surface. In 
the first place, let me state that mineralogy shows that 


The lines of force have a general tendency to arrange themselves at 
right angles to each other. This is primarily seen in the constructive or 
polar axes of crystals; the magnetic and electric currents cross each other 
in the earth and in minerals. The truths of science fully justify the 
importance attached by the ancients to the ideas of the cross and the 
correctness of its use as a symbol. A great truth underlies its symbolism; 
it is the expression of a universal law of structure, growth, and action. 
The polarity of all the great forces is recognized as a truth by the most 
eminent scientific men. The forces are positive and negative, repulsive 
and attractive, masculine and feminine. 

The studies of antiquarians, and the whole history of phallic worship, 
prove that the cross was anciently used to symbolize the organs of repro¬ 
duction, the generative forces in creation and in man. At first, it was a 
symbol of the masculine forces only, but afterward it w\as used to represent 
those of both sexes. 

The ancients looked upon these forces with profound wonder and 
respect. Here was the greatest of all Nature’s mysteries. Back of these 
were the mightiest passions of the human soul. Here was wrapped up the 
future of the human race, the molding forces of the world of life.* 

* Book of Wisdom, p. 188. 


THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF FORM. 


43 


It is here shown that from the earliest ages the idea of 
Crossing and of generation were instinctive in the human mind, 
and the cross, a right-angled object, was symbolically used to 
represent the generative forces of the human family. Certainly 
the law of crossing, of creating angles by the motions of the chem¬ 
ical contents of the ova (in which sulphur plays an important 
part), is instrumental in developing the germ, for without the 
bisection or crossing of the ova no further development could 
take place. Let it be noted that sulphur wherever found is 
crystallized, and it is probably present in a state of angularity in the 
ova of mammals, but of* less than microscopic proportions, hence 
will never be observed by the use of the microscope. The mightiest 
works of Nature are conducted on so infinitesimal a scale as to elude 
the senses and instruments of man, yet we know that when a cer¬ 
tain form makes its appearance in a perfected or completed object 
the basic or ruling principle of that form was present from the 
beginning. 

In the cooling of the mineral crystal the polarity of action 
tends to equation, and thus changes the primitive spherical form 
(which all mineral molecules assume when in a state of fusion or 
incandescence) to a square or cube, as is observed in alum and rock- 
salt, or to a right-angled form, as in many minerals. Thus the 
square and cube become the type-forms of exact science, because 
the crystallization or squaring of the crystal by cooling perfects its 
shape; that is to say, it assumes the form which it always retains, 
and thus shows the finished or completed stage, which is a state 
depending upon exact mathematical law for its completion. Now, 
in the transformation of the egg of the frog, or in the development 
of the human germ or ova, what takes place after the ova has been 
carried along the Fallopian tube and deposited in the uterus'? 
Why, a formative process analogous to that which changes min¬ 
eral substances from numerous spheroidal forms to an angled or 
cubical one. The polarity of the forces involved in development 
(call them electric, magnetic, or what you will) operate in such a 
way as to commence a system of equation according to geometric 
law, and this system is expressed by lines crossing each other at 
right angles, and creating equal areas within given spaces. Now, 
here we have the same straight-lined, angled, and geometric law of 
the cube and square many times repeated in the evolution of a germ- 
form as low down as that of the toad or frog (and this process is 
known to be repeated in the germs of all mammals). This, then, 
is the law of form-development; first, the ovoid or sphere; later, 
the angle, square, and cube. The perfected crystal and the germ 
or ova in taking on its completed form presents lines, angles, and 


44 


PRACTICAL AND# SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


plain cubes, and these are typical of exactitude, measurement, 
geometric law, and are the analogues of the equator and lines of 
latitude and longitude which man uses to illustrate equal areas ot 
equal distances upon the globe; an unconscious outworking ot the 
law of geometric form which dominates not only his own germ- 
form, but also that of the form of the perfected human being, as 
observed in the ovoid or rounded form of the artist, and the square 
or rectangular form of the man of science. 

The bony framework of man is composed mainly of mineral 
matters,—lime, etc,—and it is these mineral substances which give 
solidity, integrity, and angular form to his outline. The more 
hone the man possesses the more integrity, morality, and capacity 
for the comprehension of mechanical laws will he exhibit. Again, 
bone is formed of innumerable crystals of angular shape. In con¬ 
firmation of this idea, Mr. Andrews remarks thus:— 

The whole bony fabric not only of man bat of every animal, as well as 
the muscles and nerves and the organs and systems, is laid out in accord¬ 
ance with a primitive typical plan, derived from the typical sectionizing of 
the Globe Figure, and then from a similar sectionizing of the cube. The 
whole carpentry of every organized body is thus devised or self-arranged, 
as we choose to regard it, in orderly obedience to these simplest and most 
primitive divisions of form. Whether it is urged, therefore, as the true 
theory of this subject, that they are derived from the operations of Reason 
in the Mind of a Conscious Creator, or that Reason itself is a mere Echo in 
the Mind of Man from the Inherent Necessity and Universality of these 
primitive Congruities of Form, it is for the purely Scientific result wholly 
indifferent. The two theories are brought into a complete reconciliation 
upon the scientific arena, from the fact that under the operation of either 
theory the phenomenal result is the same. * 

The four points of the compass are also illustrations of the 
angle and cube. 

Besides the spherical and square forms in the human being, 
and m all Nature there is found an infinite number of diverse 
forms composed of a blending of the square and sphere; each ex¬ 
presses by its dominance which type of character prevails. If the 
form is more round than square, the artistic, the emotional, and 
imaginative type is exhibited. If the square form is slightly in 
the ascendancy, the mechanical, exact, scientific and moral type is 
illustrated, and so of all the manifold varieties of form produced 
by the varying quantities of each chemical and numerical principle 
within the human organism. 

In the segmentation or right-angled furrowing of the ovum in 
its development from a globose unit to an angled, progressive con¬ 
dition, we find all the basic principles of form which are afterward 

* Basic Outlines of Universology, p. 609. 


THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF FORM. 


45 


repeated in incalculable diversity in every part of man, both inter¬ 
nally and externally, in his thoughts as well as in his own shape; 
afterward the thoughts are represented in his motions and in his 
life-work and pursuits. A round man will think round thoughts; 
if mental, he will be metaphysical,—a creator of ideas and theo¬ 
ries. If less mental, and more muscular than mental, he will 
pursue some form of art. He may be a singer, and singing is 
founded on the curve; the voice impinging upon the atmosphere 
sets it in vibration, and these vibrations are curvilinear. The 
organs of speech and hearing are also circular or curved, or are 
flexible, and thus capable of receiving and emitting sounds. He 
may as an athlete repeat his rounded form in his motions and 
attitudes; if an actor, his speech and gestures will repeat the 
forms of his head, body, and limbs, by describing the circle or 
sections of it, as in the curvilinear motions of* his gestures and 
poses, as well as in the wavy motions produced in the atmosphere 
by his voice. 

In the orderly progress of the evolution of mind and thought, 
theories and plans naturally precede acts or results; hence, meta¬ 
physics—logic, the discussion, investigation, and elaboration of 
laws and principles—precede their practical application. Meta¬ 
physics in all ages have preceded the discovery and application of 
scientific laws. The form must first be in the thought before it can 
outwork in acts or objects, and in this observation we can make 
another practical application of the basic laws of form, for we find 
that the forms of all the eminent metaphysicians of ancient and 
modern times are rounded, their faces inclined to the ovoid or pyri¬ 
form shape, and their heads globose. Now comes the application: 
The ovoid form represents creation, infancy, the first beginnings of 
life, and the works of the great creative philosophers and artists 
originate in the domain of the ovoid or spherical,—the primitive 
form ; for all art is based upon the circle, or sections of it, as in 
painting, speaking, gesturing, posing, dancing, and athletics, all 
included by me under the general term, Art. In the evolution of 
the mind of the world, art and metaphysics preceded the discovery 
of science, which in our age is tending to the illustration of exact 
scientific and demonstrable law through the practical application 
of those external and immutable laws which lie at the foundation 
of universal existence, and which find their highest expression in 
man, and are indexed more particularly and unmistakably upon his 
physiognomy. 

In the history of the evolution of the Greek mind we find 
that the metaphysics or first principles of thought in regard to the 
laws of being and existence were investigated and carried to great 


46 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


perfection. We also find that the science of number, of geometry, 
was also one of the dominating pursuits. The result naturally of 
these two studies showed itself in architecture and art, the branch 
of art dependent directly upon weight and measurement, viz., sculp¬ 
ture. These two forms of art reached their acme in Greece, and 
culminated in the works of Agesander, Ageladas, Phidias, Poly- 
cletus, Agasias, and Praxitiles. 

Now, the science of number is naturally related to logic or 
reason. This evolves metaphysical discussion. Number and logic 
develop not only forms of thought, but, as a natural consequence, 
produce concrete forms, as exhibited in buildings, works of art, etc. 
Sculpture is the offspring of number, as in measurement and weight, 
balance or equilibrium, and is dependent mainly upon the spherical 
form for its perfection, for the curves of the outlines of all figures 
are sections of the circle. Architecture, on the other hand, al¬ 
though it proceeds primarily from number, arises from a distinct 
branch of number from that of art. It proceeds from geometry, and 
is evolved from or built upon the square, angle, and cubic form,— 
upon exact scientific measurement,—and is severely simple, accu¬ 
rate, defined, and no less beautiful in its perfected outlines than is 
the statue with its curving, undulating lines of blended beauty. 
Compare, for example, the figure of the Apollo Belvedere in the 
Vatican with the symmetrical and finished rectangular form of the 
Parthenon at Athens, and we shall find that, although these two 
types are so entirely distinct, the statue and the building are equally 
grand, beautiful, and perfect. 

The figures and physiognomies of the best types of the ancient 
Greeks exhibit the dominance of the brain and muscular forms, or of 
the muscular and brain forms; the former represented in the 44 roomy 
arches” of the head of Socrates, the metaphysician, the latter in 
the more curving, yielding, elastic form of the sculptor. Yet both 
these “creations ” belong to the ovoid class of forms, hence belong 
to the 44 infantoid ” order of mind. (The term 44 infantoid ” is here 
used in a relative sense, and regards metaphysics as being prior to 
the discovery ol scientific laws or of the positive knowledge of 
scientific law. The course of mind-development is always in this 
manner: first, observation ; then surmise ; then theory ; next, dis¬ 
covery, and, finally, demonstration, resulting from the combination.) 
If we contiast the forms and physiognomies of these men with our 
more modern scientists we shall have a practical illustration of the 
harmony existing between the forms, thoughts, and works of the 
former and the figures, faces, and works of the latter. Compare, 
foi example, the squaie-boned figure and rectangular face of* Pro¬ 
fessor Tyndall with the rounded head and body of 44 old Socrates,” 


THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF FORM. 


47 


or the squared face and form of Francis Bacon, Copernicus, and 
Michael Faraday, eminent scientists, with those of Plato and Her¬ 
bert Spencer, ovoid-faced men,—grand theorizers. Inventors, as 
a rule," possess a blending of the square with a rounding form of 
the forehead, face, and figure. In some the angular appearance 
predominates, in others the form is slightly more round than 
square. In either case the inventions made will coincide with the 
peculiarities of the form. The intricacies and subtleties of the sig¬ 
nificance of human forms are very profound, and too minute and 
complex to enter into detail here. These differences in form and 
variations in character will be elaborated in later pages. 

In concluding the history of the evolution of the two most 
universal type-forms, viz., the sphere and cube, I would state that 
my theory will prove by the laws of Form what I have enunciated 
from the very beginning of my system, viz., that the human mind 
and body are an epitome or index of all the laws and principles 
which exist in and govern the universe. I have, however, gone 
farther, and have shown that the human countenance is the index 
or verification of all these laws and principles, and have elaborated 
a system wherein archetypal or normal type-forms can be applied 
to every distinct feature, line, outline, and most minute portion of 
the human body, and thus make them yield up the secrets of 
human conduct, moral, physical, and intellectual, proving that 
Form is the true “ philosopher’s stone,” at whose bidding Nature’s 
most secret arcana is laid bare to human sight and knowledge. 

The basic laws of form, when rigorously applied to all parts 
of the human body, yield the most striking results in the line of 
actual and positive knowledge. When we come to consider that 
these laws are just as rigorous and just as applicable to the begin¬ 
nings of all life, organic and inorganic, and that they are as self- 
revealing in the completed mineral, vegetable, and animal as in the 
perfected man, we learn that there is a universality of law showing 
everywhere by a universal method of expression. In short, we 
shall be obliged to concur with Mr. Andrews when he states:— 

Form is the most determinate and exact of all the domains of Being. 
As Number furnishes the Universal Principles of Things and their Tech¬ 
nical Namings, so Form furnishes their Precise and Diagrammatic Illus¬ 
tration. * 

The law of the angle, the square, and the cube (and these 
include the perpendicular and horizontal), as exemplified by the 
highest and most perfected of human forms, is shown to be the law 
of completion, as well as the form which in man is capable of the 
greatest moral force, scientific judgment, and comprehension of 

* Basic Outlines of Universology, p. 614. 



48 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


mechanical laws, which last are the universal principles upon which 
all nature is founded and operated. Those whom I have selected 
to represent these laws are Martin Luther, who, by his cubosity, 
squareness, and integrity was able to successfully defy the whole 
ecclesiastical world in the cause of right, was a moral giant; but the 
one in whose form is embodied the very highest degree of scientific 
principles is Sir Isaac Newton, and the one in whose structure may 
be seen the square, upright, and downright form of the most exact 
of the mechanical forms, viz., the straight line, the angle, the cross, 
and square, is Thomas Jefferson. These are all typical men. Their 
characters, life-work, and results were in accord with their forms,— 
moral, straight, square, and in harmony with the mechanical laws 
of the universe. 

Mr. Andrews’ recognition of the meaning of these several laws 
of form is stated thus. He observes:— 

Next above the straightened point is the straight line. The Straight 
Line is the Type of Laws in Science, as derived from the Primordial Prin¬ 
ciples represented by these minims of Straight Form, as the Heads or 
Beginnings of Laws. The Square is representative of Exactified Specu¬ 
lations and Explanations under the guidance of known laws, or, in other 
words, of Pure Abstract Scientific Theories, not as yet confirmed by the 
induction or accumulation of corresponding facts. 

The Cube is the Type Symbol or Representative of Science, or a Sci¬ 
ence as a Completed Structure as to its main outline. It is, then, the body 
of a Temple or Edifice having in it by Subdivision various apartments or 
rooms. 

The Cube is, then, in all ways the Grand, Elaborate, Scientific Emblem, 
while it is also the Grand Type of Structure or Architectural Plan. Im¬ 
buing the Mind with Science or Knowledge is instinctively called Instruc¬ 
tion (Latin fn, in ; sti 1161 e, to build), or Building-in. The Cube presents 
better than any other figure, the Conjoined Conceptions of Length, Breadth* 
and Thickness, which aie in an important sense the radical conceptions of 

all Form.It results from what has been shown that the Cube 

or Main Elevation of an Edific Fane or Temple is by an obvious echo of 

Analogy the Standard Emblem or Symbol or Type of the Total Elaborate 
Construction of Being.* 

The caieful leadei and acute observer 111 scientific physiognomy 
will find himself enriched by these extensive extracts from Uni- 
versology. JNot only so, but he will see how accurately they 
coincide with my system down to the last detail even. It affords 
me great satisfaction to find the corroboration of my theories of 
form so logically indorsed by this great philosopher’s ideas as well 
as by several other eminent men mentioned in this and other chap¬ 
ters. Other principles ol form will now come forward for consider¬ 
ation. 

Considerable attention has been given in the preceding pages 

* Basic Outlines of Universology, p. 591 et seq. 


THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF FORM. 


49 


to the investigation only of the normal or regular factors and laws 
of form. The thought will present itself to the careful reader, 
How come those innumerable perversions of character which are 
observed in the feeble-minded, idiotic, insane, eccentric, and con¬ 
genital criminal \ To which class of form do their peculiar shapes 
belong, and what law of form shall we apply to their singularly 
malformed features, organs, limbs, and bodies! This question is 
pertinent, for regular, natural law does not apply to them, nor 
would its application produce an intelligible and satisfactory answer. 
In order that there should be room for evolution, for progress, the 
creative power, or Nature, has set in motion primarily the law of 
the sphere. This form is the only one which could produce regular 
rotatory motions in every direction; hence, it is the form of flexi¬ 
bility, and when we have an instrument which is capable of curved 
motions, we then have an instrument which can by interference be 
arrested in its perfect curvation, and by its very flexibility be per¬ 
verted or changed in its original design from its natural course; 
hence, its movements can, if interfered with, originate discordant 
and abnormal manifestations of form, sound, and motion. The 
muscular apparatus is the principal motive apparatus of the body, 
and is built upon the plan of perfect curvation , and in its normal 
state will produce perfect curves in every outline, motion, and 
movement of the body, hands, and vocal organs. Now, when 
human ignorance, or ignorant and already vitiated human parents 
or ancestors have brought forth perverted offspring—an idiot, a 
congenital criminal, or defective child, for example—we observe 
some one or more of the following phenomena, viz., obliquity of 
the vision (as in crossed eyes), angularity of the head, which should 
be rounding; or, in others, the slanting of one foot, and skew of 
the eye (cat-like), the extreme slope of the shoulders, the crooking 
of the mouth (the normal type of which is the straight line); crook¬ 
ing of the lower joint of the leg, the normal form of the bone 
being also straight; a devious, winding, serpentine gait, or else a 
purposeless, unintelligent shuffle from side to side; angular ges¬ 
tures, or awkward, half-curving ones; crooked features of the face; 
much too flexible fingers, hands, and limbs, and voices either ex¬ 
tremely harsh, discordant, and bass, or else extremely soft, silly 
sweet, and insincere, lacking in volume and reality, or lisping. We 
know, when we observe all these, that there has been an infraction 
of the laws of normal form, and that (ignorantly, of course) parents 
or ancestors have united who were unfit and wholly inadapted to 
perpetuate normal types , as is often observed in the union of two 
consumptives, or those with a tendency to insanity, epilepsy, or pos¬ 
sessed of a torpid liver, and other defects of form and organization. 


50 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


These are some of the signs and forms of perverted or defect¬ 
ive beings, who are neither natural, artistic, nor scientific. They 
are the products of violations ot the laws oi Nature, Art, and Sci- 
ence—true illegitimates, having upon their escutcheon, the face, 
the bar sinister. These signs and forms ha's e been observed in 
association and singly in congenital criminals, such as liais, sneak- 
thieves, confidence-operators, and in the several grades of defective 
mentality, weak morality, or idiocy, and in the several stages of 
eccentricity tending sometimes to madness, and sometimes to the 
border-land of genius. Observe these peculiarities of form, sound, 
and motion where we may, they indicate that a separate and dis¬ 
tinct principle of form must be applied to them in order to unravel 
the hidden depths of their characters and to seek the mainspring 
of their motives. 

THE LAW OF SCALENISM, OR PERVERSION. 

This is the law which will apply to such defective beings, and 
is the only one which will interpret their true character. The law 
and form of the shew is their normal type, and in order to improve 
or alter their natures for the better the most enlightened scientific 
treatment is demanded. For the credit of humanity I will say that 
idiocy, feeble-mindedness, and dipsomania are regarded as diseases 
and "defects and are treated as such. In former ages they were 
regarded as possessions by demons. 

Very little justice is accorded the congenital criminal who 
daily violates some of the ten commandments. He is regarded as 
being a willful violator of these moral laws, and is not understood 
to be acting under an irresistible and, to him, a natural impulse. 
The law of his being is oblique, askew, and slanting; not straight, 
square, upright, and downright. His form or features are also of 
similar shape. If he have no rich or influential friends to shield 
and pay for his delinquencies, he is thrust into prison, where he 
meets hundreds even more defective than himself, and here, in¬ 
stead of being purified and elevated, raised above his former self by 
being straightened and squared by intelligent scientific treatment, 
he graduates in crime, and is able upon making his exit to outdo 
all his former criminal exploits, and add his quota to the criminal 
element of the country by propagating a brood of his own sort, and 
so perpetuate skewism, or the law of the abnormal. 

In geometry a scalene is a triangle, having its sides and angles 
uneven; in fact, it is all awry and askew, a ludicrous burlesque 
upon a true triangle, and looks like a good triangle on a “ spree.” 
Just so do the poor victims to man’s ignorant building look when 
contrasted with the best forms; they are awry, out of joint, not in 


THE LAW OF SCALENISM, OR PERVERSION. 


51 


harmony with the persons and conditions about them. They de¬ 
mand our largest philosophy, justice, and love, and, like the 
Arabian philosopher, we should pray: “ Oh God, be good to the 
wicked (defective), for Thou hast been sufficiently kind to the good 
in making them such.” 

It is this abnormal principle of the skew which we have now 
under consideration, and which produces the various and innumer¬ 
able malformations which are the result of the ignorant human 
builders or defective parents, who unite in producing such wretched 
burlesques upon human nature as are found in every community. 
The title of this law I have adopted from Mr. Andrews, and will 
now make its practical application. There is a law operative 
throughout Nature by which an attempt in prenatal life is made to 
return to normal types. Were not this the case the world would 
be now tilled with monstrosities instead of the passably regular 
forms which prevail. Another principle of form and growth is 
observed in the artistic modifications which occur in the changing 
of the form of the infant from a globular vegetative shape to the 
later ovoid, curved, or square form which it assumes in adult life, 
and which becomes its final or completed shape. The vegetative 
adult always retains this form, and its accompanying comparative 
infantile condition of intellect. The same soft, fluidic, fatty form 
is characteristic of some idiots, feeble-minded persons, and many 
who are lacking in good, square, moral natures, or strong and 
sound judgment. 

The law of the skew obtains to some extent in the lower 
orders, among vegetables and animals, as witnessed in the several 
malformations of form and perversions of character. The latitude 
allowed to Nature, coupled with ignorant interference, is the cause 
of these “ freaks,” as they are termed. In order that progress or 
evolution should have scope a certain degree of freedom of action 
is essential ; hence, these abnormal phenomena. 

Disease is a temporary return to abnormal or perverted types; 
so true is this, that we find that even the handwriting of those who 
have had nervous shocks becomes altered and appears irregular, 
skewed, shaky, or angular,—like the features and limbs of the par- 
alvtic. Interference with the normal law of form by the union of 
inadapted parents or by disease, afterward produces similar results, 
viz., perversions of function and form. It need not be supposed 
that all criminals, feeble-minded or insane persons are incarcerated 
in jails and asylums. Moving about in society are large numbers 
of the skewed, oblique criminal, eccentric, semi-insane, semi- 
idiotic, and feeble-minded individuals, but often in such compara¬ 
tively slight degree or so shielded as to escape these penalties. 


52 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Many elegantly-dressed dames have been detected in the act of 
shoplifting and “kleptomania,” as stealing is termed when exhib¬ 
ited by the rich, but is set down to individual “pcculiaiities of 
the subject, and is hushed up by the payment for the articles taken. 
Congenital liars and the congenitally feeble-minded (in varying 
degrees) are observed in every circle and sphere ol society. It is 
only when their acts become unendurable that they are restrained 
(either publicly or privately) of their liberty. One class of detest¬ 
able criminals, as a rule, are seldom punished, never adequately. 
I refer to those lecherous fiends who are prowling about in every 
community seeking to debauch innocence, and who leave death 
and destruction in their train. These immoral monsters (for they 
are neither brute nor human) should be deprived of their power 
to perpetuate such crimes as are often proved upon them; for 
it is perhaps impossible to teach them better or to make them 
able to control their morbid sexual impulse in any reasonable 
manner whatsoever, for this impulse is a primitive one, the next 
most powerful to hunger; hence, a part of the real being itself. 

As before stated, straightness, perpendicularity, and horizon- 
tality are inherent properties of bone,—true curving of muscle. 
If the bone has not sufficient mineral matter in its composition to 
make it straight and firm the character suffers through a deficiency 
of integrity. If the muscle is rigid and does not curve properly and 
easily, then we find the excess either of will or stupidity. If the 
muscle curves imperfectly, we find awkwardness ot* movement, 
gesture, position, and inability to execute mechanical move¬ 
ments with dexterity, precision, and accuracy, as is observed in 
the feeble-minded and in many professional criminals. When the 
ravages of paralysis are discernible in the face, at times they as¬ 
sume a skewed or crooked appearance owing to the perversions of 
the nervous system. This is another proof that abnormal action 
tends to abnormal form and skews the features affected. When 
the muscles are too soft and flexible and the bones small and soft, 
abounding in animal matter, the subject is apt to be too flexible, 
too yielding for morality, and shifts his position and opinion with 
every wind that blows; hence, suffers through want of firmness, 
decision, rectitude, or a positive opinion. Many sneak-thieves 
possess great flexibility and the capacity for turning and shifting; 
hence has arisen the vague, instinctive idea that a man too supple 
in his movements is dangerous. 

The peculiar lack of grace, beauty, and aptness on the part 
of professional or congenital criminals has long been the subject 
of observation on the part of prison surgeons in Europe, where 
there exists an hereditary class of criminals, born in and bred to 


TIIE LAW OF SCALENISM, OR PERVERSION. , 53 

crime. All classes of defective beings also exhibit peculiarities of 
slant, skew, or oblique lines and movements, which are observed 
in the gait, attitude, position of the body and limbs, the set of the 
feet, and slant of the shoulders; all these reveal perverseness. 
In some cases it does not assume criminal or idiotic proportions, 
but simply tends to awkwardness and willfulness, to cranky or 
inapt methods of working, walking, etc. This is the method of 
operation of the principle or spirit of the skew, slant, or oblique 
line, often observed more particularly in the various features, 
members, and outlines of the human family. It produces neither 
a true curve nor a straight line, nor a true angle and square ; yet 
tends or attempts to evolve both. Where the slant predominates 
it will show in some one or more of the features, limbs, or out¬ 
lines of the body, or in the walk, the gesture, the voice, and pur¬ 
suits. In some persons it is indicated by sophistical writings, or 
in poor attempts at works of art, or in hoarse, discordant, or shrill 
vocalization, and in various and numerous social and commercial 
irregularities. 

Eccentricity of manner is another manifestation of abnormal 
development. It sometimes results in insanity as well as talent, 
as in Dean Swift and Mary Lamb, the gifted writers. In others it 
is allied to genius, and is sometimes characteristic of criminals. 

The law of the slant or skew operates differently from the 
law of the angle; yet angular people are sometimes judged by 
the law of the slant. It is true that angular persons are slightly 
eccentric and peculiar, yet, as a rule, are honorable, sometimes un¬ 
pleasantly so in their manifestations of the square principle, and 
show it by projecting their opinions (as well as their elbows) for¬ 
ward at inopportune times. They lack tact, and are disagreeably 
blunt in their enunciation of unpleasant truths. What this class 
of persons lack is the rounding, yielding, agreeable curving prin¬ 
ciple, the angular element being disproportionately great, thus 
opposed to symmetry of form as well as to symmetry of character, 
yet harmonizing with the elements and principles of form which 
are dominant in them. 

There is always an attempt on the part of the dominating 
forces of being to produce harmony, equilibrium, and symmetry in 
all things. This is Nature’s method pre-eminently; it also is the 
endeavor of Art and is the supreme law of Science. When a failure 
to produce these ends occurs it results from interference in some 
way with the laws involved. The monstrosities and abnormal de¬ 
velopments observed in the vegetable, animal, and human kingdoms 
are the result of violated laws, whether we are able to trace them 
to their origin or not. Giants, dwarfs, hunchbacks, two-headed 


54 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


women and animals, and those with superfluous members, as well 
as congenital idiots, drunkards, and criminals, are proofs and illus¬ 
trations of a falling away from righteousness in the past of our¬ 
selves or of our ancestors. 

44 Genius is ofttimes to madness near allied,” and the infraction 
of certain laws by some has produced sometimes very talented 
persons. This infraction of laws on the part of others has evolved 
an idiot or criminal. Maudsley tells us “insanity in one generation 
often induces immorality in the next,” and vice versa. \V hen the 
law of the slant is allowed to govern we cannot predict where the 
warping will end, nor yet what form it will assume and exhibit. 
Of one thing we may he sure,—that it will produce biased, warped, 
eccentric, insane, or criminal characters. ITow essential, then, the 
constant study of what I have named the 44 divine sciences,” viz., 
Anatomy, Physiology, Heredity, Hygiene, and Physiognomy! How 
necessary the application of their laws! For, 44 beyond the prin¬ 
ciples of each science there is a philosophy of the sciences. The 
principles of one science fully comprehended are a key to the inter¬ 
pretation of all sciences. They are the same footsteps of Nature 
treading upon several subjects.”* 

This philosophy or universal law is illustrated at its comple¬ 
tion by forms which possess the normal principles of form. The 
highest expression of divine architectural skill is in the human 
body and face. To comprehend the basic laws which produce the 
most perfection in this direction should be our aim, and the three 
domains of Nature, Art, and Science are the fields wherein the 
human being may co-operate with the Creator in improving by 
design, through law, the human family. Nature, Art, and Science 
are the true factors of Being which are found in varying degrees 
of power in all natural objects. The plant, cultivated up to a high 
state of perfection (as most of our garden vegetables have been 
from wild stock, wholly uneatable), is a product of Nature, Art, 
and Science combined, the scientific factor here dominating because 
the perfection has arisen through the application of scientific laws 
in regard to the best soil, location, treatment, etc. Here Nature 
and Art are subdominant, and the triumphs of science in vegetable 
products are every day witnessed upon our tables. Let any one 
follow the course of the development of the potato, the cucumber, 
the radish, the beet, the tomato, the celery, or other vegetable, and 
he will receive a most instructive lesson in the scientific culture of 
natural products which will be quite astonishing. In some in¬ 
stances the cultivation seems to have left but a mere suggestion of 
shape and flavor of the original wild edible. Just so it would be 

* Body and Mind, Henry Maudsley, M.D., p. 185. 


THE LAW OF SCALENISM, OR PERVERSION. 55 

with the human race if scientific law were allowed scope in the 
matter of reproduction, instead of childish instinct, blind passion, 
or selfish indulgence. These are not the forces we put into horti¬ 
culture or horse-breeding, for here they would not pay. 

The blending or co-operation of Nature, Art, and Science in 
the evolution of the human race is shown in many ways. To those 
accustomed to take the very limited view of Art, that it consists 
merely in painting pictures, singing, acting, etc., the idea of man 
being in part an art-product, will appear strange, hut this will seem 
plainer when it is stated that those born in barbarism are more 
nearly children of Nature; those horn in civilization are more 
nearly children of Art, i.e., born under the influences of education 
and refinement, and are hence cidtivated products by preponder¬ 
ance. Children whose parents have intermarried according to the 
laws of fitness and adaptation, with the intention of becoming the 
progenitors of superior offspring, are more particularly the product 
of Science, with a subdominance of Nature and Art intermingled in 
their make-up. Such children may not necessarily be superior to 
all other children, but are undoubtedly superior to what either of 
those parents would have perpetuated had they intermarried with 
more unsuitable mates. 

The law of “natural selection,” so happily elaborated by Mr. 
Darwin, is the method which Nature pursues to improve the human 
race and all races, in accordance with a law of progressive develop¬ 
ment, which, it appears, is one of the most important factors in 
• carrying forward the evolution of the race toward a higher grade 
of development. Those horn under the spontaneous operation of 
this law are almost purely natural products. 

In civilization, the choice of the woman by the man, on the 
ground of some real or fancied excellence, is an aid—a slight one— 
to the former slow method of improvement. This is the triumph 
of Art over Nature. The third method, that which is pursued by 
a very limited number of persons, indeed, in civilized life,—the 
plan of intermarrying because of mutual adaptation and fitness,— 
produces a scientific result in offspring, born according to law, 
bred with the design of improving the race by scientific culture. 
This method, if universally practiced, would carry forward the evo¬ 
lution of the race with great rapidity, and if the higher, scientific 
plan of reproduction were followed instead of the instinctive or 
animal-like method (which is the lowest form of reproduction, and 
the one commonly pursued in civilization as well as in barbarism, 
in obedience to a blind, sexual impulse or selfish gratification), 
there would be evolved a race of wonderful beings far transcending 
any which have ever appeared on earth. 


56 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


The principal and most important use of the knowledge of 
the Basic Principles of Form is found in its application to scientific 
physiognomy, and the most important use of this science is toward 
the scientific culture of the human race. To study the science for 
the simple desire of knowing what certain faces and forms reveal 
is mere childish curiosity. The application of its principles is its 
highest use. My motive in elaborating this system proceeds pri¬ 
marily from a desire to improve the race by practical methods, to 
bring it up to a higher grade of moral, physical, and intellectual 
excellence, instead of relying upon the slow and uncertain natural 
way advised by theologists, which is the merely sentimental phase 
of improvement, slow and uncertain, not radical and certain. I do 
not wish to underrate theology or any other system of ethics which 
promotes in any degree, however slight, the morality and integrity 
of humanity; but what I urge is that fundamental principles of 
life are now , at this particular stage of the world’s development, 
greatly needed, and I add this, my contribution, in a true mission¬ 
ary spirit, as being the attitude of benevolence I hold and have 
ever held toward my fellow-beings. The form of its expression has, 
however, changed with advancing years ; for, whereas in my youth 
I thought it my duty to proceed to Africa and Christianize the bar¬ 
barous races, I now believe it my duty to remain at home and 
appeal to the most enlightened and refined of the Christian races, 
and to instruct them in divinely constituted scientific law instead 
of teaching inspirational, intuitive beliefs to the heathen. The 
latter belongs to the infantile stage of man and the race and the 
former to the adult stage of mind. 

In the preceding pages each primal principle of form has been 
considered. There now remains only the duty of giving a tabulated 
summation of the several discriminations of form, together with 
their related symbols or significations. The six simple mechanical 
powers involved in Nature, or the working forces which operate 
the world and man’s organism alike,—viz., the lever, the wheel, 
the axle, the pulley, the inclined plane, the wedge and screw,—will 
be treated ol when we arrive at the discussion of the moving forces 
or dynamics of the human mind and body. This chapter is de¬ 
voted more particularly to the application of the factors of Form to 
the human organism, regardless of the operation and effects of 
the mechanical forces and visceral organs which produce them, 
except in the most primitive and elementary sense, as connected 
with primitive geometry or the form and motions of the planets. Let 
it be understood in the following summary that the term “ artistic’' 
is used in its most comprehensive sense, including not only the 
art-side ol Nature, but also all of the arts of man, such as sculpture, 


THE LAW OF SCALENISM, OR PERVERSION. 


57 


painting, acting, singing, musical instrumentation, athletics of all 
sorts, and the semi-artistic professions, such as photography, pho¬ 
nography, telegraphy, and all other arts which are a combination 
of art and science, with the art principles dominant, and a sub¬ 
dominance of the scientific laws. 

The term “ scientific” is also used comprehensively, and in¬ 
cludes mechanism, invention, and all scientific pursuits in which 
mechanical or scientific principles dominate the artistic. 


The Normal Factors of Form and Being in Nature, Art, and Science. 


The Point, . 
The Sphere, 
Product, 


The Line, 
The Angle, . 

The Square, 

The Cube, . 


The Sphere, the Curve, the Square. 


. Motion, Germination, Progress. 

. Nature, Art, Infantile Stage. 

. The curvilinear or artistic man (normal 
type.) 


• Beauty. 


. Science, Determinate form. 

. Regularity, Precise “ Diagrammatic 
Illustration.” 

. Stability, Rectitude, Morality, “The - 
Measure of a Man.” 

. Integrity, Wholeness, Completion, Adult 
Stage. 


Perfection. 


Natural, Artistic, Scientific. 

Product, . . The square or scientific man (normal type). 


The Law of Imperfect Curvation, Illustrated by the Abnormal 
Factors of Form and Being, Skewism or Scalenism. 


Obliquity, . . . One-sidedness, Immorality. 

Eccentricity, . . Non-stability, Genius, Ugliness, or Mad¬ 

ness, Contrariness of Thought and 
Action. 

Imperfect Curvation, Sophistry, Knavery, Defective Func¬ 

tions. 

Perversion of Form and Motion, as in— 

Sinistrality or Left- 

handedness, . . Awkward and Inapt Movements. 


Imperfection. 


Imperfect curvation, or crookedness of the features, the head, the limbs, the 
organs, and body, producing malformation of the organs of speech, hearing, and 
sight. 

Unnatural, Inartistic, Unscientific. 

. The crooked or perverted man (abnormal type). 


Product, 










































. 




























































1 Ilpfl 
















































CHAPTER III. 

The Five Organ Systems which Create Form and Character. 


“The history of the evolution of form, which primarily occupies us, is at the 
same time the history of the evolution of functions, and this is equally true of the 
human and all other organisms.” * 


“ Habits and the use and disuse of organs are certainly of the greatest impor¬ 
tance as efficient causes of organic form.”! ** 



TCTOR COUSIN, in his admirable essay on the beautiful, 
remarks: “All is symbolic in Nature. Form is not 
form only; it unfolds something inward.”J This phi¬ 
losophy is scientifically correct, for it is a law of Nature 
that form indicates character; if this he so, then the 
form or shape of the individual must bear a strong relation to his 
actions. Not only is this true, but it is also true that if in attending 
to the detail of a man’s physiognomy we observe with the eye of 
science, we shall be able to discern not alone his mental powers and 
his moral proclivities, but likewise his physical qualities and predis¬ 
positions to health and disease. 

The natural shape, or the one with which one is horn, can he 
modified, it is true, by attention to diet, rest, exercise, mental occu¬ 
pation, etc., but, as little attention is paid to modifying inherited 
forms, we can safely say that the majority of men attain manhood 
with the form which was inherited , unless disease, diet, or una¬ 
voidable circumstances have modified the inherited form. In 
investigating the laws and forms of organic life and their mean¬ 
ings, we must be governed by the methods of reasoning that are 
observed in all other departments of scientific research. We must 
first collect the facts as to forms and their related characters, then 
we must pursue a course of generalizing, as it is termed. This 
consists in collecting a certain number of facts relating to forms, 
together with the characteristics which accompany such forms, 
and then compare facts and forms, and if in the majority of in¬ 
stances the facts and forms agree we have sufficient evidence upon 
which to found a law. This is the method pursued by all scientists. 

The safest and surest way of discovering the laws and truths 


* Haeckel’s Evolution of Man, vol. i, p. 86. 
f Ibid., p. 19. 

J Philosophy of the Beautiful, Victor Cousin, p. 129. 


( 59 ) 


60 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


of Nature is to follow her indications, to use one’s sense of obser¬ 
vation and comparison, and to interpret Form according to its 
indications, assisted by the 44 basic laws of form.” 

That all form indicates character is a principle so well estab¬ 
lished throughout Nature as to need little testimony from me. In 
the study of the science before us, it is absolutely essential that 
this principle should be thoroughly comprehended, and the char¬ 
acter of its various phases understood at first sight, in order to 
render the interpretation of character certain and beyond all 
doubt,—for upon the conformation of the physiognomy (and here 
I mean the entire body) are we mainly dependent for knowledge 
of the character of the entire man. It is true that size, color, 
texture of the skin and hair, health, etc., play their part in deter¬ 
mining characteristics; still, Form is primarily the grand deter¬ 
mining, dominating principle underlying all others. Its meanings 
should be completely mastered before proceeding to the considera¬ 
tion of other branches of our subject. 

The more advanced phrenologists, who commenced the inves¬ 
tigations of phrenology on the basis of classification by color of the 
complexion, hair, and eyes, have gradually arrived at the conclu¬ 
sion that form is the most decisive factor in the interpretation of 
character. O. S. Fowler declares, in his work on 44 Human Sci¬ 
ence,” that the correct way is to classify character by the forms of 
the body, and that these forms are produced by the predominance 
of one or the other of the five principal systems of functions in¬ 
cluded in the human organism. These systems and forms he 
designates the 44 Vital, Motive or Mechanical, and Mental 
Temperaments.” 

I cannot comprehend how Mr. Fowler can consistently retain 
the word 44 Temperament ” in his designation of forms. Tempera¬ 
ment is the word used by Hippocrates to indicate the several colors 
of the complexion. It has no relation to Form, whatever it may 
have to color. If we wish to use language at once intelligent 
and comprehensive, it must be rejected, as well as the method of 
deciding character by so small a portion of the organism as the 
skull alone. Why should not the face (where the most active and 
expressive muscles are located) and the contour of the entire body 
be taken into account \ It is certainly a great deal more difficult 
to feel the head (which has no active expression, and is not so 
practicable for every-day and instant observation as the face and 
the outlines of the body) than it is to scan the face. 44 A cat 
may look at a king,” and so one may study the features of his 
fellow-men, without saying 44 By your leave.” This system of 
physiognomy classifies upon the basis of the forms that are de- 


FIVE ORGAN SYSTEMS WHICH CREATE FORM AND CHARACTER. 61 

lived from the development of the several organ systems which are 
comprised in the human body. It also shows the influence of 
color and health, as well as all the other conditions which deter¬ 
mine character. 

In the human organism there are five different organ systems, 
which, in their development, produce different configurations of the 
body and corresponding differences of mental development. These 
systems are always found in combination, but in different degrees 
of power in every individual, and to these variations are we in¬ 
debted for the infinite variety of the human race. These five 
systems are named the Vegetative, the Thoracic, the Muscular, 
the Osseous or Bony, and the Brain and Nervous Systems,—the 
last mentioned forming one system and producing one conforma¬ 
tion. Each of these systems evolves and exhibits a different set 
of physical functions and mental faculties peculiar to itself, but 
they are so constituted that neither can exist without the action 
and interaction of a certain proportion of each of the others. 

In order to create a normal and healthful condition of the 
organism, there must always be a due development of each of these 
systems, else incompetency, disease, and early decline will be the 
result. The system which is the first in the order of development 
of all organized life, and which is also the underlying or basilar 
system of man’s organism, is the Vegetative, and it lias, in common 
with the various growths of vegetable life, the functions of susten- 
tation, imbibition from the air and water (through the pores, in 
plants, and the month, in man), of reproduction, assimilation, 
absorption, secretion, excretion, respiration, circulation, and growth; 
but the Vegetative System gives no power for the expression of the 
phenomena of either thought or volition. Every plant, tree, vege¬ 
table, and shrub has the power of absorbing, excreting, and 
reproducing, circulating its sap and juices through its cells and 
tubes (and this by hydrostatic law and the law of gravitation). 

All the lower animals have the same powers and functions. 
Not until other systems of functions are superadded do we discover 
any capacity for volition or conscious sensation. It is true that 
the lowest animal organisms, such as the Amoeba, give indications 
of possessing a certain form of sensation, yet these are all in the 
vegetative condition. No organs for the expression of sensation, 
as we find it illustrated in higher animal organisms, have yet 
been evolved, and until these organs or systems of functions are 
added,—such, for example, as bones, muscles, and brain,—volition, 
sensation, and thought, in their most complete sense, are not 
present. The intelligent reader, who has followed the course of 
the evolution of man from the lowest organisms, or from the primi- 


62 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


tive human germ, will have observed the order in which the sev¬ 
eral systems of functions and their accompanying faculties of mind 
(as it is called) have evolved or developed. As Nature has indi¬ 
cated this order as her supreme law of progression, I shall endeavor, 
in the exposition of this system of physiognomy, to follow her 
methods, believing the laws of Nature to be divine and infallible. 
These laws, if allowed free scope, and not impeded by the ignor¬ 
ance or wilfulness of man, will always result in harmonious devel¬ 
opment and equilibrium. 

A study of the laws of natural progression shows that all 
organic life commences with the development of the functions of 
sustentation, reproduction, secretion, and excretion. Here, then, 
is the physical basis of organic as well as of mental life. 

In the first chapter I took for illustration the first develop¬ 
ments of Form and Character as shown in the mineral kingdom. 
In this, I shall continue the study by taking up, first, the consider¬ 
ation of the form, character, and the earliest appearances of cell- 
life in the organization of animal tissue or of animal bodies which 
have, like all vegetables and young animals, no object in life but 
to grow. It is probable that the first races of men were stomach 
men merely—that is to say, they lived in the lowest range of func¬ 
tions and faculties, viz., those of sustentation and reproduction, 
just as do the lowest races at the present time—and that the 
powers which assist man in his architectural and mathematical 
efforts were not developed at that stage of evolution to any appre¬ 
ciable extent, but were merely rudimcntarv. 

In elaborating my theory that “mind inheres in the entire 
organism” I shall quote from an able writer in order to show that 
all the basic elements and principles of Mind are present in the 
lowest or earliest forms of cell-organisms. These organic elements 
are characterized by the same properties that are exhibited by the 
most developed organisms. These properties are those of nutrition, 
reproduction, growth, development, and sometimes of motion and 
irritability, all ol which are present in the Amoeba , the most primi¬ 
tive of animal organisms. The extract hereto appended will explain 
the manner of development ol* primitive tissues which contribute 
to mental as well as to physiological power. It will also exhibit 
the dominance of the basic principles underlying all matter, viz., 
those of Chemistry, Architecture, and Mathematics:— 

THE STRUCTURE OF ORGANIZED BODIES. 

Chemical analysis has shown that all organized bodies are capable 
of resolution into simple chemical elements which in themselves do not 
differ from the elements out of which all matter is composed ; in other 
words, that the simple elements of which organized bodies are built up 


FIVE ORGAN SYSTEMS WHICH CREATE FORM AND CHARACTER. 63 


are universally distributed throughout Nature, and that no one element 
is peculiar to organized matter. The characteristic of organized bodies is 
therefore not to be found in any peculiarity of the matter of which they are 
composed, but in the manner in which the atoms composing that matter are 
grouped. In an inorganic body we are accustomed to attribute its chemical 
properties to the nature, number, and mode of association of its constituent 
elements, while its physical properties are attributable to the mode of 
arrangement of its molecules. 

Analysis of organized bodies shows that in them we have certain 
elements constantly present in certain definite proportions; it is therefore 
warrantable to assume that the chemical properties of organized bodies are, 
as in the case of inorganic matter, due to the number, nature, and mode of 
association of their elements. Further, we find in all organized living 
bodies a certain identity of physical properties ; it is, therefore, warrantable 
to assume that the physical processes seen in organized bodies are dependent 
on the mode of arrangement of their constituent molecules. The elements 
constantly associated in living matter are carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, hydro¬ 
gen, and sulphur, forming a complex combination, to which the term proto¬ 
plasm has been applied. This matter, protoplasm, whether found in the 
tissues of the highest animals or plants, or in the lowest, unicellular members 
of either kingdom, has always the same composition and is always possessed 
of nearly the same attributes; with 
the restriction that we have al¬ 
ready referred to, as to the differ¬ 
ence in functions possessed by 
animals and plants,—differences 
which will probably in the future 
be cleared up, and found not to 
be in contradiction to the state¬ 
ment that protoplasm is the uni¬ 
versal basis of organization. 

All organized bodies are built 
up of associations of masses of 
protoplasm, which from their ap¬ 
pearance are termed cells , or, from 
the functions which they fulfill, elementary organisms; and as the physical 
properties of inorganic matter are dependent on the arrangement of their 
molecules, so the physiological peculiarities of organized bodies are 
dependent on their cellular structure. 

Physiology is, therefore, the study of the properties of cells. Cells 
possess the properties of Nutrition, Reproduction, Growth, Development, 
and in many cases their contents are capable of Motion and manifesting 
Irritability. 

Microscopic examination teaches that every living object, from 
man down to the smallest animalcule invisible to the naked eye, from the 
largest tree down to the most microscopic plant, is built up on the same 
general plan. In each the same element of organization is found, and every 
living form is built up of associations of these microscopic units, each of 
which, even in the most complex forms of life may be regarded as separate 
individual organisms. 

The best known of such undifferentiated forms of cell-life is the 
amoeba, one of the simplest examples of an animal organism. 

In its lowest form the amoeba (Protamceba primitiva : Haeckel) consists 
of a mass of jelly-like, structureless, albuminoid substance (protoplasm), 
which, so far as its chemical composition and general attributes are con- 



Fig. 3.—a non - nucleated cell, the 
PROTAMCEBA PRIMITIVA. (After 
Haeckel.) 

A, original condition ; B. commencement of repro 
duction by fission; C, after complete separation. 


64 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


cerned, cannot be distinguished from the contents of all active forms of 
cells. (See Fig. 3.) The amoeba is capable of spontaneous motion, both as 
regards change of external form and of progressing from place to place. 
Motions may also be evoked by various stimuli; hence free protoplasm, in 
common with muscular fibre and ciliated organisms, is contractile. 

The peculiarity of protoplasmic motion as seen in the amoeba is that 
motion does not occur around a fixed point, but rather is a flowing motion, 
such as might occur in the particles of a fluid. Thus, in an amoeba the 
changes in form and location are effected through the thrusting out of lobe¬ 
like prolongations of the periphery (pseudopodia) and their subsequent 
withdrawal or the flowing into these extensions of the remainder of the 
body. 

Occasionally one or more of these pseudopodia become gradually more 
and more constricted, until finally a portion becomes entirely separated from 
the original mass, increases in size, and itself possesses all the properties 
of the parent stock; hence protoplasm is reproductive, and possesses the 
power of growth. Moreover, the movements of an amoeba are not neces¬ 
sarily the consequences of external stimuli, but may be self-originating; 
hence protoplasm is also automatic. If watched for some time an amoeba 
will often be seen to take into its interior by flowing around them small 
vegetable organisms, of which portions are dissolved and converted into 
the substance of its body, while the undigested remainder is extruded; 
therefore, protoplasm, even in the absence of all digestive organs, possesses 
the power of nutrition. The amoeba requires for its existence an atmos¬ 
phere of oxygen, which is absorbed, and which it again partly exhales as 
carbon dioxide. Protoplasm is, therefore, respiratory.* 


The above clear and explicit statement of cell-powers shows 
that the common basis of mind-organization is present in the 
simplest forms of organized life. In this phase of existence the 
animal appears to be stomach all over; formless, yet possessing all 
the possibilities of form; unorganized, yet exhibiting all the attri¬ 
butes of organization, viz., capacity for motion, reproduction, 
growth, secretion, excretion, respiration, and digestion. In this 
stage it seems to be a chemical compound, merely; the rudi¬ 
mentary stage of all organic life is mainly chemical, yet possessing 
as we have seen all the 66 potencies and possibilities ” of archi¬ 
tectural and mathematical development. The primitive germ of 
the human embryon is nothing more at its inception than a minute 
mass of non-nucleated protoplasm, yet possesses all the properties 
of mind which in its developed state may exhibit the transcendent 
genius of an Humboldt or a Newton. It is hence important that 
we should study the primitive origin of man, in order that we may 
comprehend the physical basis of his mind. It is to further this 
purpose that I have introduced the preceding description of the 
Amceba.f 


X f h y si ology of the Domestic Animals, Robert Meade Smith 
* ' A . stud / °{ embryology or of the evolution of man would be most * 

the student who desires a thorough knowledge of this most interesting n£ # g US 
development. My limits forbid further elaboration here.— The Author S Ph ° f mental 


FIVE ORGAN SYSTEMS WHICH CREATE FORM AND CHARACTER. 65 


The lowest animal organisms exist in and upon watery or 
fluid nutriment; and man in his embryonic state, while he is devel¬ 
oping from his protoplasmic condition, as well as for months after 
his birth, lives upon fluid nutriment. 

The native Australian is a fair sample of this stage of evolu¬ 
tion. Of course, the germs of all the five systems are present in 
the lowest types of man, but in this stage of development they 
lack both size and quality, and are not perfected as in perfected 
races. The other systems of functions, and many faculties now 
seen in combination with the vegetative, have been very largely 
perfected since, particularly the brain and nerve system, which is 



Fig. 4.—NATIVE AUSTRALIANS. (After D’Urville.) 

Showing absence of muscular tissue. 

» 

now in a more active state than ever before in the world’s history. 
From being a stomach race we are becoming a brain race. What 
evolution will do for us in the ages to come it is difficult to predict. 
The law of pregress is always from the lower to the higher, and 
surely we can say of human nature that it has need of higher 
growth or a higher development in quality. 

The next class of animals above the Amoeba is that of the 
Infusoria, also of microscopic proportions. Above these we find 
the Polyp (Fig. 5), a soft, round-bodied animal, that seems to be 
merely a gelatinous mass, yet with quite a distinct digestive appa¬ 
ratus in the form of a tube. These creatures multiply by what is 
termed gemmation or budding. They respire through the skin; 








































66 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


they have no blood-vessel system, but are supplied with a nourish¬ 
ing fluid analogous to the blood of higher animals. 

From this stage of animal life until we reach Amphibia, a 
class of animals which are capable of living both in water and on 
land, we find no true lung or perfected breathing apparatus. To 
be able to inhale air is the next great step in progressive develop¬ 
ment of animal powers, and in Amphibia we observe a development 
of both lung and heart power. The next stage of development 
is shown by an increase of the muscular system. This increased 
power is necessitated by a life on land, as the amphibious animals 
seek their food on land as well as in the water ; hence, they require 

more muscular power to enable them 
to gain a livelihood in both realms. 

A life in the open air under the 
direct rays of the sun causes the bony 
structure to become perfected. A life 
in the water exclusively gives to the 
hony structure a cartilaginous or soft 
condition. We find in the human and 
animal races that those classes that 
have led an outdoor life for generations, 
as, for example, farmers, laborers, etc., 
have the best-developed bony structure. 
The animals and birds that skulk and 
come out mainly at night have not so 
good a bony system as those that live 
in the open air exposed to the sun. 
Compare the tiger, the coon, the opos¬ 
sum, the polecat, and skunk, with the 
sheep, the goat, and dog, the owl with 
the sparrow-hawk, etc., and we shall 
have a \ei} good idea of what the sun can do in developing and 
perfecting a bony structure. 

In the plan ol progressive development in the lower animals 
we find that the order observed is as we have indicated: First, the 
vegetative functions, or the ability to eat, drink, respire, secrete, 
repioduce, and glow ; the next step is to breathe ; the next is the 
de^ elopment of the muscular system, then that of the osseous or 
bony system; later on, as we advance above the fish family, we 
find a beginning of a true brain system. Not until we arrive at 
t le 01 dei Mammalia do we find a perfected brain and nervous sys¬ 
tem, lepiesented first, in the several races of animals, both wild 
and domestic. This is the order which Nature unfolds, whether 
we look for it in her manifestations through the long ages of pro- 



Fig. 5.—A POLYP. (Much En¬ 
larged.) 

A simple animal organism. 




THE VEGETATIVE SYSTEM. 


67 


gressive development from the simple Amoeba up through fish, 
reptile, bird, and beast, to man, or whether we trace it through 
the embryonic life of the human being and find it written on man’s 
face, which is the register, if we read it scientifically, of all these 
changes and growths. The order above described I shall follow in 
my exposition of the five systems of functions. 


THE VEGETATIVE SYSTEM. 



We observe the signs for the action of the vegetative func¬ 
tions in the lower part of the face mainly, the signs for the devel¬ 
opment of the animal or motive functions and faculties in the 

middle range, and the highest por¬ 
tion of the physiognomy discloses 
the intuitional and the reasoning 
powers. Man’s face is truly a 


?IG. 6—VEGETATIVE INFANT. 


Fig. 7.—VEGETATIVE MAN. 


microcosm, or miniature world. How wonderful! How beautiful! 
How divine! It seems to me that religion can go no farther than 
to know the human face scientifically, and then to use this knowl¬ 
edge for race-improvement by intelligent and scientific methods. 

If the theory of the evolution of man had never been promul¬ 
gated, the human face read scientifically would have necessitated 
its promulgation, for the face of man proves the order of his de¬ 
velopment, and the course of embryonic life conoboiates the 
methods which have governed the gradual unfolding of all animal 
organisms, from the lowest to the highest. In the highest animal 
organization in the world, the first few years ol life aie passed with 








68 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


apparently no purpose but to assimilate nutriment ancl grow; 
these till out the infant years of the human race. The counte¬ 
nance in infancy is comparatively expressionless, the bony parts of 
the face and body are cartilaginous and scarcely perceptible owing 
to the amount of fatty tissue which the constant absorption ot 
liquid food has produced. What will eventually be bone is in an 
almost gelatinous state ; the glands are active and give a large 
quantity of juices which soften the tissue. The cheeks and chin 
are round, the nose small and depressed, the mouth large, the 
cheeks protuberant, the forehead small, narrow, rounding, and 
bulging at the centre. There is a sleepy look, with little inclina¬ 
tion to move. The infant while in this state may be said to be in 
the vegetative condition, that is to say, it assimilates food, it respires, 
it secretes, and grows. This is precisely what all vegetable life 
does, only vegetables never get beyond this stage. They never 
develop the powers of voluntary will and motion; these require 
bones and muscles. The entire existence of vegetables is passed 
in absorbing and growing, and these functions being common 
alike to plant and animal existence are named vegetative. 

If these functions and faculties remain dominant in adult life, 
then the individual is mainly vegetative, and although in the adult 
there are bones, muscles, and nerves, and other animal powers, 
still the individual thus built will be childlike as compared to those 
who possess more muscle and larger bones with less soft, fatty 
tissue. The judgment of this class in matters of literature, mathe¬ 
matics, and art will be defective, and the domestic faculties will be 
found in the ascendant. 

The vegetative adult is characterized by large mouth, small, 
depressed nose, globular cheeks and chin, slow motions, slow pulse, 
large abdomen, voracious appetite, love of liquid foods, and of 
sleep and ease, mind free from anxiety or care, and apparent 
deficiency of capacity for mental effort except in the most limited 
degree. This class of persons is found generally with the mouth 
open and the eyes shut, and this is in accord with the principles 
upon which they are built. The stomach in this sort being more 
capacious than the intellect, they naturally put themselves in a 
position to favor their dominant powers. By keeping the eyes 
closed the individual is able to shut out sights which might cause 
ideas, and as thought is foreign to his nature and eating the highest 
enjoyment, he is by this attitude in a condition to favor the pecu¬ 
liarities of his structure. 

As it is a law of human nature that we are inclined to use 
the faculties and functions which are most developed or strongest 
in us, those with this formation will be inclined to gluttony and to 


THE VEGETATIVE SYSTEM. 


69 


the diseases which an overcharged system engenders. These are 
shown by dropsical tendencies, rheumatism, scrofula, gout, tumorous 
growths, fatty degeneration of the heart, liver, and kidneys, apo¬ 
plexy, inflammations, and fevers. The character is unambitious, 
indolent, contented, lacking in integrity and enterprise, selfish in 
its enjoyments, and only willing to give after being fully satisfied 
itself. Fortunately for the world, there are in it very few of this 
class of individuals. 

We often meet with men of eminent talent who have a large 
degree of the vegetative system, but who have inherited with it a 
fine and large brain system and well-developed hones and muscles. 
Among this class I may mention Ilurne and Gibbon, the historians ; 
Dumas, the novelist; Samuel Johnson, the philologist; and Ark¬ 
wright, the eminent inventor. Robert Ingersoll is also a representa¬ 
tive of this combination. These men, by reason of their having 
such a great store of vitality as the vegetative system yields, were 
enabled to perform immense mental labor. This formation gives 
the power and warmth necessary to sustain great mental effort by 
reason of the juices which the glands secrete and absorb from the 
large quantity of nutriment taken into the stomach. Food of the 
liquid sort is especially desired by persons with the vegetative 
system large. 

This system and formation can be made a useful and normal 
one by using hygienic measures: First, by taking less sleep and on 
a hard bed, then by restraining the appetite in eating, and espe¬ 
cially in drinking, by avoiding carbonaceous foods, such as white 
flour, sugar, eggs, potatoes, butter, milk, beer, and spirits, drinking 
water only and sparingly. By thus doing in a short time the ex¬ 
cess of fat will disappear, the mind will become clearer, the indi¬ 
vidual will, by reason of the increased activity of the liver and 
lungs, grow more active, more unselfish and thoughtful of others. 
Especially should the society of active, bright people be cultivated, 
as we all are more influenced by association with others than we 
are aware of or are willing to allow. 

The illustrations Figs. 6 and 7 are perfect types of the vege¬ 
tative class, with but a small development of the bony or muscular 
systems. The man is a sort of human polyp or human cabbage; 
yet such persons can, by a persevering application of hygienic laws, 
develop a fairly useful organization. The infant illustrates the 
normal condition of the infant, which is the vegetative. 

In the lower animal world we find that the upward progress 
of the organism was caused mainly by the evolution of a breathing 
apparatus. The power to inhale air was a great step forward, 
and the order of the development of animal organs is precisely the 


70 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


same as that which the human animal observes in his progress to 
perfected manhood. Ernst Haeckel tells us, in his celebiated 

work on evolution:— 

Man, in his embryonic life, passes through all the various stages of 
progress and development which the lower organisms pass through in their 
evolution from the merely vegetative existence to the highest degree ot 
sensation attained by animal organisms.* 

At his birth he possesses all the functions and faculties which 
characterize all vegetable and animal organisms, with the addition 
of a higher grade of intellectual apprehension and with more per¬ 
fected and sensitive members and faculties, These are arranged 
in the body in the exact order in which they have evolved from 
the lower organisms—the vegetative functions occupying the lower 
portion of the trunk, and the brain, the latest organ to become 
developed, the highest portion of the body. In the human face 
the signs indicating these several organs and functions with their 
accompanying faculties will be found to follow precisely the same 
plan. 

A good proportion of the vegetative system is essential to 
health, and those who are lacking in the right proportion of it 
suffer from dyspepsia, nervousness, sleeplessness and consumption. 
What is required to make a well-balanced individual is equilibrium 
in the several functions, and this law of equilibrium is universal, 
controlling and regulating all created things. It is the law which 
keeps the planets in motion, and holds them true to their orbits. 

Some of the finest traits are evolved from the vegetative system; 
the domestic and social here find their origin. If we wish to lead 
happy, healthy, and moral lives, we must seek to obtain a fair share 
of this system, and then keep it in repair by applying hygienic 
law to its conservation; yet an excess must be avoided, unless we 
wish to sink to the level of a mere vegetable existence. 

The vegetative system will always play an important part in 
the human economy. It is the base of many fine traits of character 
as well as being the sustaining power of the organism. The 
absence of a due admixture of this system produces an impoverished 
body and a mind devoid of many beautiful and useful traits. 
Friendship, Approbativeness, Parental Love, and Amativeness are 
directly related to this system and are all sustained by its develop¬ 
ment and action. 

The signs for the following organ systems are within the 
chemical or vegetative division: The intestines, the kidneys, the 
glands, and reproductive system. Their action is chemical mainly 
and does not involve the action of the muscles or bones, except as 

* Evolution of Man, Ernst Haeckel, vol. ii, p. 5> 


THE THORACIC SYSTEM. 


71 


a secondary cause. The faculties derived from the development 
and functional action ol these organs are Conscientiousness, Firm¬ 
ness, Digestion, Bibativeness, Love of Young, Benevolence, Self¬ 
esteem, 1 riendship, Amativeness, Mirthfulness, Approbativeness, 
Economy, Hospitality, Love of Home and of Country. 

The vegetative system shows all the functions and faculties 
which are dominant in childhood, and the physiognomies of all 
children, if they are healthy, exhibit a larger development of these 
signs than of other divisions where the signs of the Mechanical, 
Artistic, and Mathematical powers are located. 

The three grand natural divisions of the face, by the very 
order of their arrangement and locality, indicate the order of pro¬ 
gressive growth and development of the body and mind. First, 
the vegetative system, which is supreme in childhood; afterward, 
the mechanical faculties assert their dawning powers just in the 
ratio that the bones and muscles strengthen; and when children 
commence to understand the use and management of material sub¬ 
stances, they can become expert in light manual labor, both artistic 
and mechanical. Later in life, the brain becomes more mature 
and pure abstract reason dominates all the previous developments, 
and mechanical calculation serves also to assist mental processes. 

The faculty of Conscientiousness is located in the chemical or 
underlying system, proving conclusively that morality commences 
in the physical basis ,—just where it should, to be of the greatest 
value to the organism. If a cultivated and quickened moral sense 
were brought to bear upon all the faculties and functions of this 
division of the human organism, many of the sins and evils affect¬ 
ing the human family would be unknown. A judicious mingling 
of this system with a suitable proportion of the other systems of 
the organism creates health and happiness; how to accomplish 
this result will be shown as we proceed to investigate the science 
of physiognomy. This system constitutes the chemical division 
of the body and mind; the faculties set in action by its laws are 
mainly chemical in their operation. 

Architectural Division. 

THE THORACIC SYSTEM. 

The thoracic system is located in the highest portion of the 
trunk, and contains the organs of respiration and circulation, the 
heart and lungs, as well as the liver, which is an active agent in 
purifying the blood that has been created by the assimilation of 
nutriment in the intestines and glands. The blood is poured into 
the heart through the thoracic duct; from the heart it is carried to 


72 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


the lungs by the pulmonary artery. This system therefore includes 
the heart, liver, and lungs, together with the several ducts, veins, 
arteries, and tubes comprised in its action. These physical func¬ 
tions give rise to the following faculties: Pneumativeness, Hope, 
Analysis, and Color, and exert an influence upon Human Nature, 
Imitation, and Sublimity. 

The Architectural Division has three subdivisions. One is 
composed of the heart, liver, and lungs; the second, of the muscles, 
including the stomach, which is a muscular organ; and the third, 
the osseous or bony system. Each of these organ systems origi¬ 
nate a different class of mental efforts. 

The outward facial sign for the lungs is, of course, the nostrils, 
as it is through these organs that we are enabled to respire. The 

facial sign for the heart is also the 
nostrils, as well as bright color of the 
complexion. The heart and lungs 
being correlated organs, they mu¬ 
tually condition each other; hence 
large nostrils are indicative of good 
heart and lung power. A predom¬ 
inance of the thoracic system is 
known by large rounding chest, wide 
nostrils, rather high cheek-bones, full 
throat, bright eyes, and elastic step, 
while the abdomen and brain are com¬ 
paratively small. The greyhound is 
a fine illustration of this system, also 
the various deer tribes. This system 
in its highest manifestation shows that 
the aeration of the blood is performed 
on a large scale, inducing buoyancy 
of spirits, quickness and clearness of apprehension, ambition, 
hope, and progressive mentality. It causes the individual to be 
cheerful, happy and pure-minded, owing to the large quantity of 
oxygen taken into the system and the purifying effect which a 
large heart, liver, and lungs give to the whole organism. 

History abounds in the record of men with large thoracic de¬ 
velopment and small brains, who have made of life a brilliant suc¬ 
cess, but it is almost void of those possessed of small lungs and 
large brains. Pioneers, discoverers, warriors, orators, and aggres¬ 
sive people in thought and action the world Qver will be found 
within this class. Where this system is well marked, the indi¬ 
vidual will be fond of outdoor sports and pursuits, quick at appre¬ 
hending everything perceived, and as quick to drop it. This 



Fig. 8.—THOMAS H. BENTON. 
(United States Senator.) 


Thoracic System dominant. 


THE THORACIC SYSTEM. 


73 


peculiarity causes them to excel in pioneering and geographical 
discovery, and in all pursuits where great activity and constant 
motion is required. 

Children of this formation of body are restless, eager, and 
apt, but dislike close and continuous study and dull routine and 
drudgery, and will run from it if pressed too closely. This class 
will make better students later in life, and study better after thirty 
years of age, yet will pick up and store away thousands of useful 
facts, apparently without effort, in childhood. They will excel in 
outdoor pursuits and enjoy outdoor labor even in early life. It is 
cruel to compel them to study closely and continuously in youth. 
The study of the sciences is natural to them. This class of per¬ 
sons (with a suitable brain system in addition) can become 
botanists, orchardists, navigators, naturalists, stock-breeders, geolo¬ 
gists, hygienists, and succeed in similar occupations. By follow¬ 
ing these pursuits, their health, happiness, and usefulness will be 
promoted. 

People of this type make cheerful and safe companions, for, 
as their organisms are filled with the oxygen and ozone of the 
atmosphere, their moral sense and purity of mind are stronger than 
in weaker developments of the thoracic system. They are also, as 
a rule, high-minded, filled with noble and philanthropic ideas, or 
ambitious to hold prominent and distinguished positions in society. 

Persons with large lungs become poisoned with noxious air 
sooner than do those with small lungs. The reason of this is owing 
to the greater quantity of bad air which is inhaled in a given time. 
A large development of the thoracic system engenders a cheerful, 
sportive, ardent, courageous, and magnanimous disposition, and 
those who inherit and conserve this system will retain their youth¬ 
ful feeling and vivacity to an advanced age; hence it is that w^e 
find in the countenances of many aged persons a fine complexion, 
skin of a fine, soft texture, and but few wrinkles, as compared 
with others w^ho do not possess as large a development of the 
thorax. 

Among the eminent persons who have been endowed with a 
fine thoracic system, I may mention Julius Crnsar, Cicero, Well¬ 
ington, Cromwell, Bonaparte, Patrick Henry, William Pitt, Henry 
Clay, and many other well-known warriors and orators. 

The diseases which assail this system are acute and inflamma¬ 
tory, such as pneumonia, pleurisy, cerebral and pulmonary con¬ 
sumption, rupture of the heart, hypertrophy of the left ventricle 
of the heart, and inflammation of the lungs. These disorders 
are caused by the intense activity of this system. It is a law of 
human nature that we love to use most our strongest faculties. 




74 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Hence, those persons possessing a large thoracic system are apt to 
be too energetic, and to consume their vital forces by undue use of 
them. Such persons should avoid exciting scenes and all kinds of 
commotions in which the emotions take a leading part. They 
should live on some simple vegetable diet, sleep much, and pursue 
a steady unexciting occupation. 

Those who inherit a feeble development of the thorax should 
live in hilly regions, engage in walking, running, boating, horse¬ 
back exercise, and gymnastics, especially those which develop the 
upper part of the body. It is a circumstance worth noting that 
all the high-flying birds have larger lungs relatively than those 
that remain in marshes and fly low. The bones of the former are 
permeated with air-cells which contain air, and thus their flight 
is assisted by their frame being lightened by this peculiarity of 
construction. 

All those races of men and animals that inhabit mountainous 
regions have larger thoracic systems than those who dwell in 
the plains. Naturalists tell us that fishes inhabiting mountain 
streams have larger air-vessels than those found in other waters, 
and the reason of it is that the atmosphere in those regions is rarer 
or more attenuated, hence the lungs are compelled to respire more 
in order to get the same quantity of air. Persons with small or 
weak lungs will find it advantageous to inhale the atmosphere of 
the hills, because it induces activity of the lungs and heart, and 
this causes a demand for more blood. The appetite, under the 
stimulus of this atmosphere will call for more food, the digestive 
processes will derive more nourishment from the aliment consumed, 
and thus the entire system will become invigorated by the improved 
quantity and quality of the air, while the lungs will be compelled 
to greater activity; and, as use increases capacity, many persons 
who have inherited weak lungs have been benefited and almost 
renewed by early change from low to higher altitudes. Thus much 
will capacity for and a full supply of pure air do for the individual. 

A system of ventilation for public buildings and homes is the 
greatest necessity of the present age. We cannot expect pure- 
minded, noble characters to thrive and expand in close, ill-smell¬ 
ing, noxious dwellings. If we desire moral men and women, and 
those who are truly religious, our systems of drainage, sewerage, 
ventilation, and water supply will have to be amended before such 
result can be secured ; for any system of Theology or Ethics which 
does not include Natural Law as its ruling principle will create no 
improved types of the human family, and will only succeed in pro¬ 
ducing a class of theoretic sentimentalists, without the power to be 
either pure-minded , noble , or truly religious. Fresh air, pure 


THE MUSCULAR SYSTEM. 


75 


water, bathing, hygienic diet, and self-control, used according to 
law, contain all the fundamental principles of true religion, and 
will advance civilization to grander heights of purity, morality, and 
truth than all the dogmatic theories of centuries. Pure water and 
pure air are the first necessities of life, and must be obtained if a 
fine development of the thoracic system is desired. 

THE MUSCULAR SYSTEM. 

The next system in the order of development or evolution is 
the Muscular. It is in the Architectural Division, and assists for¬ 
mative effort of every kind whatsoever, whether literary, artistic, 
mechanical, or in the rebuilding of the human race. In analyzing 
the salient points of features 
of the Muscular System and 
Form, we must make a dis¬ 
tinction between muscle and 
fat, as these two classes of 
tissues create and exhibit two 
distinct and opposite kinds of 
character. The predominance 
of the Muscular System is 
known by a rather broad form, 
with well-developed muscles 
and tendons; quick, elastic 
step; shoulders broad in pro¬ 
portion to the body; rather 
low or high and rounding 
forehead; the nose rather short 
and broad; full convex eye; 
round, short ears; short, thick neck, with a tendency to develop 
long, perpendicular wrinkles on the face. 

Writers of works on physiology and anatomy arrange the 
muscles into two general divisions, viz, the voluntary and the 
involuntary; but scientific physiognomy finds it necessary to take 
cognizance of and describe every formation which the muscles may 
assume, in the outward conformation of the human body. The six 
classes of muscles which we are obliged to take into consideration 
in the reading of character are as follow:— 

Straight muscles. Round muscles. Long muscles. 

Crooked muscles. Thin muscles. Short muscles. 

Combinations of these produce the following forms:— 

Round and long forms. Thin and short forms. 

Round and short forms. Crooked and thin forms. 

Thin and long forms. Crooked and round forms. 





Fig. 9.—HERR FLEISCHMAN. 
(German Artist.) 

Muscular System supreme. 


76 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


The two divisions which are made by anatomists are termed 
the 44 Voluntary” and the 44 Involuntary.” The voluntary muscles 
are those which are moved by the will and are the muscles involved 
in motion, such as the muscles of the arms, legs, trunk, and face. 
These are moved whenever the individual desires, and are the 
muscles of motion. The involuntary muscles are those which 
move automatically and are not controlled by the will or wish 
of man. These muscles are the large organs of the viscera, com¬ 
posed of fibrous material, and are moved by inward motions pro¬ 
duced by the circulation of the air and the periodic movements of 
the heart, and the involuntary contractions of the stomach in 
digestion; hence the heart, lungs, and stomach are involuntary 
muscles, together with the valves of the veins and the several 
septums of the heart and other organs. The muscles of the larynx 
belong to a mixed class. In the production of sound they are 
wholly under the control of the will and are then voluntary; but 
in deglutition and respiration they are spasmodic and automatic, 
and are then involuntary. 

A minute description of all these combinations is unnecessary 
for the general reader. Those who design becoming teachers and 
examiners can refer to the rules laid down for the 44 Basic Principles 
of Form,” and apply those principles to the combination which they 
have under consideration. After learning the sort of character 
exhibited by the straight, the crooked, the round, the thin, the long 
muscles, etc., he can, upon observing any given combination in a 
character, make such observations upon it as the basic rules of 
Form declare to be correct. 

The combination of muscles which are most commonly 
exhibited are the short and round, and the long and thin; yet they 
are sometimes found mingled in just the opposite manner, and 
then they point to characteristics easily understood by those who 
learn the principles upon which they act and the kind of character 
which each simple uncombined sort discloses. Those with short 
and round muscles have relatively broad and short figures, with 
thick chests, broad shoulders, thick neck; low, broad heads, and 
particularly broad above the ears; the joints small and well covered; 
the fingers tapering and nails oval; the feet short and thick, with 
high instep; the forehead broad and rounding outwardly at the sides 
and rising in an almost straight line from the eyebrows upward. 
The face is round or oval, cheeks full, nose round, eyes large and 
convex, chin often dimpled, hands and feet small, and the limbs 
short, round, and tapering. The functions most active in this class 
■are those of digestion, circulation, and motion, and the heart, lungs, 
and stomach are strong and large. The mental constitution dis- 


THE MUSCULAR SYSTEM. 


77 


inclines to study, for love of motion here works against close 
application to books. 

The predominance of the vital organs, as shown by the strong 
development and action of the muscular organs, the heart, the 
lungs, the stomach, the reproductive system, and veins, gives great 
muscular strength, love of eating and drinking, social enjoyments, 
athletics, music, dancing, etc., and love of the opposite sex, animals 
and children. This type of character is inclined to commercial 
business and speculation, contracting, brokerage, and all classes 
ol trades which bring in the social element and allow of motion 
without hard labor. The noted Jim Fisk, of Erie Railroad 
notoriety, is a good specimen of this class. Those with a good 
brain development in combination will exhibit capacity for surgery 
and military life. Napoleon I illustrates this combination. The 
army includes many surgeons of this build. 

Where the muscles are of the long and thin type, the character 
has less of the aggressive and more of the sentimental cast, owing 
to the fact that the internal viscera are relatively less round and 
the motor muscles longer and thinner than in the former class. 
This difference in muscular structure shows in the face in several 
ways. The face is relatively long and the chin oval. The nose 
is higher, thinner, and longer than with the former, the cheeks not 
so full and round, and the eye, although as large and round, not 
as convex or full as the above. The affcctional and intuitional 
traits are well developed; yet the sentiment of love of the opposite 
sex and of children will exhibit itself in a more refined manner, 
and the commercial instinct will not be so pronounced as with the 
former. The head rather high and narrow, the limbs and body 
long, the joints, knuckles, etc., appear rather prominent, the bones 
of the fingers pronounced, and the body lithe and flexible. Men¬ 
tally, this build will have capacity for some form of art, will enjoy 
domestic ties and possess true conjugal feeling, sincere friendship, 
and, with a suitable brain-formation, will be inclined to languages, 
belles-lettres, and metaphysical studies. 

These two different and distinct formations are so often met 
with and so thoroughly described as to make it quite easy for the 
reader to give the delineation correctly. Where certain variations 
are observed, as, for example, if the combination presented should 
be round and long, some of the characteristics common to each 
of these forms will be present; or, if the combination should present 
the thin and short type, or the crooked and round, or the thin and 
crooked, which is rare, the reader has only to apply the general 
law governing the two distinct forms of muscle. 

The many and varied expressions of the human face are due 


78 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


to the action of a great number of muscles; there are found in the 
face thirty-six pairs and two single muscles, and in the body more 
than five hundred. The eye contains more muscles, more active 
ones, and those which express more thought, than those of any 
other part of the body; hence the eye, being a mass ol muscles, is 
the facial exponent of the muscular system. When we desire to 
know the muscular development of an individual, we can safely 
trust to the eye for our knowledge. The larger, more convex, and 
deeper colored the eye, the greater the degree of strength in the 
muscular system. Small or depressed eyes with sunken orbits 
always denote less muscular power than large full eyes, and pale- 
colored eyes indicate less vigor than well-colored ones. A com¬ 
parison of the eyes of all muscular animals is one proof of this 
statement. Examine the eyes of the deer tribes, the gazelle, 
springbok, hare, rabbit, etc. In all these creatures the muscular 
predominates over the osseous or bony system. The bull is an 
example of great muscular power, as well as the bull-dog, and 
both have great convex eyes. Light-colored eyes do not denote 
as much vigor of the muscles as dark eyes, but this branch of the 
subject will be considered under the head of Color. 

All eminent artists, actors, singers, musicians and sculptors 
are endowed with a fine quality of muscle. Observation of their 
physiognomies will reveal the fact that they have large bright eyes. 
The nature of their professions requires a fine as well as strong 
muscular system. Inasmuch as all parts of the organism involved 
in the production and reception of tone or sound are in the 
muscular system, it follows logically that we should look to that 
department of the body for capacity in this direction. The vocal 
cords, the larynx, the tongue, the lips, as well as the ear, are all 
engaged in the production and reception of tone or sound. In 
artistic works, such as acting, painting, and sculpture, the muscle 
must be in excess in order to take command of the hones ; hence 
we find that nearly all artists are round-built persons. They are 
lithe and elastic like muscle itself. 

In speaking of artists as muscular persons, it might seem to 
the unobservant that this is incorrect, since a muscular person is 
usually thought of as being developed like an athlete or black¬ 
smith. Now, size of muscle is not the only indication of power, 
for we know that horses training for racing are exercised with a 
view of decreasing the size of the muscles in order to make them 
more dense and firm ; in short, to improve their quality. Quality 
is the dominating principle all through Nature. 

Many large men are weaker than some much inferior in size. 
It is the inherited quality which first gives superior power; after- 


THE MUSCULAR SYSTEM. 


79 


ward exercise must keep up the natural tone and vigor of the 
system. The muscles of a dwarf might dominate his bony system, 
I should then classify him among muscular men. 

Observation of the faces and forms of all eminent artists will 
give all the proof needed on this point. It will be seen that they 
possess large, wide-open eyes with arched eyebrows, the bones 
small at the joints and the fingers tapering—every part and mem¬ 
ber disclosing a rounder appearance than where the bony system 
predominates. For when Nature creates an artist the hands and 
feet are those of an artist, and agree with the shape of the head, 
the face, and body; all alike are artistic, and the physiognomist is 
able to discern this character in the hands and fingers, in the shape 
of the finger-nails, as well as in the features of the face and round¬ 
ness of the bodv. 

%) 

The following description of the various powers of the muscles 
in the human organism will give some idea of the mechanical and 
artistic principles included in the action of the muscular system. 
The human body combines within itself almost all the principles 
of natural mechanical forces; for instance, the arch in the thorax, 
shoulder, and hip; the different lever powers in the action of the 
muscles upon the bones, one principle of which is well illustrated 
in the action of the biceps muscle in flexing the arm; so, also, in 
the flexors generally, namely, that in which the force is applied 
between the weight and the fulcrum. Second, the action of the 
triceps muscles on the ulna in extending the forearm is an instance 
of a lever power where the fulcrum is between the force and the 
weight. Third, the example of a lever applied to a weight between 
the fulcrum and the force may be seen in the action of the abductus 
magnus muscle of the thigh in abducting the femur. The differ¬ 
ent joints are well illustrated in the ball-and-socket joint in the 
hip and shoulder; the hinge-joint in the elbow, ankle, and knee. 
We have also joints with lateral motions as well as with flexion 
and extension, in the wrist; a joint with a gliding motion, as in 
the temporo-maxillary and sterno-clavicular articulations. Then 
we have the mixed joints, as in the articulation of the sacrum to 
the iliac bones in the vertebrae, and in the immovable joints, such 
as the sutures, etc. We have also the different principles of valves 
in the heart and veins, and in the pylorus between the stomach 
and the duodenum, and the representation of a pulley in the action 
of the superior oblique muscle in rotating the eye. 

These are some of the mechanical forces which inhere in and 
regulate the several parts of the muscular system ; other principles 
will be shown in other systems of the body as we reach them in 
their proper order. 


80 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


The action of the muscular system gives ability for artistic, 
emotional, literary, religious, and executive effort. I he faculties 
that have signs located in this division and that depend mainly 
upon the muscles for their power, are the following, viz., Cautious¬ 
ness, Sanativeness, Force, Resistance, Secretiveness, Imitation, 
Sublimity, Human Nature, Constructiveness, Acquisitiveness, Ven¬ 
eration, Self-will, Credenciveness, Prescience, Observation, Memory 
of Events, Weight, Calculation, Locality, Music, and Language. 

Magnetism is a force belonging exclusively to the muscular 
system. The most magnetic orators and those persons endowed 
with power to heal through magnetism are very muscular, and 
have either size or fine quality of the muscles or both combined. 
The animals that exhibit magnetic power are also muscular. I 
suppose that the mineral constituents of muscle must be those 
which create magnetism. But this branch of science—histology— 
is yet in its infancy, and it is hoped that further experiment will 
give us more accurate demonstration of the laws and principles 
governing animal magnetism and its uses. 

From the preceding exhibit of the varied powers of muscular 
action, it will be seen that this system belongs to the Architectural 
Division of the organization, and, in combination with the osseous 
or bony system, which will next be treated of, constitutes the 
building powers and capacities of man. Individuals in whom 
these two systems are well defined are constructive, often artistic, 
religious, emotional, and amative, and, with a suitable brain in 
combination, excel in literature as novelists, actors, dramatic 
writers, etc. Many highly emotionally-religious persons are found 
to be endowed with a fine quality of muscle. It does not follow 
that they are moral, also. Emotion in excess is opposed to morality; 
yet at the same time it assists ardor, zeal, faith, and imagination. 
In those races that exhibit the most Credenciveness—that is to say, 
the most faith and belief—there will be found the predominance 
of the muscular over the bony system, as, for example, in the 
Hebrew, the Turk, the Persian, the Arabian, the Mongol, the 
Celt, and the Hindoo; and what is true of races applies with 
equal force to individuals. Those in whom this system predomi¬ 
nates are apt to be contrary (not obstinate), changeable, and shifting 
in moods and tempers, affectionate and amative, with plenty of 
physical courage, adepts in commercial life and in mystic religions, 
preferring one in which faith is a leading principle. They make 
good companions in marriage, as domesticity is one of their ruling 
tastes, are also social, fond of gay, sportive companions and 
athletic pursuits, enjoy bathing and swimming and liquid foods, 
such as soups, milk, soda, lemonade, etc. However, they should 



THE MUSCULAR SYSTEM. 


81 


never indulge in intoxicants, as, having great power of assimilation, 
strong liquors will cause them to become dangerous and destructive. 

The diseases which assail the muscular system are derange¬ 
ments of the liver, acute rheumatism, dumb ague, bilious colic, 
cramps, softening of the brain, muscular exhaustion, and valvular 
disease of the heart,—all consequent on too great exercise or 
emotion, to which the system is liable. 

An early training in morality and the rights of others is highly 
essential, for suffering, disgrace, and an early death often follow the 
unrestricted indulgence of the temper and the tastes which accom¬ 
pany this system—where it is greatly in the ascendant. 

The most eminent men of ancient and modern times have 
been noted for a fine development of the muscular system. In 
ancient Greece the Isthmian, Nemean, and Olympian games were 
national, and large numbers of the citizens trained for the periodi¬ 
cal exhibition of* athletic sports. Even the women and children 
had their own gymnasia and baths, and at no time in the world’s 
history has the human figure, particularly the female figure, attained 
such perfection as in ancient Greece. A close observation of the 
statues of the classic sculptors will disclose the development of 
certain muscles about the female waist and abdomen which are not 
to be found in the modern woman. The disuse of these muscles 
has caused an atrophy or shrinking of them, and modern women 
are, without exception, born with waists too small, and entirely 
changed from the normal type and standard. The lines of the 
body should curve outward from the bust to the hips. In modem 
women this form is completely reversed. 

The more we investigate man physiologically, the more is the 
conclusion forced upon us that the dominant systems of man’s or¬ 
ganism control and guide his acts and capacities. It was by ignor¬ 
ing the investigation of man’s physical powers and functions that 
we were so long deprived of a practical method of studying the 
mind of man. But the instrumentalities for such research were 
not in existence until recently, as, for example, the microscope and 
chemical discoveries. A complete revolution in the science of 
Human Nature must ensue before we can comprehend the motives 
and character of man. Herbert Spencer, in his essay on education, 
remarks:— 

Without acquaintance with the general truths of biology and psy¬ 
chology, rational interpretation of social phenomena is impossible. 

And he also says:— 

The actions of individuals depend upon the laws of their natures, and 
their actions cannot be understood until these laws are understood. 


82 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Now, the theories of the ancient metaphysicians were not 
founded on an intimate knowledge of either physiology or the laws 
of mind, as revealed by investigation ol either bony, muscular, or 
brain and nerve systems. They were most of them simply specu¬ 
lative theories which had no basis in fact and no foundation in 
reality. They were like the loves ol the poets,—creatures ol the 
imagination merely. 

If we desire to advance in exact knowledge of real human 
nature we must cast out the ancient dogmas, which, venerable as 
they may be, are untrustworthy. We must, instead, interrogate 
Nature face to face. First learn the facts, then manufacture the 
theory in accordance therewith. Formerly, the method was to con¬ 
struct an abstruse theory couched in incomprehensible terms, and 
let the facts shift for themselves. Then the necessity for faith and 
belief arose, and was at one time considered the crowning virtue 
of human character. Now, childish credulity is looked upon in 
adults with a pitying eye, and we feel both sorrow and contempt 
for him who is too weak or too cowardly to grapple with the truths 
of Nature lest they overthrow some time-honored error which he 
is cherishing. 

Fortunately, some eminent theologians have recognized this 
fact, and have boldly entered the arena of discussion. 

When we wish to understand the emotions which play so im¬ 
portant a part in the drama of life we must look to the physio¬ 
logical and anatomical development of individuals and races, for it 
is to the muscular system mainly that we are indebted for the power 
to manifest will, emotion, and expression, both of the face and 
body. The great number and variety of the muscles of the face 
alone, where expression is most manifest, will vouch for the truth 
of this statement. The eye alone expresses more feeling, will, 
mental energy and capacity than all the other muscles combined. 
I do not say that it performs more labor, but that it expresses more 
of the physical and mental characteristics of the individual than 
any other portion of the muscular system, and the reason why it 
does this is explained by the fact that the eye is a mass of muscles. 
Added to this power is the fact that the optic nerve also finds its 
centre and seat here. The eye not onlv brings the world into the 
mind of the individual, but also shows to the world the will of the 
man as he stands revealed before our gaze. The muscles of the 
eye and the optic nerve bring to us the bulk of the knowledge 
which we acquire. It is true that we can feel heat and cold; we 
can taste, smell, hear, and touch without the use of our visual 
organs, but the world of form, of architecture, is unknown without 
this sense. The sense of color and the knowledge of form bring 


THE OSSEOUS OR BONY SYSTEM. 


83 


to us our most useful and practical acquirements, and to the use 
of the muscular system are we indebted for much that is practical 
and necessary; hence, the importance of endowing our offspring 
with a good share of this system. It is a fine inheritance to leave 
them. It can be improved by food and exercise, rightly applied, 
and those who make gymnastic exercises a daily duty and pleasure 
are laying up a store of goodness, which, whether they desire it or 
not, will be transmitted to future generations, and 44 thus do our 
deeds follow us.” 

When we examine the nature of muscle we find that although 
it is powerful in expressing emotions , it is wanting in feeling, in 
sensitiveness. Hence we find that muscular people, although able 
to express emotion, have very little of that keenness of sensation 
which those have who are endowed with a fine nervous organiza¬ 
tion. Emotion is not sensation, and thus it is that often those who 
seem to feel the most, in reality feel the least. If one could cut a 
muscle without striking a nerve there would be little, if any, feel¬ 
ing experienced. It is only by analyzing the constituents and 
nature of the several systems in the body that we are able to give 
to each its own appropriate share of work. 

This method enables us to relieve the brain of a large share 
of the labor which former theories of the mind have ascribed to it. 
Hitherto it has been a poor overworked organ. If the brain is 
capable of all the labor which has been assigned to it by meta¬ 
physicians, of what use, I ask, are the several ganglia, the plexuses, 
the muscles, and the visceral organs 1 We must either divide the 
labor equitably or declare the utter inability of the last mentioned 
to assist mental manifestations. 

• • 

THE OSSEOUS OR BONY SYSTEM. 

Observation of the order of progressive development in the 
lower animals shows that a perfected bony system was the result 
of life upon land and in the open air. As soon as the Amphibia 
had ceased their life in the water, a race of animals was evolved 
from them which, instead of using air-vessels for the purposes of 
respiration, developed a true lung system that was no longer suited 
to life in the water. This necessitated a great many other changes 
in the anatomy and physiology of animal life. A heart and blood¬ 
vessel system became necessary, as the lungs and heart are corre¬ 
lated and essential to the existence of each other. A strong and 
true bony system became also a necessity in place of the cartilagi¬ 
nous one of the fish tribes. This strong bony system was needed 
to which to attach the muscles, as life on the land required a 
better muscular system for purposes of locomotion and for the 


84 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

getting of food. Accordingly we find that the order observed in 
the lowest forms of animal development, as shown by geology and 
evolution, was in the following manner: First , the chemical or 
vegetative; second , the thoracic or breathing power, t in ,» e 
evolution of the muscular system; fourth , the bony system; fifth, 
the perfected brain and nerve system. All through these various 
growths and developments (which doubtless took millions o ^eais 
to complete) the brain and nervous system had gradually developed. 
As each animal organism took on a more and moie comp ex 
organization, a more complex nervous system and larger brain was 
necessitated. When muscles were developed, as we find in the 
body and legs of Amphibia, the intelligence essential to their use 

was evolved simultaneously. When the bony system became per¬ 
fected, a higher quality of cerebral 
power was exhibited. The per¬ 
fecting of a true bony system 
marked a great advance in the 
animal, not only by reason of the 
substantial quality of the con¬ 
stituents which enter into its com¬ 
position, but when an organism 
lias arisen to the grade of devel¬ 
opment which is marked by the 
possession of a perfected osseous 
system we find that there is a 
higher quality of both body and 
mind, as we shall learn later on. 

But we do not find the high¬ 
est degree of mental power until 
we reach the order Mammalia, 
which is endowed with a more perfect reproductive system as 
compared with the lower methods of reproduction, viz., by fission, 
gemmation or egg-multiplication. The higher and more complex 
method of mammal reproduction demands more intelligence in 
the rearing of the young and for the getting of food and other 
purposes of the animal. 

Hence we find in the order Mammalia, which includes both 
our wild and domestic animals, as well as Man, a far higher grade 
of intelligence than is observed in all the lower races—the fishes, 
reptiles, and birds. Now, what is the logic of this correlated devel¬ 
opment'? We find that as physical functions have evolved, intel¬ 
ligence has increased; that mentality has associated itself with the 
physical functions; that a creature endowed with wings is more 
intelligent than a simple jelly-fish. We must, therefore, deduce 



Fig. 10.—ANDREW JACKSON. 
Osseous System dominant. 



THE OSSEOUS OR BONY SYSTEM. 


85 


the theory that physical functions and mental faculties are in close 
relation to each other, and if by observation we can ascertain 
which functions and faculties are connected, then we have all that 
is necessary to discern character, simply by observing the physical 
development of any order, species, or individual. 

In the preceding remarks it was stated that the greatest ad¬ 
vance in the intelligence of animal organisms was made simulta¬ 
neously with a more perfected reproductive system. In the human 
family, the most developed and perfected races will be found to 
possess a developed reproductive system. All the great creative 
artists, such as poets, painters, actors, authors and sculptors, are 
developed men and women; that is to say, are well sexed; and this 
development is the base of creative talent. This function and 
faculty have been wholly misunderstood and their office and action 
not at all comprehended in their entirety. A reference to the faces 
of all our great creative minds will show the sign for Amativeness 
and the reproductive system to be well defined; and this is 
another fact proving the relation of physical functions to mental 
faculties. 

The osseous or bony system (Fig. 10) is known by height, 
large joints and bones, high cheek-bones, and projection of the 
lower part of the forehead over and beyond the eyes; prominent 
and broad chin; large, bony hands; long, fiat, bony feet; prominent 
joints and knuckles; tips of the fingers inclined to the square form 
as distinguished from the oval or tapering form of the muscular 
system; and relatively small, angular head, rising high above the 
ears. 

There are six classes of bones to the meaning of which the 
physiognomist must pay strict attention. To those unused to the 
close observation essential to discerning these slight variations of 
structure, they may seem trivial and unimportant, but let me say 
that in Nature’s broad domain there is no form insignificant, no 
matter how minute. How much more important must every slight 
variation of form observed in the human face be when we reflect 
that in it are to be read the physical, moral, and mental traits of 
the individual, together with all his individual peculiarities, as 
well as “all the traits of all his ancestors,” as Emerson aptly 
remarks ! 

“To despise the minute in Nature is to despise the infinite,” 
and so we shall come to the study of the following-named classes 
of bones with increased understanding of the close observation 
which the several variations of the bony structure demand. 

Classified and combined as follows, they have a pregnant 
meaning:— 


86 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


CLASSIFICATION 

Straight bones. 

Crooked bones, 

Square bones, 

Round bones, 

Long bones, 

Short bones. 


OF THE BONES. 

Straight and square bones, 
Straight and round bones, 
Straight and short bones, 
Straight and long bones. 
Round and short bones, 
Round and long bones, 
Round and crooked bones. 
Long and crooked bones, 
Short and crooked bones. 


It will be observed by reference to the above that there are 
six simple formations of the bones, each indicating something dis¬ 
tinct from the others. The adjective employed to describe each 
form will reveal to the reader its condition without elaborate 
description. I have never found that nature crooked which was 
produced by combination of the straight with the square form of 
bone. This combination produces and denotes the most solid 
character, and as it is composed of a rocky material, viz., lime, and 
shaped in the most enduring form, it is, we might say, incapable 
of becoming crooked. 

The nature of bone gives solidity, firmness, and integrity to 
the organism, but where it is crooked by Nature, then this signal 
is thrown out to tell the observer the character of the individual. 
Where the bones are round and small, the character possesses less 
firmness and integrity, less capacity for endurance and resistance; 
but it exhibits ability to execute curved motions; as in gestures, 
writing, dancing, etc., and to produce curved or circular work with 
tools; hence such persons are adapted to art-work. They are like 
the animals which exhibit similar formations, such, for example, as 
the mole, squirrel, and beaver. These are all highly artistic in the 
constructions of their dwellings, and have round bones, and are 
quite skillful architects. They are also playful, lively, and fond 
of motion, and all possess the combination of round muscles with 
round bones; while horses and several species of dogs exhibit 
square bones combined with round muscles, and these animals 
exhibit less artistic talent than the former, but more of the moral, 
solid, reliable, teachable and practical traits of character. 

There are several causes in Nature which assist in forming 
and developing a good bony system. These are, first, water, in 
which lime is a large constituent; next, a diet of grains, into which 
lime enters in the shape of its phosphates. These grains are grown 
in a soil from which the phosphatic elements are extracted by the 
grain through chemical action in the process of growth. The next 
influence favoring bone development is exercise in the sunlight. 

In this exhibit of what constitutes bone, we observe that 
the most substantial material in Nature enters largely into its 


THE OSSEOUS OR BONY SYSTEM. 


87 


composition. The very material of which rocks are made is found, 
upon analysis, in the bones of man as well as in those of the 
higher animals; hence it follows that those in whom the bony 
system is dominant will be the most reliable and trustworthy. 
The bony system is composed mainly of lime in two forms—the 
carbonate of lime and the phosphate of lime; these two materials 
form the solid part of the bones. It is found also in the teeth, 
muscles, blood, and cartilages; in the gastric juice, the blood, and 
secretions, it is in the fluid form. In the bones, teeth, and carti¬ 
lages, it assists in making them firm and solid. The enamel of the 
teeth, which is the hardest substance in the body, is composed 
mainly of the phosphate and carbonate of lime, and in the ivory 
of the teeth these form a large part of the constituents. In the 
bones, more than one-half is found to be composed of these two 
forms of lime. It is lime which gives to the bones their firmness 
and solidity. If we were to soak a bone in a mixture of muriatic 
acid and water we should dissolve from it all the mineral ingredi¬ 
ents and leave nothing but the animal constituents, and should then 
find it so soft and flexible that, if we were to treat one of the long 
bones of the body in this manner, we could tie it up in knots just 
as we can a rope. 

Lime is found in the various grains, in milk, and in lean 
meat. Salt is another useful element, not only in the bones but 
in the several tissues. In connection with water it is found in 
every portion of the body,—in the bones, tissues, and the various 
fluids and secretions,—and is necessary in digestion, where it assists 
by chemical action the various processes of assimilation. The 
taste for salt is, therefore, natural and necessary. The taste 
for pepper is not natural, inasmuch as that is not found in any 
part of the body, and has no use in the human economy. Black 
pepper is highly indigestible and inflammatory. There is no 
similarity between these two constituents. Pepper induces dis¬ 
orders of the stomach and kidneys, and should be used like all 
spices, for a remedy and not for food, as.it cannot be digested like 
salt. Salt, lime, and water are found in every part of the body, 
and are natural and necessary to health and life. Salt we derive 
from the air and water; lime comes to us in our food in grains, 
fruits, etc., and if we use them as Nature has provided we shall 
rebuild our blood, bones, muscles, nerves, and brain with the 
materials which they require for their replenishing; but if we 
cast out the phosphates of lime and the carbonates, as we do in 
making fine white bread, we shall have nothing to assist the repair 
of the hones, muscles, nerves, and brain, since the phosphates are 
rejected by this mode of preparation. A man would starve in a 




88 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

short time were lie fed on foods deprived of lime and salt; neither 
would he exist on a diet which did not contain starch or animal 
fats, and fat is created both from animal and vegetable foods, as 
chemical analysis shows. 

This exhibit of the composition of the bony structure informs 
us at once why it is that those who possess large and strong bones 
are more tirm, persevering, reliable, and honest than those with 
smaller and weaker ones. The more fluid lime dissolved in the 
blood which goes to make up the solid parts of the organs, such 
as the heart, the lungs, the liver, the kidneys, etc., the more integ¬ 
rity and strength will these tissues and organs possess. A com¬ 
parison of the animals in which the bony system predominates, 
with those in whom the flit and muscle are in excess, will give us 
a correct idea as to how the bones are related to integrity and 
stability. If honesty were a sentiment merely, something which 
could be taught, then the one best taught on this subject would 
have the most reliable character, but we know full well that some 
are more naturally honest than others. We know that some have 
more ability for music or painting than others, and we find by 
observation that those who are skillful in music, etc, are so mainly 
by virtue of an organism which fits them for this art; that some 
are musicians without instruction, while others are not able to be 
taught because they are lacking in the proper construction of 
body; in short, they have not the right muscular development for 
this purpose. 

A comparison of the highest and most useful animals—the 
horse, the dog, the camel, and ox—with the rhinoceros, the hog, 
the coon, the skunk, the porcupine, the panther, and tiger, will 
show us a physiological combination as distinct as is that of the 
mental and moral characteristics of each class. The rhinoceros 
and hog, by reason of their excess of fat, are too vegetative to 
be either moral or intelligent. The mole, the coon, the skunk, 
the porcupine, the cat, the rat, etc., have relatively small bones and 
large muscles, and they are suited to slyness, skulking, deception, 
and craft,—to live in the shade and prey upon others. While the 
bones of these creatures are hardly perceptible, their bodies are 
sleek, sinuous, graceful, and quick-motioned, and they are quite 
artistic in some of their habits,—the beaver and mole, for ex¬ 
ample, building their houses on excellent architectural and artistic 
principles. Now compare the camel, with his great, homely, un¬ 
gainly, bony structure, and his fidelity and usefulness, docility and 
intelligence; compare him with the graceful, gliding, sleek-looking 
tiger; compare the bony ox, with his great joints, his patient and 
useful ways, with the hog; compare the horse, with his bones 


THE OSSEOUS OR BONY SYSTEM. 


89 


jutting out over his eyes, his large hip-joints and bony face, his 
mental development and observation, with the unwieldy, stupid, 
and brutal rhinoceros; compare the intelligence of the former 
with the ferocity of the latter; compare the fidelity, usefulness, and 
forms of all these various creatures, and you will find in every 
instance that the bony formation gives and exhibits integrity, re¬ 
liability, intelligence, and morality, as compared with those forms 
that resemble the muscular and vegetative or fat animals. 

Fat in excess is not honest, whether we find it in man or 
beast. Fat, by its lack of resistance, is negative and self-indul¬ 
gent, and is not capable of self-control; muscle in excess is unre¬ 
liable, and by the nature of its constituents and action is change¬ 
able and shifting; it moves with rapidity and changes constantly, 
and is not built of such substantial material as bone; hence, it 
is suited to artistic pursuits, while bone is suited to mechanical 
and scientific occupations, for mechanical individuals must have 
physical order and a good, true eye for angles and straight lines. 
They must have patience and perseverance, steadfastness and in¬ 
tegrity, in order to produce straight and square work. In every 
age and country the most reliable, honest, and upright men are 
(as a class) its mechanics. They perform honest work; the very 
house that we dwell in must be plumb and built on the square , 
or it will fall to the ground. The scientist, too, must possess a 
large share of integrity,—of bone. Inasmuch as he has the ability 
to comprehend the truths of Nature, he must be built on Con¬ 
scientiousness, else he would be incompetent to comprehend the 
laws of Nature, which are all based on absolute truth and mathe¬ 
matical certainty and precision. Newton, the discoverer of the 
most important law of Nature, viz., gravitation, was a square-boned 
man, and Conscientiousness is large in his face. Now, all persons 
and animals must have bones in a greater or less degree, and in 
the degree that they have good, square bones are they capable of 
honesty, morality, and fidelity. Hence the importance of endow¬ 
ing offspring with a good, square, bony structure. We cannot do 
this if we feed upon fine white flour, or allow our children to con¬ 
sume too much sugar and other carbonaceous food. If we look 
abroad for our proof of the action of the various kinds of food as 
it relates to bone-making, it is only necessary to refer to the low 
stature of the Lapps and Finns, who subsist mainly on a fish diet, 
and whose bones are both small and short, while their near neigh¬ 
bors,—the Norwegians, Swedes, and Russians,—who live upon 
a farinaceous and vegetable diet, are much their superiors in 
stature and strength. But the subject of bone-building I will 
consider later, 


90 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


I will here note some of the prominent men who have excelled 
in morality, endurance, heroism, and honor, and in every instance 
we shall see that each one possessed a large and fine quality of 
bone. Our own Washington was six feet three inches in height, 
and broad and square built. Andrew Jackson was above the 
medium height, and the bones jutted out all over him, in the eye¬ 
brows, the cheeks, the chin, the forehead, the joints and knuckles. 
Lincoln, too, shows a very bony organization, and was more noted 
for his fidelity to principle than for great intellectual power. Had 
he been made of soft, fatty tissue, the results of our civil war 
might have been quite different. General Lafayette’s portraits 
show him to have been possessed of good bones; likewise Alex¬ 
ander the Great in ancient times, also Caesar, Mahomet, and 
Cromwell. Luther had a very large bony structure, with a power¬ 
ful vegetative system, and a fine brain. Isaac Newton, Lamartine, 
James Watt, Humboldt. Cuvier, Washington Irving, von Liebig, 
David Livingstone, Charles Darwin, George Stephenson the in¬ 
ventor, Peter Cooper, and a host of others, who have shown by 
their lives that integrity, morality, and mechanical and scientific 
powers were theirs, possessed large, bony development. 

It makes quite a difference in our powers of endurance, either 
moral or physical, whether we have four or six feet of bone in our 
bodies. It is true that the persons just mentioned had fine brain 
systems in addition, but without the same amount of bone and with 
muscle in its stead they never would have evinced such rectitude, 
endurance, and reliability, as with the large bones in combination. 
The greatest and most useful men and women have been those 
with the bone and brain systems dominant. The greatest artists 
have been those with a fine quality of the muscular and brain 
systems combined; hence they form a less useful class than 
mechanics and scientists. They are, also, less reliable and moral, 
but more entertaining. 

The record of the purely vegetative men is limited to a few, 
who succeeded in becoming prize hogs in appearance, notably, 
Daniel Lambert, Vitellius, the Roman Emperor and glutton, and 
some few others whose fame rests entirely upon their fat, selfish¬ 
ness, and immorality. The bony structure is the foundation and 
framework of the human organism, upon which is built the entire 
organism, and to the predominance of the bony structure man 
owes his character for integrity, stability, and physical and mental 
soundness. The very constituents of bone—lime, phosphates, 
magnesia, soda, etc.—give stability, integrity, decision, and firmness 
to the organization in which they abound most largely; hence the 
bony system is the one in which, from the very nature 'of its comr 


THE OSSEOUS OR BONY SYSTEM. 


91 


ponents , we naturally look for the most stability and trustworthi¬ 
ness. Tall, lean, square, bony people are noted for their usefulness, 
unselfishness, integrity, and generally for mechanical ability. 
Bony people, with a fair proportion of the muscular system in 
combination, make the best mechanics in the world. Length 
facilitates activity, while muscle combined with a large bony struc¬ 
ture gives the form essential to mechanical construction. 

This system is included in the architectural division of the 
face and body, and has for its assistance the muscular powers. 
These two systems combine and include most of the principles of 
natural forces, as has been shown, and persons in whom this com¬ 
bination is largely developed will have not only the power to 
become good mechanics and artists, but will be able also to build 
up and perpetuate a fine race of children, if proper attention be 
given to combinations with suitable conformations, added to 
righteous regard for hygienic and sanitary laws. It will be per¬ 
ceived from this analysis and illustration of the bony system, that 
the human organism is dependent upon bone development for all 
those attributes which go to form stability and integrity as well as 
architectural and mechanical ability. These principles lie at the 
very foundation of physiology, anatomy, human greatness, moral 
goodness, government, and society; and in every age, country or 
community, noted for its justice, probity and true civilization, 
there will be found upon examination a majority of its people 
built upon this conformation and possessed of mechanical 
powers. 

In selecting trades for young people, due attention should be 
paid to this principle of Nature. A neglect of its application 
will result in failure, and one reason why we sometimes find 
poor mechanics is that they have mistaken their vocation and 
chosen a pursuit to which their conformation was unsuited. 

The signs of the bony form predominant are found all over 
the individual, in the large joints of the hands, fingers, wrists, 
arms, and legs. The projection forward of the lower jaw, the 
projecting of the brow over the eyes, and the high, long, bony 
nose are all evidences of a conscientious and morally-inclined 
character; indeed, the square bony system may be depended upon 
for moral conduct. The large development of bone shows that the 
fluid circulation has done its primary work in a thorough manner, 
and has conveyed all the materials needed in bone making to their 
several destinations in just the right proportions, thus giving 
soundness to the whole framework. Size and Form, Physical 
Order, and Calculation are some of the prominent faculties in this 
system, as well as Veneration and Executiveness. Conscientious- 


92 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


ness is seen all over tlie individual in whom the bony system pre¬ 
dominates over all the other systems. 

The list of faculties in the architectural division is as follows: 
Sanativeness, Secretiveness, Force, Resistance, Hope, Cautiousness, 
Imitation, Constructiveness, Analysis, Ideality, Sublimity, Human 
Nature, Self-will, Executiveness, Credenciveness, Prescience, 
Observation, Memory of Events, Form, Size, Weight, Color, Order, 
Calculation, Locality, Music, and Language. Some of these facul¬ 
ties are derived from the functional action of the heart and lungs; 
others from the power of the muscles and bones. Hope is related 
to the liver, Color to the lungs and heart, and Veneration to the 
stomach. Every faculty depends upon some organ or system of 
functions for the power to exhibit its peculiar mode of activity. 

In all cases where one system is found in excess in an organ¬ 
ism, no matter how useful it may be, we shall find that it is pro¬ 
ductive of various disorders and predispositions to certain diseases. 
An excess of bone makes the system liable to chronic rheumatism, 
torpid conditions of the liver, the spleen, the stomach, and bowels, 
enlargement of the joints, gravel, granular degeneration, stone in 
the bladder, disorders of the digestive functions, and inclination to 
melancholy as old age advances. An excess of bone also causes 
laziness and inertia; the bones being too heavily charged with 
mineral matter disinclines the individual for motion, hence he will 
care only for work that can be done in a sitting posture. 

The remedy for an excessive development of bone is to drink 
water that has been purified from all traces of lime, to remain in 
the shade as much as possible, to study more, to eat less farinace¬ 
ous food and adopt the diet of the carnivorous animals, whose 
bones are smaller than those of the grain-eaters. Stimulate the 
sensitive parts of the nature by indulging more in light, active 
games; cultivate the emotional parts of the mind by attending 
theatres and balls and by associating with the lively and light- 
minded. By pursuing this anti-bone-making course, the tendency 
to these diseases may be avoided and the bulk of bone may be 
reduced considerably in a few years. 

Getting health is like getting religion—it comes by struggling 
for it. In fact, good health seems to me a really religious condition 
and ought not to be considered as distinct from it. 

If, on the other hand, the bony system is too poorly developed, 
inactivity and weakness are the result. When we observe a person 
with small, thin hands and feet, with large brain and small abdo¬ 
men and short, small, round bones, we know that he is doomed to 
a short life and one ol suffering, unless hygienic treatment comes 
to his relief. Drugs and doctors cannot alter such conditions, but 


*THE OSSEOUS OR BONY SYSTEM. 


93 


will do more harm than good. Only Nature, the Infallible One, 
can regenerate such beings. Calisthenics, gymnastics, outdoor 
exercise in pure air, and lime-water, with farinaceous foods will do 
more for such boneless creatures than all the drugs in existence. 

When we come to comprehend fully the differences existing 
between the various organ systems of the body, we shall recognize 
at a glance the main points of character. We shall see that bone 
gives more integrity and power of resistance, with love of science 
and mechanism; that muscle indicates emotion and affection as 
well as passion and artistic ability; that flit assists in softening the 
emotions and gives warmth to the system. It must be apparent to 
the thoughtful that we do not love with our bones—that all parts 
of the body concerned in emotion are found in the muscular and 
soft tissues. All the parts of the organism involved in reproduction 
are mainly in the muscular and glandular system, hence when we 
wish to know the degree of Amative sentiment in an individual 
we must look to the facial representation of the muscular system— 
the eye; we must mark its shape, size, and color, its degree of 
activity and brightness. If the eye be large, bright, well-colored— 
either blue, brown, or black—then we can safely say that such an 
individual is highly emotional and affectionate, and artistic as well ; 
but when we observe a bony person with large joints, small muscles, 
long, slim, bony fingers, and small eyes shaded by a full, projecting, 
bony brow, then we know that he is more thoughtful than 
emotional or amative, with considerable control of all the emotions. 
This class of persons is mechanical, inclined to science, given to 
reforms and original radical ideas rather than to imitating artistic 
efforts. In this class are found such men as Charles Darwin, 
Bichard Owen, the naturalist; Professors Morse and Edison, the 
electricians; and, among reformers, Wendell Phillips, Bichard 
Cobden, Peter Cooper, Thomas Paine, Susan B. Anthony, and 
others well known for reform work. 

A good degree of bone offers a steady resistance and pressure; 
muscle has a reactive power, moving first in one direction and 
then in another; hence muscular people are not so reliable as bony 
ones. Muscle shows itself in will-power, in sudden bursts of 
temper as suddenly subsiding, while bone offers a steady but calm 
resistance, and this is the difference between the two faculties of 
Firmness and Self-will. 

Fat is yielding, without the ability either to withstand or to 
overcome. It is negative in its nature, utterly unreliable, except 
where we find it in combination with a good bony structure and 
considerable muscular development. 

This concludes the description of the architectural division of 


94 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


the face and faculties. The term “ architectural’ 5 is used in its 
broadest and most comprehensive sense. Whatever exists is built 
and has a form ; not a particle of any sort whatsoever is found with¬ 
out form and without combination with some acid, gas, ether, or 
solid substance; thus it is architectural. In works of art the same 
principle applies. In dramatic composition, in works of fiction, 
and in the sermons of the preacher, the same mechanical constr uctive 
principle prevails. 


THE BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM. 

In entering upon the investigation of the brain and nervous 
system, I shall depart from the usual methods employed by 
writers on this subject, and, instead of giving cuts representing the 

interior of the brain, which can 
afford the reader no clue as to 
its functions, I shall devote my 
space to a discussion of its origin 
as exhibited in the lowest forms 
of animal life, and then describe 
its appearance in the exterior 
of the organism bv facial and 
bodily indications. Anatomists, 
in dissecting the brain, are al¬ 
most entirely in the dark as to 
the use and connection of the 
-several parts of* the brain with 
the various organs of the body. 
With the exception of being 
able to trace the course of the 
optic, auditory, olfactory, and 
facial nerves to their origin in the brain, the functional action 
of the several portions of the brain are still as great a mystery 
as ever. Very recent observers have mapped out on different 
parts of the cerebral hemispheres certain areas which are 
thought to be the representatives of certain mental faculties. The 
faculty ol language is thought to have its representative in one of 
the frontal convolutions, and tins convolution is found in a rudi- 
mentaiy stage onl\ in the anthropoids, but fully developed in man, 
the only creature endowed with the capacity for perfect language. 
Other aieas of the biam are thought to be the locale of other 
faculties, but as yet these are not firmly established. Yet I be¬ 
lieve that every function, as well as every faculty, must be repre¬ 
sented in the brain and have 44 a local habitation” in that organ 



Fig. 11.— HERBERT SPENCER. 
Brain and Nerve System supreme. 


THE BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM. 


95 


where all sensation is wrought into consciousness and translated 
into thought and emotion. 

The face , read scientifically, will give the clue to the right 
analysis of the various parts of the brain, and any anatomist who 
will take as a basis of investigation the evolution of the organ 
systems of the body, as shown by Haeckel in his “ Evolution of 
Man,” can trace the connection between the organs of the bodv 
and the several parts of the brain. My understanding of the brain 
is that it is f unctional of the entire organism, and not an organ 
acting independently, but affected by morbid or abnormal con¬ 
ditions of the blood and visceral organs. I believe that all parts 
of the body have representation in the brain, and that these repre¬ 
sentations are localized. 

My researches have led me to the conclusion that size of the 
brain alone is not the proof of great mental power nor of the lack 
of it; that its form and congenital or inherited quality are the two 
most potent factors in deciding its power; also that a proportionate 
and normal degree of physiological development of the body, as 
well as of the brain, is far more influential in deciding mentality 
than size of the brain alone; but the question of size and form I 
will postpone until I come to the consideration of the “ Sub-Basic 
Principles.” 

In tracing the course of the evolution of the brain and nerve 
system, the history of the development of the lower animal organ¬ 
isms is most instructive, and the physiognomist, if he desires to be 
truly scientific, must go back to the earliest and lowest animals in 
the scale of creation and note the gradual development or evolution 
of the nerves and brain. 

The first sense-organ was the outer skin-covering, long before 
any bodily organs had evolved, as in the case of the Zoophites, In¬ 
fusoria, Corallines, and Polypi, and other low forms of animal life. 
The bodies of these creatures are composed of a hollow globe or 
tube, with an opening at one end. Their entire construction con¬ 
sists only of an inner and an outer skin, with a row of cells be¬ 
tween. All knowledge of the outer world comes to these creatures 
entirely through the sense of touch or feeling, and the outer skin- 
covering is their only sense-organ, therefore their only mental 
organ. It is necessary before we proceed that this expression 
should be explained. All mental power is based on sensation, and 
sensation is therefore the origin of thought. We have more senses 
than five, as I think I have proven in the preceding pages; but 
these five even are dependent upon their ability to receive sensa¬ 
tions. Let the optic nerve become paralyzed and no impression 
of material objects is received by the brain. 


96 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


The sense of touch, which was the first sense-organ of the 
mind, is, in the human organism, the most diffused sense, as it ex¬ 
tends over the entire body, and its use is to man what it was in the 
lowest animal—a means of self-protection; for “ without touch,” 
says Taine, “ nothing could exist.” Haeckel, in his “ Evolution 
of Man,” tells us how the sense-organs, such as those of sight, 
hearing, taste, and smell came to be more acute than other senses. 
He remarks:—- 

•# 

Later on in evolution this outer skin, which liad become especially 
sensitive, gradually withdrew into the shelter of the interior of the body, 
and there laid the first foundation of a central nervous organ. As differ¬ 
entiation advanced the distance and distinction between the external skin¬ 
covering and the central nervous system detached from this became con¬ 
tinually greater, and finally the two were permanently connected by the 
conductive peripheric nerves.* 

In corroboration of the statement that the mind, or sensation 
(which is one and the same thing), had its origin in the outer skin¬ 
covering of the earliest animal organisms, I may mention one law 
of scientific physiognomy. It is stated thus: “ Texture of the 
skin is significant of mental quality.” We find by observation 
that the finer the skin or hair of animals, the greater their degree 
of sensation and intelligence. Compare, for example, the coat of 
the stupid, brutal bear, with that of the dog, the horse, and deer, 
and we shall see that fineness of texture is indicative of sensitive¬ 
ness of the nervous system, and therefore of mental power, all 
along the line of mental development. When we wish to discern 
the quality of mental power in the human being, we must look to 
the fineness of the skin and hair and brightness of the eye, as well 
as to the fineness and thinness of the finger-nails. 

The brightness of the eye is caused by two things : In the 
first place, a fine, thin skin will give a corresponding bright sclerotic 
and retina to the eye. A bright eye is never seen in combination 
with a very coarse, thick skin. The second cause of brightness 
of the eye is occasioned by the quality and expansion of the optic 
nerve. W here the skin is fine and thin the nerves of sense will 
be correspondingly of high quality and activity, and this in con¬ 
nection with the thin covering of tiie eye gives the brightness and 
vivacity which are observed in the mentally-gifted person, but 
which is absent in the dull and stupid. 

Compare the eye of the hog with that of the deer or dog; 
the eye of a Spencer with that of Daniel Lambert, the celebrated 
fat man, and you will have proof of this statement. When any 
doubt exists as to the character or interpretation of appearances, 

* Evolution of Man, Ernst Haeckel, vol. ii, p. 196. 


THE BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM. 


97 


an “interrogation of Nature” will give us all tlie proof required, 
and nowhere is evidence more plentiful and convincing than in 
our animal ancestors. The following is from the pen of Mr. 
Haeckel, and I quote it as throwing light on the law given above, 
viz., that texture of the skin is indicative of quality. Mr. Haeckel 
observes:— 

Let us turn aside from these very interesting features in evolution and 
examine the development of the later human skin-covering, with its hairs, 
sweat-glands, etc. Physiologically, this outer covering plays a double part. 
The skin, in the first place, forms the general protective covering which 
covers the whole surface of the body, and protects all other parts. As such 
it, at the same time, affects a certain change of matter between the body 
and the surrounding atmosphere, viz., perspiration or skin-breathing. In 
the first place, the skin is the oldest and primitive sense-organ, the organ 
of touch which affects the sensation of the surrounding temperature and of 
the pressure and resistance of bodies with which it comes in contact. Those 
organs of our bodies which discharge the highest and most perfect functions 
of animal life, those of sensation, volition, thought—the organs of the Psyche 
—or mental life, arise from the external skin-covering.* 

Now that I* have laid before you the testimony of one of the 
most eminent scientists in the world as to the origin of mind, and 
as the comprehension of this origin is essential to our knowledge 
of physiognomy, I will pass on to other features of the brain and 
nervous system, considering them as one system, differing only in 
their modes of action by reason of their differences of locality. 

The law in regard to the identification of the nature of a 
function is formulated thus: “Similarity of structure shows simi- 
larity of function.” Now, brain-substance and nerve-substance 
are exactly alike, and show no difference of structure under the 
microscope, therefore we must conclude that their purpose is a 
common one. The office of the nerves is to receive and convey 
sensations to the brain, where they are received and in some way, 
now unknown, manufactured into intelligence or consciousness. 
Nerves are the instruments which convey the knowledge of what 
is transpiring in the several organs of the body, and in the organs 
of sense, to the brain; this is their portion of the labor of the 
mind. 

The part of the labor performed by the brain is, as before 
stated, the making of these feelings and sensations into conscious¬ 
ness ; two acts of one system which are essential to its perfect 
operation, viz., sensation or feeling, and thought or intelligence. 
The brain acts as a receiving and recording station; the body with 
its various organs being the manufactory, so to say, where nearly 
all mental efforts are created by the action of the several organa 


Evolution of Man, vol. ii, p. 199 
7 


98 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

and functions of the body. These efforts, which we denominate 
mechanical, artistic, domestic, etc., are performed, as I have shown, 
by the muscles, the bones, the nerves, the glands, etc., and by the 
vegetative faculties and functions. The signs for the predominance 
of the brain and nervous system are a pyriform or pear-shaped 
face, relatively large head, especially high above the ears, broad 
and full forehead, bright eyes, relatively small nose, small and thin 
hands and feet, and thin nails, thin nostrils and lips, small bones 
and muscles, slim neck, and small abdomen, with quick motions 
and rapidity of speech. Persons of this formation are earnest, 
excitable, acute, delicate, spirituelle and sensitive in feeling, high- 
strung, sparkling and bright, and the emotions, such as love, pity, 
fear, and imagination, are very easily excited. They also suffer 
and enjoy intensely. The faculty of reason is dominant, and the 
capacity for mathematical labor is in many cases of the highest. 

The brain is a soft, pulpy mass, and is composed of “sixty 
per cent, of carbon, ten per cent, of hydrogen, two per cent, of 
nitrogen, and nine-tenths of one per cent, of phosphorus.” This 
exhibit of the elements of brain-matter shows that brain without 
a good share of bone in combination is a curse instead of a bless¬ 
ing. Carbon is the element which prevails most extensively in 
the vegetative system, and in the brain we find sixty per cent, of 
the same material. I have shown that Avhere there is a good bony 
system lime in its several forms enters largely into its compo¬ 
sition. Not only does it enter into the solid structure of the bone, 
but it is also found in a fluid state in the juices and tissues of the 
body. Now, if the blood is heavily charged with lime, it will be 
carried to the brain in larger quantities than where there is less 
of this element in combination. This explains why bony men have 
more solid, substantial, and practical intellects than those with a 
larger brain system and smaller bones. Those with the brain 
system predominating over all others are opinionated, changeable, 
and approbative, sometimes vain, almost always pure-minded, and, 
if of fine quality, desirous of the good of others; but where the other 
systems of the body are in good proportion the most happy results 
follow. Such a one was Washington. In him all the five organ 
systems were harmoniously blended, and all were of high quality. 
There can be a large development of any given system with poor 
quality. Size alone , as I shall show, is not the measure of power; 
but size and quality combined, as in Washington, give the most 
eminent talent and ability. 

It will occur to all thoughtful persons that an excess of the 
brain system, like an excess of any other system, is a source of 
weakness and disease, and that as a perfected brain is the highest 


tHE BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM. 


99 


gift of Nature it follows that it should have the most intelligent 
care and treatment in order to equalize the other systems and 
bring them into harmonious proportions and development. Now 
rest, sleep, and abstinence from excitement and luxurious living 
will be essential in the first place. This treatment would induce 
a desire for a larger quantity of wholesome nutriment. Sufficient 
exercise in a pure atmosphere would increase the thoracic system 
and digestion. This would tend directly to a better development 
of the abdominal powers. Thus equilibrium or balance would be 
established, and an otherwise short and painful existence might be 
prolonged into an enjoyable and useful one. 

The diseases to which those are liable who possess a dispro- 
portioned brain system are the following: Dyspepsia, pulmonary 
consumption, melancholy, paralysis, insomnia or sleeplessness, 
softening of the brain, headache, dizziness, insanity and general 
debility. These can be in all instances averted by hygienic meas¬ 
ures, intelligently and persistently employed. There are, in the 
broad pharmacopoeia of Nature, remedies for all the ills that the 
ignorance or willfulness of humanity inflicts upon its offspring. 

The best and most practical method of improving the race— 
of regenerating humanity—is to understand the human mind and 
body, and then by wise and judicious selections of partners in mar¬ 
riage rebuild the race on scientific principles. Without a knowledge 
of the face and body this cannot be accomplished; hence the study 
of the subject before us is the first step in this direction. The 
next step is an application of its laws and principles. 

One of the best evidences of a developed race is found in its 
manifestation of a high grade of reasoning, logical and mathemati¬ 
cal powers. The unperfected races of the world, among whom 
I may mention the South Sea Islanders, the Esquimaux, and many 
African tribes, have so little ability in this direction as not to be 
able to calculate anything beyond the number of their fingers and 
toes. I think that man’s superiority over the brute creation is 
more marked in this respect than in the matter of simple reason, 
which attribute many deny to the animal kingdom, although the 
power of reasoning to a large extent is proved by modern natural¬ 
ists to hold a place in the mentality of the higher races of animals. 
The faculties of reason, causality, and comparison endow man with 
the gift of abstract mathematical ratiocination. In this he is per¬ 
haps more distinguished from the brutes than in any other manner, 
with the exception of the faculty of speech; although this is pos¬ 
sessed by the parrot, but in this instance speech proceeds from a 
suitable formation of the vocal organs and is not accompanied with 
a corresponding degree of sense and observation. 


100 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


This might serve as a lesson to those persons who ascribe to 
the human race “divinity,” and to the lower animals none. 
When we find the lower animals endowed with a fine degree of 
reason, as in the horse, dog, and elephant; and some mathematical 
ability or sense, as in these same creatures and in “learned pigs,” 
who are taught to count and reckon; when we find human speech 
in the parrot, I think the self-love and vainglory of man may as 
well give way, and allow to these, our “ blood-relations,” as 
Haeckel terms them, a fair share of divinity. We ought to be 
thankful to the Creator, who, in His wisdom, has chosen these 
humble instruments to serve as a means of teaching us whence we 
sprung and from whom we originated. 

The brain system is the highest and last in the progressive 
development of the human race. Many of our most brilliant 
thinkers have possessed this system. Many, not having a due 
proportion of the other systems, have died young. This conforma¬ 
tion large, in combination with the bony and vegetative systems 
harmoniously blended, has produced many powerful intellects. 
Samuel Johnson, Arkwright, Gibbon, Dumas, Buckle, Hume, 
Benjamin Franklin, William Penn, Handel, and many others 
were thus endowed, and were noted for their reason and their 
intense mental application. 


CHAPTER IV. 


The Sub-Basic Principles of Physiognomy. 


FORM AND SIZE. 


W HETHER we accept the doctrine of evolution or not, 

we must, with the vast array of evidence in or¬ 
ganized life before us, admit that there is a singular 
unity of action influencing the methods of Nature. 
An ordinary observer will find that certain forms in 
the animal kingdom exhibit similar traits when present in the human 
family. The same general laws as to form, size, color, texture, pro¬ 
portion, and faculties are common to both man and the brute crea¬ 
tion. A study of the various conformations, colors, and textures of 
the several species of animals, both wild and domestic, together with 
the birds, which geology shows preceded the animal kingdom in 
the scheme of creation, will assist very materially in the knowledge 
and proofs of scientific and practical physiognomy. 

First, as to Form and Size. Consider the hippopotamus,— 
bulky, unwieldy, slow, with large abdomen, small brain, thick 
hide, wanting in sensitiveness, and useless for any practical pur¬ 
pose. To which formation of the human family does this animal 
correspond ] If you have given attention to the preceding pages 
you will recognize at once all the general characteristics of the 
Vegetative Form. 

Examine closely the stag, made for mountain climbing. 
Behold his length of limb, leanness, activity, and form, the bright¬ 
ness of his eye, his ambition, desire for scaling the greatest heights, 
and his great breadth of chest—the broadest part of his body. He 
is here, there, and everywhere in a moment; does not dwell long 
at one place or pursuit. His lungs and heart must be well devel¬ 
oped to give the power for such activity. This form is the counter¬ 
part of the thoracic in the human organism. 

Let us pursue this system of physiognomy still further. In 
the animal world, whenever we see creatures endowed with the dis¬ 
position for great destruction we naturally look for a corresponding 
amount of strength. In this grade of development strength and 
destruction are synonymous. If you were to examine a lion, tiger, 
or panther, you would find them characterized by strong, compact 

( 101 ) 


102 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


muscles; dark, hairy coat; dark or yellow eyes, with rapid motions, 
intense passions, and great courage. This class of animals repre¬ 
sents the muscular build in man. Persons of this form exhibit 
great strength, capacity for destruction, and large amativeness. 
They are also social, domestic, emotional, and commercial, the com¬ 
mercial faculty corresponding to the preying and getting instinct in 
the animals of the same form. 

As I have previously shown that the most reliable, moral, 
tractable, and naturally intelligent of the human species are found 
where the bony system is predominant, so in the animal kingdom 
you will find the corresponding faculties in those domestic animals 
—the horse, the cow, the ox, the camel, and dog—who render to 
mankind faithful, gentle, and intelligent service. The distinguish¬ 
ing marks as to color, form, and texture are relatively the same as 
in the bony system predominant in man. The prominent points 
are square bones, large joints, and projecting eye-bones, rather fine 
hair, variety of colors, herbivorous diet (although the dog, like 
man, lives on a mixed diet). The horse and dog are particularly 
receptive. The projecting bones over the eyes resemble the devel¬ 
opment of the practical or mechanical faculties in man. Width 
between the eyes, in either dog, horse, or man, is always indicative 
of a broad intelligence. It shows the faculty of . Form to be large, 
and also gives breadth to all the functions and faculties of the mind; 
for physiognomy, well understood, reads the body as well as the 
face. It takes cognizance of the color of the hair, skin, and eyes; 
it observes the walk, the voice, gestures, and movements. All are 
indices of character. To a practiced ear the intonation of a single 
sentence will reveal very much to the listener. Everything which 
one does, no matter how trifling, is highly significant of character; 
and habits of observation and analysis should be formed in youth, 
and the reason why traits are combined as we find them should be 
given by parents and teachers. I feel assured that, after a careful 
reading of these thoughts, any parent will be competent to direct 
aright the dawning perceptions of his child in physiognomy. It is 
the duty of all parents to throw around their children such protec¬ 
tion as the knowledge of the laws of Nature affords. It will pre¬ 
vent the erroneous conceptions of character to which the present 
lamentable ignorance of the laws of physiognomy leads. The 
many physiognomical errors current will be rectified, and the 
human family will be given a compass which will keep it clear of 
many shoals and quicksands which are found on the journey of life. 

Ft will he observed by these comparisons that, in deciding upon 
the character of an individual, no one single circumstance or appear¬ 
ance can be considered decisive and conclusive. Neither form, size, 


SIZE OF TIIE HEAD. 


KK3 


color, quality, nor proportion alone is indicative of the entire char¬ 
acter. Each of these conditions has its influence and weight in 
molding, as well as in deciding, power, disposition, and talent. 

In addition to all these conditions, one most important factor 
is good health, or, in other words, a normal development of all the 
physical organs and a normal action of all the functions of the 
entire organism. 

In discussing the sub-basic principles of this science, I shall 
take up each of these phenomena, and investigate them in the 
order which seems best adapted to their right comprehension, viz., 
as follows: Size, Quality, Form, Color, Proportion, Health, and 
Compensation. 

SIZE OF THE HEAD. 

This is a subject so little understood that I feel compelled to 
correct some errors in regard to it which have come to be accepted 
as truths. The phrenological law that “ size of the head is the 
measure of power, all else being equal,” has been accepted by the 
masses to mean that a large head is proof of superior intellect. 
Nothing can be farther from the truth, for I shall show—and, I 
believe, upon competent authority—that the largest heads on record 
have belonged to imbecile, idiotic, diseased, or commonplace char¬ 
acters. 

A large head is no more an indication of superior intelligence 
than is a large face or a large body; and here, again, let it be 
noted that the largest faces and bodies, without exception, have 
belonged to either stupid or commonplace persons. There have 
been a few men in all ages noted for the size of their heads 
who have been equally noted for their mental capacities, but their 
mentality was not dependent upon the size of brain alone, but 
upon the inherited quality of both brain and body , and, more than 
all, upon their symmetrical proportions and great good health. 
Such a one was Thomas H. Benton, for many years a member of 
the United States Senate. (See Fig. 8.) 

O. S. Fowler, one of the most celebrated phrenologists, offers 
testimony in the same direction when he observes:— 

Stuart’s portraits of revolutionary heroes are said to represent them 
with large, portly, strongly marked, well-proportioned, and giant bodies, 
but with only average heads , and are probably true to Nature . I have found 
very smart men in all departments of human life with only average-sized 
heads. Thomas H. Benton’s was less than average, but his capacity of chest 
was most extraordinary ,—in fact, rarely equalled. All three temperaments 
were immense in him and well proportioned, yet his head measured less than 
twenty-two inches in circumference.* 


/ 


* Human Science, O. S. Fowler, p.276. 


104 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

Among men most celebrated for great size of body and face 
in ancient times was Vitellius, Boman emperor and gormand. 
Here was body, brain, and face of enormous proportions, but was 
there in this instance corresponding mental power 1 History fails 
to record anything that would prove capacity of any part of this 
person’s organism except the stomach and digestive apparatus. 
In modem times Daniel Lambert has headed the list of great men, 
—those famous for size and for nothing else. Intellectually he was 
not gifted beyond the average man, having occupied the position 
of keeper in an English prison. His weight was seven hundred 
and thirty-seven pounds. His head was large and his face also. 
Another noted “ great ” man was Edward Bright, a miller, of 
Malden, England, who, at the age of thirty years, weighed six 
hundred and sixteen pounds. He also had a large head and face, 
while his intellect was only ordinary. Another large man, James 
Mansfield, also an Englishman, died at the age of eighty years, 
weighing four hundred and sixty-two pounds. He was a butcher 
by trade, and his head and face were large. Here we have the 
record of three of the largest men known to history, and we find 
in them only the most ordinary and commonplace intellectual 
development and power. 

Now let us examine the evidence in the matter of both large 
and heavy brains , and thus discover, if possible, the kind of intel¬ 
lect exhibited by these phenomena. The opinion of the most 
eminent writers on mind—of physicians to the insane, and of 
anatomists—will be adduced, and my readers will then be able to 
see upon what ground mere size of the brain as a measure of power 
is based. 

Observers, from Aristotle down to tlie present time, have given 
their views as to the size of the head, and in most cases their 
opinions and evidence point to small or average-sized heads as the 
most intellectual. Lavater says that Aristotle holds the smallest 
heads to be the wisest* while Esquirol, the French anatomist, 
states that no size or form of head or brain is incident to idiocy 
or talent. 

Dr. H. C. Bastian, an anatomist of eminent talent, observes: 


It seems perfectly plain from the facts recorded that there is no neces- 
saiy or in\aiiable relation between the degree of intelligence of human 
beings and the mere size or weight ot their brains. We have seen that some 
demented persons may have very large brains, and, again, that in certain 
very ordinary members of society, suffering neither from disease nor from 
congenital defect, the brain may be decidedly large and heavy.f 


* Lavater’s Essays, p. 266. 

f The Brain an Organ of the Mind, H. Carlton Bastian, pp. 364, 370, 371. London. 


SIZE OF THE HEAD. 


105 


Elsewhere he remarks:— 

Idiocy is not therefore necessarily associated with a very small size 
of brain. 

Prof. Alexander Bain tells ns that 44 occasionally a stupid man 
has a larger brain than a clever man.”* It has often been stated, 
in medical and phrenological journals, that Cuvier’s brain was the 
largest and heaviest ever observed. This is entirely erroneous. 
The largest brain of which I have seen a record is that of an in¬ 
sane negro, who died at the Richmond (Virginia) Insane Asylum. 
Dr. Barksdale states that his brain weighed seventy ounces. Dr. 
James Morris gives an account of the next largest brain in the 
world; it belonged to a thieving, drunken fellow who could neither 
read nor write; his brain exceeded sixty-seven ounces in weight. 
Both these brains are heavier than those of any intellectual person 
on record. Cuvier’s brain-weight, so often quoted, was sixty-four 
and five-tenths ounces. Dr. Bucknill states an instance 44 of a male 
imbecile, thirty-seven years of age, whose brain weighed the same 
as Cuvier’s, the greatest of naturalistsJ whilst the brain of Agas¬ 
siz, who ranks next to Cuvier in science, weighed only fifty-three 
and three-tenths ounces. Esquirol instances a foolish monomaniac 
whose head measured in circumference twenty-six inches arid 
thirty-seven hundredths; also, of an idiot whose head measured in 
circumference thirty-three inches and sixty-six hundredths; another 
idiot whose head was twenty-two inches and forty-four hundredths 
in circumference. § 

Dr. Langden Down states that he dissected the brain of an 
idiot that weighed fifty-nine and one-half ounces. || Dr. Thurman 
declares that the heaviest brain weighed by him was that of an 
uneducated butcher, who was just able to read, and who died 
suddenly of epilepsy, combined with mania.Moses Parchappe 
says the largest brain-weight observed by him was that of an 
epileptic or insane man, whose brain weighed sixty-one and three- 
tenths ounces. Dr. Skae mentions an insane epileptic woman, 
whose brain weighed the extraordinary amount of sixty-one and 
one-half ounces.** Now, when we reflect that the average weight 
of the adult male brain is said to be forty ounces (according to 
the climate in which he lives), while the female brain averages 
four to five ounces less, what we are to make of the phrenological 
law, that 44 Size is the measure of power, all else being equal,” it is 

* Mind and Body, Alexander Bain, M.D., p. 39. 

t The Brain an Organ of the Mind, H. Carlton Bastian, p. 67. 

§ Esquirol, p. 375. 

11 The Brain an Organ of the Mind, p. 364. 


106 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


difficult to say. We find that the record is against this proposi¬ 
tion, inasmuch as the greatest size seems always to be attended 
with abnormal physiological structure, and either idiotic or com¬ 
monplace quality of brain. We know that Daniel Webster had 
a twenty-three and three-quarter inch head, and some other famous 
men had heads varying all the way from twenty-two to twenty-four 
inches in circumference, but in all instances where these heads 
have been accompanied with unusual talent the inherited quality 
was of a high order, and the physiological development was also 
most uncommonly strong; and, acting normally, a large brain must 
have the assistance of a large and fine visceral organization, 
together with high quality , to make it effective. A large brain is 
no more an indicator of talent or genius than is a large face or 
body. Large features, if accompanied by fine quality of skin and 
hair, denote a powerful intellect if great good health be present. 
Lava ter tells us that “ a head too bulky almost always indicates 
gross stupidity; too small, it is a sign of weakness and insig¬ 
nificance.” 

Let us now investigate some characters whose great intellects 
have been exhibited by small heads, and see if the traits disclosed 
will not bear fair comparison with the largest-brained men on 
record. All naturalists whose observations lead them to study 
animal organisms comprehend well the fact, that quality , not size, 
is the prime indicator of mental ability. Charles Darwin observes 
that 

No one supposes that the intellect of any two animals or of any two 
men can be accurately gauged by the cubic contents of their skulls. It is 
certain that there may be extraordinary mental activity with an extremely 
small absolute mass of nervous matter. Thus, the wonderfully diversified 
instincts, mental powers, and affections of ants are generally known, yet 
their cerebral ganglia are not so large as the quarter of a small pin’s head. 
Under this latter point of view, the brain of an ant is one of the most mar¬ 
vellous atoms of matter in the world, perhaps more marvellous than the 
brain of a man.* 

As size of brain merely is not a measure of power, neither can 
we consider form or shape an absolute indication of mental power 
or of racial classification in man. Those persons who have imbibed 
the notion that a very high and full forehead is evidence of superior 
mental power are often startled to find very commonplace or 
inferior mentality accompanying such appearance. Dr. Living¬ 
stone enlightens us on this point in the following remarks. He 
observes:— 

There is no proper race-form of the cranium. The same measures of 
skull, the same types, whether of a classified purity and beauty, or of savage 

* Descent of Man, Charles Darwin, p. 139. 


SIZE OF THE HEAD. 


107 


degradation, appear in individuals of all races. Tiedman lias met with 
Germans whose skulls bore all the characteristics of the negro races, and an 
inhabitant of Nukihawa, according to Silesias and Blumenbach, agreed 
exactly in his proportions with the Apollo Belvidere.* 

He observes, further, that the “Kaffirs are five feet eight 
inches high, with large heads; foreheads high and well devel¬ 
oped.”')* Yet, as all students of ethnology know, these people are 
not one whit more intelligent than the North American Indians. 

In analyzing and in deciding character, form is a safer guide 
than size, but here also quality must be regarded first, and I have 
no doubt that the negro Apollo mentioned by Blumenbach lacked 
the fine thin skin, fine hair, and brightness of the eye which 
characterized the ancient Greek, and which are the proofs of keen¬ 
ness of apprehension wherever found. 

Among the most celebrated statesmen of modern times, Prince 
Talleyrand, of France, takes high rank, not only for his learning, 
which was comprehensive, but for his native talent, subtlety, and 
profundity he was considered the ablest man of his times. Of him, 
Mirabeau said:— 

For every combination lie was prepared; one of the most subtle and 
powerful intellects of the age, he generally counselled measures marked b} T 
wise liberality and solid common sense.f 

Napoleon said of Talleyrand,§ “Fie is a dexterous fellow; he 
has seen through me; ” and his biographer tells us, also:— 

To a great talent for business he added that perfect command over 
himself which is so advantageous to a diplomatist; his wit was caustic, 
ready and penetrating, a crowd of examples attesting his accomplishments 
in this respect; he preserved all the qualities of his great mind until the 
close of his life ; he had always the welfare of his country at heart. 

The following measurement of his head, made by Drs. Moreau, 
Coigny, Flaurens, and Micard, proves that large size does not 
always exist with and is not essential to great men of intellect.|| 
They give the following:— 

General horizontal measurement, twenty inches and four lines (a line 
in French measure is the tenth of an inch) ; from the root of the nose to the 
occipital hole over along the top of the head,fourteen inches; from the hole 
in the ear to the other over veneration, eleven inches two lines. 

Many of the most eminent persons known to history in every 
department of thought and genius have possessed small heads. 

* Races of the Old World, p. 471. 

f Ibid., p. 289. 

X Universal Biography, Wm. N. Reeton. London. 

§ Beeton’s Dictionary of Biography. 

|| Phrenological Journal, vol. i, p. 1. Philadelphia. 


108 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Many of the world’s greatest and most executive men had rela¬ 
tively small heads. Among them I may mention George W ash- 
ington, John Marshall (who had a low forehead as well), Percy 
Bysshe Shelley. John Seldon, one of the most learned men oi 
England, was six feet in height, and Ids head not large. Lord 
Byron’s head was remarkably small, hut beautifully formed, on the 
true artistic principle of the curve, being rounded in every direc¬ 
tion. His hair laid in easy, graceful rings and waves. 

The following very strong testimony on the subject of large 
versus small heads will go far to dispel the popular fallacy that 
large heads and talent and genius are necessarily associated. It 
goes to prove, on the contrary, that the largest heads are usually 
associated with criminal character when they are not the indication 
of feeble minds. The following from “ Types of Mankind ” is 
pertinent:— 

I have not hitherto exerted myself to obtain crania of the Anglo-Saxon 
race except in the instance of individuals who have been signalized by their 
crimes, and this number is too small to be of much importance in a generali¬ 
zation like the present. Yet, since these skulls have been procured without 
reference to their size, it is remarkable that five give an average of ninety-six 
cubic inches for the bulk of the brain; the smallest head measuring ninety- 
one and the largest one hundred and five cubic inches. It is necessary to 
observe, however, that they are all male crania; but, on the other hand,they 
pertained to the lowest class of society", and three of them died on the 
gallows for the crime of murder. The Anglo-Americans conform in all 
their characteristics to the parent stock. They possess in common with 
their English ancestors a more elongated head than the unmixed Germans. 
The few crania in my possession have without exception been derived 
from the lowest and least cultivated portion of the community,—male¬ 
factors, paupers, and lunatics. The largest brain has been ninety-seven 
cubic inches; the smallest eighty-two, and the mean of ninety accords 
with that of the collective Teutonic race. The sexes of the seven skulls 
are four male and three female. Dr. John Reid has also investigated 
this question on a large scale with great care. 

After weighing two hundred and fifty-three brains of both sexes, 
and of various ages, he arrives at the conclusion that the encephalon 
arrives at its maximum size sooner than the other organs of the body; 
that its relative size when compared with the other organs, and to the 
entire body, is much greater in the child than in the adult; and that, 
although the average weight of the male brain is absolutely heavier than 
the female brain relative to the whole body , yet the female brain is some¬ 
what heavier than the average male brain* 


I shall offer still further corroborative evidence as to the 
association of size of brain with intelligence. The following 
from the pen of the distinguished writer Quatrefages is apropos. 
He observes thus:— 


* Types of Mankind, Knott & Glidden, p. 312. 


SIZE OF THE HEAD. 


109 


We shall certainly not be accused of exaggerated immaterialism if 
we estimate the action of the brain as we estimate the action of a 
muscle. Now, experience and observation daily testify that in the latter 
volume and form are not everything. Functional energy often more than 
compensates for what is wanting with respect to mass. Many other 
organic systems would furnish similar facts well known to all doctors 
and all physiologists. To assert the case is different with the brain 
would be, in the absence of all direct observation, a purely gratuitous 
hypothesis, and in the presence of Wagner’s tables a contradiction of 
evidence. With his small brain Haussmann, the correspondent of the 
French Institute, has evidently surpassed in the matter of intelligence 
almost all his large-headed contemporaries. 

In these tables a number of brain-weights of eminent men 
are given, in which Cuvier’s stands as the heaviest, sixty-four and 
five-tenths ounces; while Hausmann’s brain-weight stands at 
43-24 ounces. 

To continue the quotation:— 

But, on the other hand, beyond a certain stage of decrease, the 
muscular apparatus becomes incapable of effort. We can readily under¬ 
stand that it might be so with the brain also. It is, therefore, most 
natural to find that when it has fallen below a certain volume and weight 
it generally passes from weakness to impotence. Even M. de Bonald 
could not consider it strange that an intelligence when provided only 
with imperfect or almost useless organs should only manifest itself in an 
incomplete manner. 

Thus, irrespective of all dogmatic or philosophic ideas, we are led 
to the conclusion that there is a certain relation between the develop¬ 
ment of the intelligence and the volume and weight of the brain. But 
at the same time we must allow that the material element, that which 
is appreciable to our senses, is not the only one which we must take 
into account, for behind it lies hidden an unknown quantity , an X, at 
present undetermined and only recognized by its effects.* 

The unknown quantity here mentioned, I believe to be in¬ 
herited quality , or energy. It can be determined by the laws of 
scientific physiognomy, which gives the signs for discovering its 
power. 

To add to the weight of evidence in regard to the size of the 
head as an indication of intellect, I add the following from M. 
Broca, one of the most distinguished French writers. “No well- 
instructed person,” says M. Broca, “would ever think of esti¬ 
mating the intelligence by measuring the encephalon.” Corrob¬ 
orative evidence in this direction from the most competent observers 
could be largely added to, but want of space forbids. 

The evidence here presented shows us that great size is not 
essential to greatness of intellect; that where great mental powers 
have co-existed with small heads some factor or factors other 
than size have assisted in producing or exhibiting such power. 

*The Human Species, A. de Quatrefages. 


no 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


These factors are inherited quality and physiological development; 
the quality is produced either by the pre-natal conditions of the 
individual—by inheriting the natural quality of either father or 
mother—by a combination of qualities of both, which created that 
which was inherited—or by an endowment from some remote 
ancestor; for there are several ways to account for inherited quality 
of a high order, and when we do not find a counterpart in either 
parent we must look for the cause in some one of the other modes 
above stated. 

I obtained the statement from Mr. Charles Herman, a hatter 
doing an extensive business in hats in San Francisco, that all his 
customers who wore extra-large sizes were very commonplace 
characters, with one or two exceptions. Those who wore the 
smallest hats were mostly men who were bright, smart, active 
persons, and none of them less than ordinary in intellect, but some 
of them among the brightest men of the country. He stated, 
furthermore, that his largest sizes went north to Alaska and British 
Columbia, while the smallest men’s sizes were sent south to the 
native Californians, the descendents of the Spanish settlers. 

The several instances previously quoted of the idiotic or 
commonplace characters of very large or heavy-brained persons 
correspond with the commonplace characters of these exceedingly 
heavy and large-bodied persons mentioned. Indeed, I think, all 
Nature unfolds to us this one fact, that all her finest and most 
valuable products are relatively small. The largest animals are the 
least intelligent and useful, as, for example, the whale and hippo¬ 
potamus; the largest flower, the Rafflesia arnoldi , is as repulsive 
as it is monstrous, being fifteen pounds in weight and with a carrion¬ 
like odor. Our most useful domestic animals, the camel, the ox, 
the horse, and dog, are only of medium size as compared to the 
first mentioned, yet are both intelligent and useful; and no one, 
surely, will compare the largest flowers with the jasmine, rose, 
and pink. 

I think we may safely set it down as a law of Nature that 
all over-siz;ed individuals, whose brain, face, or body is unusually 
large in size, are relatively deficient in intellect "and practical 
talents. Medium or small-sized heads and bodies are, as a rule, 
the most useful and intellectual, and in looking for true greatness 
neither the size of the head, face nor body will be the index. The 
law which scientific physiognomy formulates is stated thus: The 
size of the nose, controlled by Quality , is the measure of power; 
the shape of the nose denotes the kind of power.” The nose is 
the central and most radical feature of the face, and indicates more 
of the body and mental qualities than any other feature. 


SIZE OF THE HEAD. 


Ill 


The most perfected races possess the most developed noses, 
and the most developed and intellectual persons among the civilized 
races have the most developed noses, while all the savage races are 
lacking in the development of this feature, and exhibit by the 
peculiarities of the size and form of the nose the absence of all 
those traits of mind and body of which the nose, in its most devel¬ 
oped state, is an indication. 

Why may not all facial features and portions of features 
reveal the shape, form, and condition of internal organs'? We 
know this to be so in regard to the size and shape of the nostrils 
in relation to the lungs, and if the nostrils can reveal internal con¬ 
ditions so also can the mouth, the eyes, the ears, and every other 
feature of the face as well. I will say, en passant , that quality is 
shown by brightness of the eye and fineness of the skin and hair. 
The subject of Quality will be treated at length in its proper order. 
Where the nose is long, high, and broad, the stomach, heart, and 
lungs are much superior in strength to those associated with a nose 
which is short, flat, and narrow. A comparison of the noses and 
bodies of the Germans and English, for example, with the noses 
and bodies of the native Australian will illustrate this point. In 
some savage races, and in one species of the ape family ( Semno - 
pithecus nascius ), we find long noses, but they do not possess a 
form that indicates intelligence, and their bodies do not exhibit 
the quality essential to mental vigor. 

It is most surprising that, while physicians and writers on 
physiology have long understood the value of the tongue and lips 
as indicators of healthful and diseased conditions, they seem to 
have utterly ignored the significance of the nose as a revelator of 
internal conditions and functions. Of course, they comprehend 
the fact that the nostrils must be in accord with the size and vigor 
of the lungs, and if large nostrils reveal the size of the lungs they 
must disclose the activity of the heart, as these two organs are cor¬ 
related and mutually condition each other. All observers may 
prove for themselves, with slight trouble, these statements. All 
persons who have narrow or small nostrils will also exhibit a flat, 
narrow chest; those with large, round nostrils will disclose a high, 
wide, full chest. Now, if one part of a feature of the face dis¬ 
close the shape of a certain part of the body , together with its 
strength or functional activity, is it not logical and reasonable to 
infer that every part of every feature of the face will disclose the 
form and functional activity of other parts of the organism 1 And 
if the body and mind are one, acting as a unit, then, by the same 
method of reasoning, why is not the action of the mind, its strength, 
weakness, and direction, also indicated by the form, size, and color 


112 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


of certain features of the face 1 I think that all candid and observ¬ 
ant readers will find ample proof of all these ideas both in the 
theoretical and practical parts of this volume, but, above all, will 
the verification of these statements be found most conclusive in 
Nature by comparing the faces and forms of individuals with their 
mental labors and dispositions as exhibited in their daily life. There 
is no reason why mental and physical science should not be demon¬ 
strated as conclusively as any other department of natural science. 
Those who talk of its “complexity” should realize the fact that 
all other departments of natural history are complex, yet have been 
pretty well explained, and that every step in the knowledge of 
plants and animals has thrown new light on this very complexity, 
which, it is claimed, should deter man from even attempting to 
simplify. The tangled knot of the warp and woof of life and 
mind is gradually loosening under the innumerable discoveries of 
the microscope in the hands of legions of valiant soldiers which 
Science has summoned to do her bidding, and if man is really what 
he has so long flattered himself, viz., the master of the universe, 
let him earn and deserve the title by virtue of his knowledge of 
its secrets concerning himself. 

Although the size of the nose is a very decisive sign of ability, 
yet several other things must be taken into account in getting at 
the entire mentality, disposition, and general and particular powers 
of the individual. After size is noted, quality and form must be 
regarded; then the proportion both of the features and body. But, 
in order to recognize powerful character in an individual, we must 
see that the nose stands high above the plane of the face, the nos¬ 
trils broad, the eye relatively large and bright, the mouth also 
large, the chin of proportionate breadth and length, the eyes set 
well under a rather projecting brow (an eye that is on a level with 
the plane of the brow discloses great stupidity), the cheeks well 
filled (not too fat), a forehead broad across its upper part; and, 
when to this is added fine skin and fine hair, true greatness of 
some sort is indicated. The kind of greatness depends upon the 
shape of the nose. If it be a literary nose, then the possessor will 
excel in a literary direction ; if the nose be architectural, that power 
will be exhibited ; an artistic or dramatic nose will decide the talent 
and power of the individual in that department. To make all this 
effective good health is most important, for without it the individual 
would be like a powerful steam-engine without steam,—an inert, 
helpless machine. 

QUALITY. 

In determining the quality or mental power of an individual, 
the texture of the skin and hair is to be considered first, as these 


QUALITY. 


113 


indicate quite as much as the form, and really determine its power 
and activity. If the skin he fine, clear, smooth, and thin, a high 
grade of mental activity or sensitiveness of the nervous system may 
be inferred. As the brain-substance, in the form of nerves, is 
spread all over the surface of the skin, the thinner and finer it is, 
the greater is the amount of sensation experienced, and, as Nature 
is harmonious, all the external appearances will be found to har¬ 
monize ; hence, the hair will agree with the skin in quality, as well* 
as with the finger-nails. The latter will be found smooth, fine, 
and thin in combination with a skin of like qualities. 

The history of the evolution of man teaches us that the nerv¬ 
ous system was evolved from the outer skin-covering in primitive 
animals millions of years before man came upon earth. This very 
significant fact shows us how the skin is an indicator of nervous 
and brain quality. It will be found, upon investigation, that this 
way of deciding the quality of mental power is infallible. The 
peculiarities of the formation of the face must tell the rest. The 
same law obtains in the animal world. A fine, soft coat on any 
animal proves its superior intelligence to those who possess coarse, 
shaggy hair. The exterior will always be found to agree with the 
interior in quality and form ; and, after we learn the indications, 
it will be astonishing how simple it will seem to read character cor¬ 
rectly, and we shall wonder why we never saw these things before 
nor fathomed their meanings. 

The brightness of the eye is still another exponent of the 
quality of brain-power. An eye that is dull naturally, and moving 
slowly, shows dullness and stupidity; while bright eyes, with a 
quick and animated motion, show that the sensations are keen or 
the mental powers clear and active.' There is much in regard to 
the eye which cannot be written. Words fail to describe adequately 
different degrees of brightness and expressions. The reader must 
investigate for himself, and commence a course of generalizing and 
classification on his own account. 

Quality is the determining power all through Nature—not 
size. If one wishes a fine flower, one does not pluck a sunflower. 
It is large,—true; but it is also coarse in look and devoid of 
fragrance. So one selects a smaller and more-developed flower. 
This development is shown in the same way by which a brain or 
an ear of high quality is known—by the number of its convolu¬ 
tions. A fine rose or pink will illustrate this difference. 

I have never met a genius nor a highly intelligent person 
with a coarse, thick skin, coarse hair, and dull eyes; but I have 
seen many coarse and commonplace persons possessed of these 

peculiarities. Of course there are many grades of quality disclosed 

8 


114 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


by the texture of the skin and hair, while there are several kinds 
and degrees of brightness of the eyes which have each a different 
signification. One kind of brightness of the eye, as seen in the 
case of George Francis Train, for example, denotes a very active 
brain, along with the most sublime egotism. Ibis sort ol eye 
the egotistic—is always uncommonly bright and glittering, and 
close observation is required by the student ol physiognomy to 
discern these fine and subtle differences; and these differences are 
best learned from the living subject. No pen-painting can describe 
them adequately. In this science a reference to Nature is our 
court of last resort, yet good observers must note these minute 
shadings and record them for the benefit ol beginners, whose atten¬ 
tion may be first drawn to them in this way. There is a peculiar 
glitter of the eye caused by egotism and intense conceit, which is 
not to be confounded with that brightness and keenness which is 
indicative of great intelligence. After once noting this distinction, 
the student can scarcely mistake one for the other. Those persons 
whose skins are exceedingly fine, thin, and clear are excessively 
sensitive. This is caused by the nerves being nearer the outer 
world than is the case with those whose skins are coarser and 
thicker. Such people have brains all over ; that is to say, that as 
brain and nerve-matter are identical in structure, those whose 
nerves lie the nearest to the outer world, and whose skin is fine 
and sensitive, naturally receive impressions and sensations more 
acutely than those not thus endowed. Hence, we find that the 
most impressible, intuitive, and sensitive are those who possess the 
finest quality of brain and nerves, and this quality is always dis¬ 
closed by fine skin and hair and bright eyes* and is never found in 
those races and persons that have coarse, thick skins, coarse hair, 
and dull eyes. The senses of these finely organized persons, being 
highly susceptible to impressions, are hence capable of more en¬ 
joyment and suffering than others, and unless the nutritive powers 
are well developed they are liable to disease and early death; the 
excessive activity of the brain and nerves will cause them to wear 
out: yet some of our most gifted poets and artists, who have ex¬ 
hibited a fine and high quality of brain and nerves, have lived to 
advanced age, because the other systems of the body were equally 
developed, and assisted in sustaining the excessive activity of the 
brain and nerves. 

The signs for quality are the same in the animal races as in 
the human; the coarsest-haired creatures, like the bear and hog, 
are the most brutal and stupid. These animals exhibit very dull 
eyes, nearly on a plane with the brow and cheek, and herein form 
denotes their low grade of intelligence, for we observe that the 



QUALITY. 


115 


most shallow and superficial people among civilized races are those 
whose eyes project to nearly a level with the eyebrow. Among 
dogs and horses, who are conceded to be the most intelligent of 
animals, the differences of intelligence are easily found by an in¬ 
spection of the degrees of coarseness and fineness of their coats 
and the brightness and position of their eyes. The bull-dog has 
neither the fineness of hair nor brightness and clearness of eye that 
distinguishes the spaniel; neither does he possess the latter’s intelli¬ 
gence and aptitude for learning; his eyes protrude beyond the 
brow, while the eye of the spaniel is placed just as is the eye of 
the most observant of men, under a projecting bony brow. This 
appearance denotes in the dog just what it does in man, viz., ob¬ 
servation, and this latter faculty enables the spaniel to be man’s 
intelligent assistant while hunting,—an office which the bull-dog, 
with all his great size and strength, could not fill. 

It is commonly understood that phrenologists decide character 
by feeling the protuberances on the head, and judging of one’s 
proclivities by the elevations and depressions which the fingers 
discover; but if one will take the trouble to read what is written 
on the subject, he will find that phrenologists are physiognomists 
to a certain extent, and that they make free use of indications in 
the face, and it is from this source that their best delineations of 
character are made. The following from the pen of O. S. Fowler, 
one of the pioneers of phrenology in this country, is proof of 
this statement. He observes:— 

The countenance furnishes by far the most perfect means of commu¬ 
nication. In both the amount of mental action expressed and in conveying 
its minutest shadings and phrases, it as far surpasses words as sunlight 
does starlight. Fine-grained persons can be read through and through by 
this means, because they communicate their utmost shadings of thought 
and emotiou more completely by facial expression than by any other. 
I think natural and facial language the chief language of angels.* 

I have not had much intercourse with “ angels,” but Sweden¬ 
borg, who claims to have associated freely with them, states that 
they communicated with each other “by looking in each other’s 
faces.” “They comprehend,” he says, “what is in the mind by 
merely looking at the face.” Mr. Fowler shows that he uses 
the face for a knowledge of the changes which take place in 
the body. He observes:— 

All existing bodily states are also told instantly and correctly in 
the face. Two persons meeting after even a long separation instinctively 
admeasure any changes in both each other’s health and moral tone and 
all their other states since they parted. If either has degenerated or 


* Human Science, O. S. Fowler, p. 1089. 


116 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


improved in health, the other instantly catches and estimates it correctly, 
and even wherein; or if either has grown better or worse morally, the 
other notes which, and its amount instantly, and admeasures it correctly. 
Nature compels everybody to tell everybody else who sees them whether 
they are growing better or worse, and just wherein, in any and in all 
respects. This natural language is a great fact and a great volume of 
truth all should learn to read.* 

The above is the great phrenologist’s testimonial to the 
value of the face as a revelator of character and of all sorts of 
characteristics. The “phrenology” is Mr. Fowler’s, the italics 
mine. That he uses also the skin, hair, and eyes as indicators 
of quality the following from his pen will testify:— 

The skin is especially significant of the character of its possessor. 
The elephant and rhinoceros, coarse, powerful animals, liaA^e coarse, power¬ 
ful skins, almost impenetrable; while man, with a finer-grained skin, has 
finer feelings; and woman, the most delicate, susceptible, and emotional 
being on earth, has the softest and most velvety skin, and, the finer the skin 
of any particular person is, the finer the feelings. In diagnosing a character 
the skin should be one of the first things observed ; hair-texture comes 
next, and is like that of skin: when either is coarse or fine, harsh or soft, 
stiff or flexible, all else will correspond with it. The texture of brain, 
therefore, corresponds with that of the body, and any and every part of 
itself with every part of both.j* 

Mr. Fowler also tells us something of the complexion as an 

indicator of character. He remarks:— 

• 

A good complexion, then, is something more than skin deep. Who 
disputes that the complexion indicates existing health states? Who does 
not know that these very states control the temper and morals? One may 
be justly proud of a good complexion and ashamed of a poor one, while all 
should try to keep or make theirs good by observing the health laws.J 

Of the signification of the eye, he states:— 

The expressions of the eye convey precise ideas of the existing and 
predominant states of the mentality and physiology. As long as the con¬ 
stitution remains unimpaired the eye is ciear and bright, but becomes 
languid and soulless in proportion as the brain has been enfeebled. Wild, 
erratic persons have a half-crazed expression of eye, while calmness and 
benignancy, intelligence, purity, sweetness, love, sensuality, anger, and all 
the other mental affections express themselves quite as distinctly by the 
eye as by voice or any other mode, doubtless because the optic nerve is 
located in the midst of the basilar organs.§ 

After noting the various conditions of the complexion, skin, 
and hair, our “ phrenologist ” next observes the various meanings 
which the eye discloses, and this is all very encouraging, for it 
seems impossible to me to read human character without taking 
notice of every feature of the face, and indeed of all bodily feature?, 

♦Human Science, O. S. Fowler, p 1134. f Ibid., pp. 240, 241. J Ibid., p. 282. § Ibid., p. 284. 


QUALITY. 


117 


together with the voice, the walk, the handwriting, handshaking, 
gestures, attitudes, and every motion of the muscles of the face 
and body. And all this Mr. Fowler proves to us that lie does , 
but at the same time denominates his examinations “ phrenologi¬ 
cal .” Now this is inconsistent, to say the least; still I do not 
wonder that phrenologists attempt to read the face and body, for in 
undertaking to read the mind the entire organism must be con¬ 
sidered and be thoroughly analyzed before a correct description 
can he given; for, inasmuch as Mind inheres in the entire organism , 
we must study not only the size and form of the head and body, 
hut also of the eyes, the nose, the mouth, the chin, the hands, the 
feet, the hair, and even the eyelashes and finger-nails; every 
separate feature and part of the body must come under the study 
of the examiner, if the most complete and comprehensive knowl¬ 
edge of character is desired. I believe that all phrenologists are 
more physiognomists than they are simple skull-feelers. Mr. 
Fowler shows us, at any rate, that he depends greatly upon physi¬ 
ognomy, yet states his regret that he has not a good systematized 
way of doing so, and hopes that some good “looker and thinker 
will bring out a system which shall be scientific.” * I hereby call 
his attention to this system. 

The following extract from Mr. Fowler’s work evidences yet 
again that he is a Physiognomico-Phrenologist. He observes:— 

Horses, oxen, sheep, owls, doves, snakes, and even frogs, also have 
their men and women cousins with their accompanying characters. These 
animal-resemblances are more easily seen than described, but the voice,forms 
of mouth, nose , and chin, are the best bases for observation f 

After all this, if I hear any one accuse Mr. Fowler of being a 
phrenologist I shall deny it, and defend him by bringing his own 
words forward for evidence. I shall later adduce more of this 
gentleman’s ideas on physiognomy, and I believe we shall find 
them useful; for it is not to be supposed that an observing man 
like Mr. Fowler has been closely scrutinizing faces for forty or fifty 
years without knowing considerable about them, even if he has 
not, as he acknowledges, the originality to found a system upon 
the subject. 

In looking for indices of character one should not pass un¬ 
heeded the characteristics which the finger-nails disclose. Where 
they are fine and thin and of a pinkish shade, a normal condition 
of health and a fine degree of mental power will be indicated. 
The color denotes health, and the fineness and delicacy of the 
grain, or texture, is an exponent of a sensitive, nervous system, 

* Human Science, p. 1136. t Ibid., p. 289. 


118 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


which under the law of harmony is hound to correspond with the 
keenness of the nervous system and brain. Coarse-grained, thick 
nails reveal to us a character more useful than ornamental. If the 
color is of a pink or reddish hue, then a normal degree of health 
is present; if the nails are of a bluish tint, irregular circulation 
will be denoted; if pale, then consumptive tendencies or exhaus¬ 
tion of the system are shown; where the nails bend over the ends 
of the fingers, we are led to infer consumptive, dyspeptic, or scrofu¬ 
lous tendencies. The nails point to moral and immoral states, as 
well as to artistic and mechanical abilities, but this branch of the 
subject will be discussed when we come to treat of the hand and 
fingers separately. 

In order to comprehend fully and in a scientific manner the 
meaning of the indications of character and signs in the face, one 
must know somewhat of the origin of mind as revealed to us by 
the history of the evolution or progressive growth of the human 
body. It is impossible, in a work of this sort, to give more than 
a slight description of the origin of the sign for mental power as 
disclosed by the texture of the skin, hair, and nails. Yet, slight as 
this must necessarily be, it is just to my readers and to the system 
which I bring forward, that a scientific basis should be shown for 
every sign, and most especially for one so important as is the sign 
for deciding the mental power of all created beings. The methods 
observed by naturalists to learn the origin of man’s mental organs and 
powers are twofold; first, by following the course of the evolution 
or progressive growth and development of the lower animals, com¬ 
mencing with the lowest forms of animal and vegetable life; 
thence tracing the evolution of man through animal and human 
embryology. It is in this latter department that our most con¬ 
clusive evidence is revealed. It was an assumption on the part 
of Aristotle, that the heart of the incubated chick was the first 
organ to develop. We now know that the chick, as well as all 
other vertebrate animals, develops in precisely the same way pri¬ 
marily as does man. 

The quality observed in the skin, the hair, and in the bright¬ 
ness of the eyes is not only the index of mental quality, but also 
of the quality of all the physical organs and functions of the organ¬ 
ism. This must necessarily be the case, for do we not find delicacy 
and sensitiveness of all the powers of body in the greyhound as 
compared, to the bear, the hog, the hippopotamus, and the rhi¬ 
noceros, just as we observe the difference of physical delicacy 
and sensitiveness between a North American Indian and the gifted 
and refined Florence Nightingale'? 

Lavater understood the value of the textures of the skin and 


FORM. 


119 


hair as an exponent of* character, for he remarks (quoting from 
Galen):— 

To discover whether the quality of the brain corresponds with the 
flesh we must examine the hair. When the hair is of the flrst quality and 
we would further distinguish whether it betokens goodness of understand¬ 
ing or imagination, we must pay attention to the laugh.* 

The following from Aristotle is true to Nature, although he 
attached but one signification to it. I find more than one mean¬ 
ing in weak and strong hair. He observes:— 

Weak hair betokens fear, and strong hair courage. This observation 
is not only applicable to men,'but to beasts. The most fearful of beasts are 
the deer, the hare, and the sheep, and the hair of these is weaker than that 
of other beasts. The lion and the wild boar, on the contrary, are the most 
courageous, which property is conspicuous in their extremely strong hair. 
The same also may be remarked of birds, for in general those among them 
which have coarse feathers are courageous, and those that have soft and 
weak feathers are fearful; quails and game-cocks, for example. This may 
be easily applied to man.f 


FORM. 

The physiognomists of all ages have understood the connec¬ 
tion between form and character, and, to a certain extent, between 
form and function. Naturalists and scientists have given various 
rules for translating form into character, while artists, who deal 
with form as an art, with few and rare exceptions, have left no 
true rules upon which to base a correct estimate of human charac¬ 
ter. This is not to be wondered at, as highly imitative and 
imaginative minds are not adapted to the kind of observation, cool 
analysis and reason which is needed to reveal and expound prin¬ 
ciples of Nature; hence we must not expect any great light from 
artists on the subject of the meanings of form, although form is 
the basis of their profession. They only deal with form as an 
expression of beauty or ugliness, without regard to its scientific or 
natural meaning. Artists are not as high in the scale of develop¬ 
ment as are mechanics, inventors, or scientists; for artists are 
mainly in the muscular and brain systems, while the former classes 
are in the bony and brain systems, which is a higher combination 
than the artistic. It is true that we have had a few great artists 
who were great in other directions; Michael Angelo, lor example, 
was a man capable of as great achievement in many other direc¬ 
tions as in art. Goethe was almost as eminent in science as in 
poetry, yet the great majority of artists are mere surface-readers 
of form and do not need, perhaps, to know the science or laws 


* Lavater’s Essays, p. 265. 


f Ibid ., p. 206. 


120 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


governing form; but science will revolutionize painting and all 
arts, as it has every other department of human knowledge. 

Every leaf, every tree, and each animal form reveals its char¬ 
acter by its shape. Every part of each individual corroborates 
every other part, so that a skilled observer can learn considerable 
of one’s mentality by the shape or form of the finger-nail even. 
Every bone of the body is in harmony with every other bone of 
the same body, and a physiognomist is quite able to tell what 
shaped chin or forehead is associated with a given nose, or vice 
versa. This is not only comparative anatomy, but comparative 
physiognomy as well. 

On this subject O. S. Fowler remarks:— 

Form thus obviously becomes the true basis for temperamental classi¬ 
fication : shape is, as character. Then why should not the temperaments be 
named and described from those forms which accompany them and are con¬ 
ferred by them ? They should.* 

Mr. Fowler has an original way of using the term Tempera¬ 
ment. This is the word which Hippocrates used to denote the 
colors of the human countenance and organism, but Mr. Fowler 
takes it bodily and applies it to a description of form. 

We may set it down as a fixed principle of physiognomy that 
the form is one of the most potent factors in revealing and com¬ 
prehending character. We shall find, if we observe and compare, 
that all round persons are creative, inventive, and original. This 
does not include the globose, vegetative people, but those of the 
round, muscular build. This class of persons are social, often 
domestic, musical, amative, sportive, mirthful, and commercial. 
They are also good dancers, enjoying motion, walking, and all 
athletic sports; while square-built persons are always found to be 
orderly, like the methodical arrangement of their bones, which are 
at right angles to each other. They are also precise, accurate, and 
punctual. Persons of this formation are naturally given to me¬ 
chanical pursuits, and make good mechanics, such as carpenters, 
dress-fitters, scientists, etc., and in all trades and professions where 
method, punctuality, rule, law, and order are required, these square, 
bony people are found. Pound people are more suave, politic, and 
polished than square-built ones. The latter are more direct, accu¬ 
rate, and reliable than the former as a class, yet true persons are 
found among the round-built; but, as a general rule, these two 
formations are as I have described them. It will be seen that 
straightness of bone points to straightness of character,—to integ¬ 
rity,—while straight muscles disclose more honorable character than 


* Human Science, O. S. Fowler, p. 244. 


FORM. 


121 


crooked muscles. Persons with crooked eyes are not so truthful 
as where they are straight; that is to say, where the crookedness is 
congenital and not accidental. 

A crooked, convex nose is not as indicative of honest character 
as is a straight one. Many merchants have this formation, and 
such persons will be found to he grasping, acquisitive, rapacious, 
and overbearing, and will exhibit all the traits of the bird of prey, 
whose beak discloses the same form. 

Crooked-legged persons—those whose legs are crooked by the 
curving of the muscles—are naturally licentious. This form is not 
to be confounded with the “ bow-legs,” which are due to a weak¬ 
ness of the bones caused by supporting the body too early in in¬ 
fancy. A close observer can distinguish the difference. The first 
mentioned disclose legs which crook outwardly from the knee, 
while the bones of the bow-legged individual crook outwardly from 
the hip-joint. There is a very great difference in these two appear¬ 
ances, and each denotes wide differences of character. 

Pound or ovoid-shaped persons always possess a degree of 
creative ability of some sort, if only of a physical nature. Pound¬ 
shaped animals and men exhibit large procreative powers. In the 
lowest races of round men and animals creative power is shown 
more by fecundity than by mental creation. The square or angular 
races are less fertile than the former, but possess character adapted 
to the observation and investigation of the laws and principles of 
Nature. 

There is no doubt that the forms of the interior organs of all 
animal and human bodies are as individualized as are the features 
of the face and forms of the body, and most certainly correspond 
with the external configuration in size and shape, for the action of 
the interior organs produces the external contour. The shape of 
the fingers corresponds to that of the hand, and both these to the 
arm, the body, and the face. If as much time were spent upon 
learning this system of comparative anatomy as is put into useless 
accomplishments it would advance the reader immeasurably in the 
knowledge of character-reading. 

The various forms of the nose (a feature most potent in dis¬ 
closing character, both mental and physical) are very easily reduced 
to several general classes, and with little observation on the part 
of the student he will be enabled to place each nose in its own 
class, without regard to the pronounced individuality which each 
nose must necessarily exhibit. The same is true of the various 
sorts of mouths, and one can soon separate the criminal from the 
artistic mouth; the social, sympathetic, or oratorical from the 
secretive or gluttonous mouth. 


122 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


The basilar or primitive shape of all forms, both vegetable 
and animal, is the ovoid or circular. The cellular tissue of vege¬ 
table life always presents this appearance under the microscope. 
The tissues of all animal and human organisms present in their 
primary organization precisely the same appearance as the tissues 
of the vegetable. The corpuscles of the blood are like the cells ol 
vegetable life. The bones of the animal and human organisms are 
built upon the same form, and present, under the microscope, a 
cellular construction, just as we see in the corals and all other 
primitive and low animal organisms. The ovoid, or egg shape, 
then, is the uniform pattern of primitive creations; hence, it indi¬ 
cates creation, constructiveness. It is the same form which the 
planets assume in their course of formation, and there must be one 
universal law which assists in shaping the primitive germs of or¬ 
ganic life, as well as the great bodies which revolve in celestial 
space. The round form of vegetable, animal, and human organisms 
is caused, doubtless, by the rotatory motion of our earth, for we 
know that no form or organism is angular or square in its primary 
state. If it assumes angles, as in the mineral formations, there 
has been first cellular crystallization, while the mineral was in an 
incandescent state; and no matter what shapes plants, trees, and 
animals eventually assume, the whole structure is built up by 
myriads of ovoid-shaped cells. The sap and juices of the tree and 
plant, like the blood of the animal body, are composed of minute 
cell-shaped forms, and are uniform in their shape, though not in 
size. The tissues also of both vegetable and animal bodies are 
cellular, and built up in the same uniform manner, as are all the 
other cells in Nature. 

What is the interpretation of this universal and uniform 
method of growth 1 We find the answer in the contour of the 
highest being in creation, viz., in man. All persons of creative or 
constructive minds are round in form, and whatever works they 
produce, such as pictures, statuary, gestures, and positions, as in 
acting, and the use of the voice in oratory (for sound is of a curved 
shape in its passage through the atmosphere), are also rounding in 
form. And, in writing, this class of persons treat of subjects and 
principles which are based upon the ovoid, elliptical, or circular 
form, as in physics, geometry, etc. Thus we see that the pos¬ 
session of creative power is always known by rounding form of the 
body, the head, the nose, the eyes, the fingers, and limbs, and 
whenever in the human face we find one feature which presents a 
rounding appearance, be it the head, the ear, the nose, or lip, then 
that feature expresses more creative energy of a certain part of the 
mind than does a flat or depressed feature. A round ear is best 


FORM. 


123 


adapted to the reception of tone or sound. A round nose is indica¬ 
tive of constructive power, either musical, dramatic, or literary (see 
section on 44 Noses ”). A rounding upper lip reveals greater pro- 
creative ability and capacity than the fiat, thin lip. A round, red, 
rolling under lip points to greater glandular action than one that 
is thin and pale, together with less ability for conversation and less 
taste for flavors, all of which are disclosed by a good-sized, round, 
red under lip. We may go on indefinitely, and apply this law to 
every feature of the face and every portion of the body, and we 
shall find in every instance that this circular form is an indication 
(in its final result and shape, as well as in its primitive cause) of 
constructive or creative power. 

Another form which is used greatly by architects and artists 
is the arch. Its true living meaning I have never yet heard de¬ 
fined by either class. Wherever in Nature, whether in animate 
or inanimate objects we find this form, it illustrates two distinct 
inherent principles, viz., strength and beauty. The arch is ob¬ 
served in the numerous caves which are scattered over the world, 
in the natural bridges, one of which is found in the State of Vir¬ 
ginia, in America, and is a really picturesque structure, fashioned 
by the hand of the Great Architect. 

In the vegetable kingdom we have exhibitions of this form 
of architecture in the limbs of trees where they join the trunk 
and where the smaller limbs and twigs join branches. In the 
floral department we have ample evidence of the strength and 
beauty of the arch as we see it in its construction of the branches 
and blossoms of numerous plants. In the animal species we have 
the most positive evidence of its value and meaning. The humps 
of the camel and dromedary are great arches, and assist these 
creatures in carrying, without fatigue, enormous loads over the 
sandy wastes. They also assist in creating harmonious propor¬ 
tions in the outline of these animals, which without these projec¬ 
tions would be very ugly in appearance. The beak of the bird 
of prey is another manifestation of strength and harmonious con¬ 
struction. A prominent convex beak is characteristic of the class 
of birds denominated 44 Raptorcs,” or rapacious birds,—such as 
vultures, condors, eagles, falcons, hawks, kites, buzzards, owls, 
etc. This arched beak is an illustration of superior strength and 
power, and in all animals whenever we observe this peculiar for¬ 
mation we shall find in combination- great strength of that par¬ 
ticular part, and shall know that it is the sign or index of the 
entire character, for under the law of proportion and homogeneous¬ 
ness every part of* an organism is adapted to every other part, and 
all indicate the ruling traits of the individual Apply the meaning 


124 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


of the arch to the human face and body, and we find that its 
meaning is precisely the same in the human that it is in all the 
lower forms of existence. The perpendicular or horizontal out¬ 
line, wherever it is observed in an organism, reveals character dif¬ 
ferent from all other forms. As crooked lines disclose crookedness 
of action, so straight lines, in their normal localities, whether in 
man or animal, denote straightness of action and upright conduct. 
Persons with straight bones and straight muscles are more reliable 
and possess more integrity than those with warped or curved bones 
and muscles. Straight eyes and mouths evince truthful proclivities, 
while crooked, slanting eyes (“ a la Ghinois ”), and twisted mouths 
exhibit characteristics the reverse of the former. Observe the slant¬ 
eyed animals, the tiger, the panther, the fox, and the cat, and the 
habits and dispositions of these creatures coincide with their slant¬ 
ing organs of vision. They are deceptive, sly, treacherous, and 
cruel, and this is precisely like the character of those races and 
persons who exhibit the same formation. The Mongolian is an 
excellent example of this peculiarity of formation. The races of 
animals such as the dog, the horse, and the ox have straighter 
eyes and are more reliable and faithful than the former classes of 
animals. 

These facts are patent to all, and easily verified in the animal 
or human families, as well as in the vegetable kingdom. Form 
comes by design , and is a reliable significator of character. It is 
only the indifference of man to these subjects that has caused the 
wide-spread ignorance of the inherent meaning of forms, as well 
as of colors in Nature. The lamentable absence of knowledge on 
the part of man in regard to himself causes one to coincide with 
Carlyle when he exclaimed : “ I had no idea until late times what 
a bottomless fund of darkness there is in the human mind.” The 
correct method to interpret form is to observe what characteristics 
and traits accompany certain forms, and the form will thereafter 
stand for the character found in combination therewith. 

The arch, curve, circle, ovoid, square, and straight line are 
created by Nature, and each illustrates different grades and phases 
of character. We shall be more than blind if we remain ignorant 
of their meanings, their powers, and their capacities. There are 
other principles in Nature which serve to exemplify and illustrate 
character, and when found in combination with certain forms 
greatly modify their meanings. One of the most important prin¬ 
ciples in all Nature’s domain, and most especially important to the 
human family, is Color. This topic will next be treated of, and 
here the student of physiognomy will have an opportunity to 
advance in the science, 


COLOR. 


125 


COLOR. 

The element of color which we behold spread broadcast 
throughout Nature is an inherent and constituent principle in 
mineral, vegetable, and animal life. Color is as potent a factor in 
creating as it is in expounding character, and indicates by its pres¬ 
ence life, health, activity, and beauty. Its absence from vegetation 
denotes disease or death. In the human family similar appear¬ 
ances indicate like conditions. Color is a necessary and natural 
element of the human organism, and is a preservative of health 
and power, both mental and physical. Color is obtained from two 
sources, viz., from the mineral constituents of the earth upon which 
are grown our foods, and from the atmosphere and sunlight. 
Color is extracted from the earth by the roots of the plants and 
trees, and carried upward by the tubes which circulate the nourish¬ 
ment thus received in a fluid form through all their parts. 

The original source of all color is mineral, whether it comes 
to us from the sun,—whose incandescent rays are thrown off from 
vaporous minerals in the form of white light (which by refraction 
is shown to be composed of the seven primary colors, viz., red, 
orange, blue, green, yellow, indigo, and violet),—or whether it is 
evolved from the earthy minerals upon which our foods are grown. 
The experiments made by means of the spectroscope teach us that 
there are twenty important elements in sunlight which are the 
origin of colors; sixteen of these are mineral, viz., sodium, cal¬ 
cium, barium, magnesium, iron, chromium, nickel, copper, zinc, 
stronium, cadmium, cobalt, manganese, aluminum, titanum, and 
rubidium. Each of these minerals has its own peculiar color, and 
it is by the colors given forth from the mineral that the scientist, 
aided by the spectrum analysis, is enabled to know which particu¬ 
lar minerals are in any given atmosphere. The minerals which 
give forth a red light are not the same as those that emit a blue 
ray. Some rays are composed of three of these minerals, others 
have eleven, and others sixteen mineral constituents. Color , like 
sound, is brought to us by vibrations of the surrounding atmos¬ 
phere, and the longer and shorter vibrations give us different- 
colored rays, just as longer and shorter vibrations of atmospheres 
bring to us higher and lower sounds, as heard in the musical scale, 
when some resonant object has been struck ; the key-board of the 
piano or harp-strings, for example. The longest waves or vibra¬ 
tions produce heat only. The shorter and quicker rays give off a 
red color, and as they quicken and become shorter they emit orange, 
yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. 

The sciences of sound and color are yet in their infancy, but 


126 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


as the greatest minds of the world are turned to their investiga¬ 
tion, aided by the manifold scientific apparatus and instruments 
which this inventive age has brought forward, we may hope for 
great discoveries in these directions—discoveries which, like all 
those that have preceded them, will bring to us greater knowledge 
of the laws of God and Nature. 

The color derived from the two sources mentioned, it will be 
observed, must naturally and inevitably permeate all Nature; 
hence, plants, animals, and man are all influenced and sustained 
by color in some form or other. The wonderfully variegated hues 
of the shells of marine animals excite our admiration; so, also, 
the iridescent hues of minerals and gems. appeal to our sense of 
the harmony of color; the fields with their verdant vegetation, 
the foliage and flowers with their pencillings of delicate beauty, 
the clouds which float above our earth, shading from the roseate 
through all grades of color,—from azure, golden, opaline, and 
virescent to the beautiful, yet sombre, lavender, drab, gray, brown, 
and black,—the gorgeous dyes of the Aurora, the brilliant pris¬ 
matic colors of the rainbow, the lustrous and variegated plumage 
of birds, and the myriad hues of insects delight and satisfy the eye 
of those whom Nature has endowed with the color-sense. 

This universal endowment of color teaches us that it has a 
most important bearing upon our lives , and is worthy our earnest 
investigation. What is its use to the human family and what its 
method of action'? 

Its use primarily is to give health, vigor, tone, and beauty to 
the human organism and all natural objects; its secondary use is 
for the reproduction by man of the same principle and element 
in works of art, in pictures, and in the wide range of the industrial 
arts, as in dyeing, house-painting, etc. We all know that a green 
color ot vegetation denotes life and health; that a yellow hue of 
the same indicates ripeness or decay. A plant that is sickly is 
pale or yellow; a human being with a pallid, colorless skin is not 
only sickly, but where this condition is natural or permanent he is 
not so useful to himself and the world as is the person with a 
brilliant-colored complexion, for the reason that the law before 
stated, viz., that an element or principle which is the best developed 
within the organism is the one which the individual can best ex¬ 
press in external operations, applies with just as much force to 
Color as it does to Form. 

This principle of the color-sense giving power to reproduce 
it externally in artistic efforts must have been understood by the 
great artists; for Winkleman tells us that “ we read the coloring 
of Guido and Gucrcino in their countenances.”* These painters 

* Lavater’s Essays, p. 313. 


COLOR. 


127 


were both distinguished for the brilliancy of the colors and tints in 
their paintings, and Winkleman being, like all truly great artists, 
something of a scientist as well as a philosopher, made this obser¬ 
vation ol their powers as he understood them. Those persons who 
pass much time in the open air, and particularly in pure air, have 
the most brilliant complexions, and are among the healthiest of 
people; hence, fresh, pure air is the best cosmetic. The high¬ 
flying birds and all birds who pass their time in pure atmospheres 
are more brilliantly colored than the marsh birds which never fly 
high nor seek the sunlight and the higher atmosphere. The color 
acquired by outdoor life gives vigor to the hlood owing to the 
large quantity of oxygen and electricity inhaled from the air as 
the blood passes through the lungs; this purified blood is carried 
to all parts of the organism, and rebuilds all the tissues of the body 
upon a more healthful and sound basis than pale or colorless blood. 
Fishes have less color relatively than birds, beasts, or man. The 
reason is that they inhale less oxygen; and the deep-sea fishes have 
less color than those that live nearer the surface, where more air 
is inhaled. Bright-colored birds, we know, have a most developed 
color-sense, and bright-colored insects as well; for, as Mr. Darwin 
has shown us in his “Origin of Species”:— 

The species of shells which are confined to tropical and shallow seas 
are generally brighter colored than those confined to cold and deeper seas.* 

Here we are met with the fact that heat produces color; and 
we shall find as we progress that color and heat are synonymous, 
and that heat, color, and activity are in close relationship. All the 
darker races of the world live in the most heated climes, and the 
darkest races have the most intense and violent passions and emo¬ 
tions ; even among civilized races the darker are the more excit¬ 
able and passionate. Compare the Italian and Spanish with the 
German, English, or Scotch, for example, and we shall compre¬ 
hend the fact that color indicates character in man as well as 
in all lower developments, such as fishes, birds, insects, and beasts. 
Those in whom the coloring pigment is wanting are weaker than 
those who have a normal supply. We observe this quite often in 
young persons who are growing too fast, as well as in consump¬ 
tives and anaemic people. In these classes enough color is not 
taken into the system by the food or by exercise in sunlight; hence, 
the skin fails to get a proper quantity. The pallor produced indi¬ 
cates enfeebled conditions of other parts of the organism. 

Haeckel, in his “History of Creation,” treating of the influ- 


* Origin of Species, Chas. Darwin, p. 138. 


128 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


ence of color on animals, quotes the following from Darwin. lie 
remarks:— 

Very frequently Albinos ure more leebly developed, and consequently 
the whole structure of the body is more delicate and weak than in colored 
animals of the same species. The organs of the senses and nervous system 
are in like manner curiously affected when there is a deficiency ot coloring 
.pigment. The want of the usual coloring matter goes hand in hand with 
certain changes of the formation of other parts,—for example, ot the muscu¬ 
lar and osseous sytems,—consequently, of organic systems which are not 
at all intimately connected with the system oi the outer skin. 


He also says :— 

White cats with blue e}^es are nearly always deaf. White horses are 
distinguished from colored horses by their liability to form sarcomatous 
tumors. In man, also, the degree of development of pigment in the outer 
skin greatly influences the susceptibility of the organism for certain diseases ; 
so that, for instance, Europeans with a dark complexion and brown ej^es 
become more easily acclimatized to tropical countries and are less subject 
to the diseases there prevalent—inflammation of the liver, yellow fever, 
etc.—than Europeans with white complexions, fair hair, and blue eyes.* 

The Albinos of the human family are always deficient in the 
senses of sight and hearing; and very light-haired, light-eyed per¬ 
sons are generally predisposed to scrofulous and kidney complaints. 

My experience has led me to observe that the color-sense may 
he imperfect where the hair and eyes are dark and the skin pallid 
or not clear. It is necessary that color should he well defined and 
the shin clear in the entire organism in order to exhibit the color- 
sense in its highest perfection. Persons who have the color-sense 
best developed are, without doubt, those who have inherited large, 
strong lungs. This enables them to inhale copious draughts of 
air which serve to oxygenate and thus color the blood. By this 
process the color of the skin and eyes is deepened, and thus the 
color-sense is enhanced. All of the great color artists, Reubens, 
Titian, Paul Verronese, Van Dyck, and Rembrandt, for example, 
were the inhabitants of countries where people live mainly in the 
open air; their ancestors had thus inherited and developed this fine 
color-sense, and as traits become aggregated by inheritance they are 
transmitted in an intensified form ; and as deep-colored individuals 
have an ardent love of color, these artists were able to reproduce 
in their works the element of color which permeated their whole 
being. I venture to affirm that no great color-artist ever existed 
who was possessed of very fair hair, very light eyes, and a colorless 
or pallid, thick, muddy-looking skin. 

Deep colors, as before stated, accompany strong passions, and 


* Origin of Species, Clias. Darwin, p. 26. 


COLOR. 


129 


in the animal kingdom this is well illustrated; for we know that 
love, jealousy, and revenge are all the more active with dark 
people. It is the same with dark or black animals; a black horse 
is more fiery in his disposition than a white one, and less teach¬ 
able. \ ou will always observe white or cream-colored horses em¬ 
ployed in a circus as trick-horses on account of their superior in¬ 
telligence and docility. Light persons and races are found to be 
more progressive than those of dark color. As their passions and 
emotions are not so intense they are more capable of improvement. 

The local sign for color given by phrenology is “arching or 
height of the external portion of the eyebrow.” This sign is, of 
course, more prominent in muscular persons than in bony ones, 
for the reason that muscle produces curves, while bones produce 
straight lines and angles. Then, too, muscular persons are more 
given to art than bony ones ; and this sign, as shown in the face 
of Holbein, is the result of opening the eye wide for a number 
of years in order to take in wide expanses, and to observe the 
effect of artistic work. This sign is not at all a sign for color , but 
is one sign of the artistic tendency. The sign for color is not local , 
but is shown by general color of the eyes , the hair , and complexion . 
This is inherited when it is present in childhood. There are many 
persons who are color-blind. Albinos are entirely so; a larger 
percentage of males than females are destitute of the color-sense. 
Dr. Jay Jeffries, a recent writer, states that those who are color¬ 
blind, in a greater or less degree, are as one in every twenty-five 
males, while among females of all ages only one in seven thousand 
one hundred and nineteen are so ! There are several reasons for 
this wide difference of the color-sense in the sexes; one is, that 
females are early taught to combine colors in dress and household 
appointments; another is that they work at many trades and pro¬ 
fessions which cultivate this sense. The use of tobacco does much 
to destroy this sense in man by altering the functional action of the 
glandular system and the circulation of the blood. The counte¬ 
nances of habitual smokers are pallid, blue, or ashen, thus indi¬ 
cating that the arterial circulation is vitiated. The kindergarten 
schools are doing a good work in respect to the training of boys, 
as well as girls, in teaching them in childhood the harmonies and 
differences of shades, tints, and colors. When we reflect that so 
many lives are dependent on the color-sense of an engineer on a 
railroad train, or the pilot of a steamboat, the necessity for the 
careful training of all hoys in color is at once perceived. Absti¬ 
nence from tobacco should be a well-grounded principle in every 
boy who desires to be a useful man, as this sense is not only pre¬ 
servative of his life and health, but enables him to protect the lives 


130 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


of those who may be intrusted to his care in many positions which 
require a knowledge of* colors. 

The origin of colors is readily traced, and as they play so im¬ 
portant a part in our lives it is right we should have a clear com¬ 
prehension of their use and origin. Color has a moral as well as 
an intellectual significance, which is explained in the chapter 
on the “Rationale of Signs and Functions.” I think, however, 
that enough light has been thrown upon this subject in the pre¬ 
ceding pages to convince my readers that if a high degree of health, 
usefulness, and activity is desired, an adequate quantity of sun¬ 
light and color must be had in order to bring about this result. 
We have found that a due admixture of color assists talent, art, 
industry, science, health, and longevity. Later on we shall dis¬ 
cover that it has a direct bearing upon our moral nature, and can 
assist or impede moral effort according to the proportion which we 
have in our system. This will seem a singular statement to those 
who have been accustomed to regard morality as a sentiment 
merely, something which the brain or conscience has in charge; 
but if these persons reflect that it is only by the right use of the 
organs and members of the body and by their being in a normal 
or equilibrated condition that we are able to lead moral lives, they 
will at once perceive the importance of a proper degree of color in 
the organism, as well as a just proportion of bone, muscle, nerve, 
and brain. The regeneration of the race should commence by right 
generation and by attention to physical laws, for these laws are 
just as divine and just as binding upon us as are moral laws, and 
obedience to the former leads directly to the advancement of the 
latter. Observation and comparison of the colors of the several 
races of mankind reveal to us the fact that where a race or people 
retain one color of skin and eyes for generations, that race is rela¬ 
tively non-progressive.. Races which have within their num¬ 
bers many varieties of color,—where, for example, we find the 
black-, blue-, and gray- eyed people, as well as dark- and fair¬ 
haired and dark- and fair- skinned people,—we shall find a more 
original class. A mixture of colors always denotes capacity for 
improvement and progress. The Chinese are an example of a 
uniform-colored race. They have remained stationary in their 
habits and customs for ages. The Spanish among civilized 
people are of a nearly uniform color, and are not so progressive 
as are the Germans or English; neither have they as diverse talents, 
nor as much originality and independence. 

In the animal kingdom the law of color is just as applicable 
as in the human family. All the non-progressive animals, such as 
the lion, the panther, the bear, and the zebra, have always re- 


PROPORTION, OR HARMONIOUS DEVELOPMENT. 


131 


mained the same in color and in character ; they are untamable and 
intractable, while other animals that have a variety of colors, such 
as the elephant, the camel, the horse, the dog, and the ox, are 
more teachable, and can be very much improved in intelligence 
and beauty by scientific breeding. They are also more amiable 
and docile, less fierce, and more useful than the stationary-colored 
animals. In fact, all races that retain one color or form for ages are 
11011-progressive and not as adaptable nor as amiable as those which 
possess a diversity of form and color. 

THE LAW OF PROPORTION, OR HARMONIOUS DEVELOPMENT. 

A correct knowledge of the laws of proportion governing the 
human physiognomy and organism will not be found to ac¬ 
cord with the laws of proportion as taught in the schools of art. 
Science has wrought a mighty change in nearly every department of 
knowledge. It is possible that a widespread understanding of the 
laws of physiognomy, as revealed by Nature, may also create a 
revolution in art. The Greek ideal of symmetry, to which the 
ages have given their assent, will be found to be based on mathe¬ 
matical calculation, and it is from this cold aiid mechanical idea 
of what constitutes beauty that the modern conceptions of beauty 
and proportion are taken. 

A scientific comprehension of the law of proportion as shown 
in the human face will unfold more beauties than Greek art ever 
conceived. My understanding of beauty, as disclosed by physi¬ 
ognomy, is based on the idea that moral and intellectual beauty 
exhibited in the countenance and form constitute true beauty. 

True greatness in the moral, mechanical, and mental consti¬ 
tution of man is not accompanied by any such law of proportion 
as the Greek or any other school of art has set forth. Nothing is 
more indicative of selfish will and heartless character than the so- 
called Greek profile. Lavater, the great intuitional physiognomist, 
savs, in discussing its signification :— 

Depraved is the taste which cnn call this graceful, and, therefore, it 
must be far from majestic. I should wish neither a wife, mother, sister, 
friend, relation, nor goddess to possess a countenance so cold, insipid, 
affected, stony, unimpassioned, or so perfectly a statue.* 

A scientific interpretation of the face will reveal more beauties 
than the ordinary observer has any idea of; for when he comes to 
attach meanings to forms and expressions which indicate beauties 
of character, he will regard them quite differently than when in 
his ignorance they signified nothing to him; and when an intelli- 

* Lavater’s Essays, p. 432. 


132 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


gent observer looks with the eye of comprehensive understanding 
upon the countenances about him, Ins sense of the beautiful will 
be gratified beyond expression. A new world will open to him; and 
I predict that with a general diffusion of physiognomical knowledge 
a complete revolution in religion, art, hygiene, and government 
will be brought about. 

Proportion is as potent a factor in determining character as 
are Form, Size, or Quality; and yet an arbitrary system based on 
mathematical measurement cannot be set up, for the reason that 
very great diversity of form and size exists in which symmetrical 
character is exhibited. If we were to form a standard of beauty, 
and take for the standard those faces in which the most moral 
goodness or power for usefulness was disclosed, we should then 
have a more elevating and intelligent model than those already 
observed, which teach that beauty consists in mathematical pro¬ 
portions mainly, and not in those proportions and expressions 
which reveal moral grandeur or useful talents of a high order. 

As has been shown, each of the five systems of the body pro¬ 
duces a form peculiar to itself, and every human being possesses 
an admixture of a certain proportion of each of these forms. It 
will, therefore, be apparent to the observer that the law of Com¬ 
pensation is more potent in forming Proportion than any other 
factor. If these five systems were always blended in every form 
in exact proportions, we might then be able to realize the ideals 
of art in living forms, but this would not produce that differentia¬ 
tion of types which is needed to supply the varied wants of 
humanity. To carry out the idea of “ diversity in unity,” which is 
the ruling idea observed in progressive Nature, we must have con¬ 
stant modifications, which will, of course, produce ever-varying 
forms and countenances. This comprehensive differentiation 
results in higher development of species. It is a law throughout 
Nature that the greater the variety, the higher the power for 
development and progress. 

The law of scientific proportion and beauty to be observed in 
the human face is illustrated in those countenances in which all 
of the features, taken together, express to the scientific reader of 
character a balanced condition of the mind, and consequently of 
the body. 

The physiognomy of Washington is an illustration of good 
proportion. In his face and physique the five systems of functions 
are about equally exhibited, hence he was not great in any one 
given direction, but was great in any direction in which he chose 
to eNercise his powers. He was a good farmer, an excellent 
surveyor, an able statesman and military leader; he was always 


PROPORTION, OR HARMONIOUS DEVELOPMENT. 


133 


self-poised, cool, and resolute; his inherited quality was of a high 
order, and the proportionate action of all his functions assisted his 
general power for usefulness. Each of the systems of the body 
has a beauty peculiar to itself, but an excess of either one of them 
causes, by its disproportion, a lack of harmony; therefore, a lack 
of true beauty. Too much brain exhibits as little beauty as too 
much fat; too much bone makes the individual awkward, ungainly, 
inert—lazy; a predominance of muscle causes its possessor to be 
too forceful and too much like an animal; too great a thoracic 
development causes an excess of hopefulness, and a tendency to 
fly from one thing to another without finishing anything. 

The most useful men have been those who were either the 
best proportioned, or those who were the best balanced. Now, 
there is a difference in these two conditions—for example, an indi¬ 
vidual may have, like Thomas H. Benton, a disproportionately 
small brain, but with disproportionately large lungs. Here a 
balance is struck, and he is hence enabled to be most useful 
because the lungs and brain stand in such close relation to each 
other as to favor this particular method of balancing functions. 
If*, on the contrary, the individual should have a preponderance 
of fatty tissue and disproportionate bones, the usefulness of the 
person is very much impaired because there is here no compen¬ 
sation. 

This kind of disproportion can often be remedied by reducing 
the bulk of fat by hygienic measures, by non-use of liquids, and 
more exercise, particularly of the lungs, by swinging clubs or row¬ 
ing, or by anything which will accelerate the action of the lungs, 
thus increasing their power. 

Too great size of the brain system can be improved by using 
the muscular system more, by toning up the nutritive powers, and 
by dispensing with study, and taking more sleep. 

All of the longest-lived persons that I have seen or those 
whose portraits I have studied have shown in their faces and 
physiques singularly harmonious or well-proportioned contours, 
and which showed that they not only possessed bodies of high or 
good quality, but also that their organs were so well proportioned 
that they were able to resist pressure or strain upon every part 
equally. 

The most common form of disproportion of organs in civilized 
races is found in the want of lung development. This is not a 
natural condition, but will become a permanent one if the modes 
of dressing which women have adopted are not changed for more 
healthful styles. This, added to the bad air which is inhaled by 
both men and women who sleep in ill-ventilated rooms, and who 


134 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


sit for hours in churches, theatres, and public halls without any 
ventilation, is the main cause of the small, ill-developed lungs 
which are so common that consumption and other lung disorders 
are prevalent in all civilized countries. Indeed, large, well-devel¬ 
oped lungs in women are so rare that I have heard dressmakers, 
who have a good opportunity for observing large numbers of 
women’s forms, exclaim with astonishment upon seeing one whose 
chest was well-developed, and thought it certainly must be a mal¬ 
formation ! 

The way to reduce the disproportion between too great size of 
the head and too small lungs is by inhaling more pure air. The 
way to decrease the disproportion between too great fat and too 
small bones is to inhale pure air, drink lime-water, and exercise 
more. The way to decrease the disproportion between too weak a 
liver and too great an appetite is to inhale more pure air, use acid 
fruits, avoid sugar, and take more exercise. 

It will be seen that fresh, pure air is the main reliance for the 
removal of all disproportions of form and functions, and that no 
amount of good, wholesome food can take the place of good, pure 
air. People can live longer and be healthier on very indifferent 
food indeed, if the air which they inhale be pure and plentiful, 
and the water drunk of good quality, than they can if these con¬ 
ditions are reversed. Where the brain is used too much, and the 
muscles too little, a disproportionate action is set up which will, in 
time, destroy the usefulness of the mind. On the other hand, if 
the muscles are called into activity constantly, and the brain used 
but little, the individual becomes dull of thought and speech; his 
sensibilities obtuse, his whole sensitive system is rendered sluggish, 
and all power of mental enjoyment is destroyed in a few years. 
Physical drudgery impairs the health and shortens life sooner than 
the most arduous mental labors. The numbers of farmers and 
farmers’ wives and sheep-herders in the insane asylums of Califor¬ 
nia predominate over those of any other classes of laborers. I am 
told that this is the case in other States. Now, these kinds of 
labor are more arduous and monotonous than all others, and the 
constant routine of physical drudgery unrelieved by any mental 
labor or mental enjoyment soon begets disproportion between the 
mind and the body, and the result is an unbalanced mind. The 
longest-lived persons have been those who have used the mental 
faculties greatly, but with reasonable regard to health. Many of 
our most distinguished literary men and women have lived to 
advanced age, and have enjoyed good health under constant and 
prolonged mental labor. Miss Caroline Herschel, the astronomer, 
died at ninety-eight years of age, after ^ life of both physical and 


PROPORTION, OR HARMONIOUS DEVELOPMENT. 


135 


mental labor. Harriet Martineau, an indefatigable English writer, 
lived to the age of seventy-four years. 

Fontanelle lived to one hundred years of age. Joanna Bailly, 
a most industrious writer of prose dramas and poetry, lived to 
eighty-nine years. Humboldt, a writer, traveller, scientist and 
naturalist, after a life of most incessant mental labor and great 
attainments, died at ninety years of age. Sir William Herschel, 
a most eminent astronomer, lived to the age of eighty-three years. 
We seldom see a laborer who has pursued a vocation of purely 
physical drudgery live to an advanced age, and the reason of this 
is that too great an amount of physical labor establishes a dispro¬ 
portion between the physical and mental faculties, and an unbal¬ 
anced condition being the result, life is shortened, or in many 
instances reason dethroned. 

Where there are one or more faculties excessively developed, 
as, for example, Secretiveness, Cautiousness, Approbativeness, or 
Amativeness, or any other trait or traits in excess, they so com¬ 
pletely dominate all others and color or shape the action of other 
faculties as to produce disproportionate action of some other faculties, 
and consequently of other physical functions. Too great Secretive¬ 
ness induces a tendency to hold on to whatever the mind desires to 
keep secret; the glands and muscles both partake of this holding 
on and holding back principle, and the consequence is a constricted 
condition of the glands, as well as a similar condition of the 
muscles, particularly of the sphincters. As a consequence of this 
holding on and “keeping tight and close” feeling, the liver (the 
largest gland in the body) becomes inactive and sets up abnormal 
or torpid action, and the class of diseases called “bilious” are ex¬ 
hibited, and after awhile become permanent, and will cause death 
unless the disproportion between the two parts of the mind and 
body (for both mind and body are affected by this condition) is 
removed by cultivating a more open, frank, and communicative 
disposition, and at the same time using food and a regimen suited 
to this peculiarity of the glands and muscles. Herein is another 
proof of the unity or interaction of the mind and body—of mental 
faculties and physical functions. 

In cases where Cautiousness is excessive, the character becomes 
timid, fearful, excessively watchful, filled with forebodings and 
apprehensions of the future, always looking for accidents, and 
prophesying poverty, calamities, etc. This condition of mind 
will in time produce such disturbances of the glandular and ner¬ 
vous systems as to cause insomnia, melancholia, suspicion and 
dementia, and will often end in suicide. Here again we note the 
effect of the mind upon the physical organs, and their functional 


136 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


interaction, and observe the serious results arising from a dispro¬ 
portionate action of the mental faculty of Cautiousness and the 
glands and nerves. 

Where Acquisitiveness is too much cultivated the spirit of 
accumulation becomes dominant, and the body partakes of the 
same spirit by becoming clogged in all its functions owing to the 
large amount of gross matter which accumulates in the body, and 
here again we shall be able to observe the similarity of action 
between mental faculties and physical functions. The Hebrew 
race is a good example of this interaction of the faculty of Acquisi¬ 
tiveness and the functions of digestion, assimilation and appropria¬ 
tion. Most of their physical disorders arise from overappropriation 
of nutriment and accumulations of fatty tissues, which induce 
apoplexy, fatty degeneration of the heart, and other complications 
of overrepletion of the organism. Too much or too little of any 
given faculty or function is productive of disease and will shorten 
life, unless these proportions are such as will create a balance , as 
in the case of small brain and large lungs and heart. But 
wherever we look into Nature’s operations we shall find that Pro¬ 
portion is one of her ruling principles, and if this law is broken 
and its provisions greatly violated in the human organism, suffering, 
both of body and mind, with ill health and shortness of life will 
ensue. How essential, then, is it that all should understand the 
meanings of the human face, as well as the signs of character 
revealed in the voice, the walk, the gestures, the attitude, and the 
contour or outline of the entire head and body. 

Evenly-developed characters are not as apt to excel in one 
given direction as those who are less evenly balanced, but their 
chances for usefulness and longevity are very great, if possessed 
of a fine inherited quality. Most poets are disproYJortionately 
developed in their mentality, hence some of their physical powers 
are correspondingly defective, and this has caused many of them 
to die young. The Davidson Sisters, who showed uncommon 
talent for poetic construction as early as four years of age, died, 
one at sixteen and the other at seventeen years of age. Byron 
lived to only thirty-seven years. Edgar A. Poe died even younger. 
Shelley attained only to thirty years. Keats died at twenty-four. 
Mrs. Hemans expired at forty. Burns lived only to thirty-seven. 
All of the physiognomies of these poets express to the scientific 
reader either a disproportion between the physical functions or an 
inherited delicacy of the nervous system. He who reads the physi¬ 
ognomy scientifically understands measurably the law of destiny, 
and can easily predicate which organs will give Avay first and about 
how long they will last; also, the amount of strain the stronger 


HEALTH. 


137 


will make upon the weaker. The law of Proportion as exempli¬ 
fied by the laws of physiognomy is a great advance in mental 
and medical science. It should be included in the curriculum 
of all medical colleges; and the time is surely coming when 
character analysis will be made a branch of college and high 
school studies which is as necessary to business efficiency as the 
study of physiology, hygiene and language. 

Character analysis brings out the latent talents and shows the 
student his personal shortcomings. 

Comparative anatomy, as now taught in medical colleges, 
will be extended, and the meaning of all forms and shapes of the 
external parts of the organism will be taught to students just as 
physiognomy now teaches it, by the law of Proportion; and 
students will then be able to diagnose the power of the lungs or 
liver by the outline of the forehead; for the retreating forehead 
ever denotes an active liver, while a straight, full forehead rounding 
out at the highest part indicates the supremacy of the heart and 
venous system over the arterial system. Other shapes and outlines 
of the forehead convey each a different and distinct meaning which 
the law of Proportion teaches, and which will be found by the 
keen analyst to be infallible in their revelations. The secret of all 
great mental power is, after quality, right proportion in all bodily 
parts, and this proportion can be discovered in the physiognomy 
as well as in the body. 

HEALTH. 

The basis of all really useful character must he founded upon 
good health. The fact that some sickly poet or feeble saint has 
been able to live a term of years and spin out more or less weak 
sentiment and poetry is not proof that ill health is one of the 
conditions of either talent or piety. The asceticism of the middle 
ages taught that to vitiate and degrade the body by filth, starva¬ 
tion and deprivations of all kinds was to assure a more blissful 
state of the soul, and Hannah More—good, pious saint—wrote 
that a low fever was a “marvelous means of grace.” We of the 
twentieth century, under the enlightenment of the science of 
physiology and hygiene, differ with these ideas of an ignorant past, 
and believe that the first step toward saving souls is to save 
bodies. Indeed, it would seem but practical common sense, inas¬ 
much as we are endowed with bodies, that we should take 
measures to understand and protect them, trusting to the Power 
that has given us our bodies to take care of the soul, which, since 
He has not made known to us its locality, we can do nothing to 
advance its interest beyond caring for the body and mind, which 
we have already in our keeping. 


138 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOxMY. 


The first law of a sound and true religion should be the incul¬ 
cation of sound health, and all religious tenets should be based 
upon a regard for fresh air, proper food and drink, upon suitable 
clothing, exercise, rest, pure amusements and sanitary regulations; 
these principles must be incorporated into all religions that truly 
desire the highest moral welfare of the people. A religion which 
ignores these principles as fundamental articles of its belief is not 
worthy the consideration of honest and sensible people. One 
generation of preaching on these subjects would advance the world 
immeasurably in morality and health, and consequently in pros¬ 
perity. Good character is dependent upon good health for its 
support. If you answer me that you know many persons who are 
good, yet are in poor health, I reply that they would, without 
doubt, be still better people if their bodily conditions were more 
perfect and stronger. If ill health were conducive to goodness, 
then we should all strive to depreciate our health conditions in 
order to become more moral, more honest, more loving, wise and 
useful. The fact that some persons can preserve morality in spite 
of ill health is proof that they have inherited very excellent moral 
natures, and only need ruder health to become giants of morality 
and usefulness. That moral character, as well as the mental, is 
dependent upon sound organic conditions must be apparent to all 
thoughtful persons. 

Treating of the connection between morality and organic 
perfection, Dr. Maudsley observes :— 

Now, if there be a class of persons without the moral sense, who are 
true moral imbeciles, it is the class of habitual criminals. All observers, 
who have made them their study, agree that they constitute a morbid or 
degenerate variety of mankind, marked by peculiar low mental and physical 
characteristics. They are scrofulous , often deformed , with badly formed 
angular heads , are stupid, sluggish, deficient in vital energy, and sometimes 
epileptic. They are of weak and defective intellect, though excessively 
cunning, and not a few of them are weak-minded and imbecile. The women 
are ugly in features, and without grace of expression or movement. The 
children, who become juvenile criminals, do not evince the educational apti¬ 
tude of the higher, industrial classes; they are deficient in the power of 
attention and application ; have bad memories, and make slow progress in 
learning; many of them are weak in mind and body, and some of them 
actually imbecile.* 

Here we have the statement of one of the first writers on 
Mind, giving the opinion that moral defects are accompanied with 
low physical conditions. Any careful student of this work will 
soon become convinced that moral character and sound organiza¬ 
tion are inseparably connected, and that in order to have moral 

* Body and Mind, Henry Maudsley, M.D., p. 110. 


HEALTH* 


139 


children they must not only be healthy, but must be the inheritors 
of normal ancestral influences of both mind and body. Good 
health is the greatest desideratum of existence; without it all the 
luxuries that wealth can procure pall upon the senses. Only strict 
adherence to hygienic law can secure a fair share of this most de¬ 
sirable condition. The greatest talents without health amount to 
little, and if a man would become proficient as an artist, writer, 
inventor, or actor, a fine and healthful state of lungs and liver are 
quite as essential as a cultivated brain. A weak and defective 
bodily organ will sometimes neutralize completely all the efforts 
of the most profound and polished intellect. It is said that 
Napoleon lost the battle of Waterloo through suffering from a fit 
of indigestion, and I think we have all had experience enough to 
know that the most vital interests of life are often jeopardized by 
temporary ailments, brought on by imprudent eating, drinking, or 
injudicious amusements or excitements. 

A brain or body of the highest quality may become perfectly 
demoralized by long-continued misuse of its functions and facul¬ 
ties. Indeed, a high quality of brain demands good lung-power 
for its highest efficiency, and this can ensue only by being supplied 
with plenty of pure, fresh air. Ventilation is one of the highest, 
if not the first, demands of life. It is not at all strange that there 
are so many weak, pale, sallow, consumptive men and women in 
the community, who, notwithstanding the fact that they have good 
and expensive homes, fine raiment, and luxuries untold, are yet 
the victims of ill health, caused in many instances by the defective 
ventilation of their homes, and particularly of their sleeping- 
rooms. 

Pi •ecocious children , who might in many instances live to be¬ 
come noble and useful men and women, die in childhood for want 
of pure air and physical exercise. Children who are endowed with 
genius and talent and who have a lack of vitality should not be 
encouraged to overexert their intellect in their youth, but, instead, 
should pass most of their time out of doors gardening, rowing, 
swimming, chopping wood, weeding vegetables, or in a gymnasium 
developing the muscles and lungs, until the body is able to support 
the brain and nervous system already too active and sensitive. An 
harmonious balance between the mind and body could by these 
means be obtained. How many lovely, beautiful, and talented 
youths fill an early grave from the injudicious treatment or want 
of hygienic knowledge on the part of parents! 

Nothing can be more conducive to the mental welfare of a 
child than outdoor life and labor, and all children of uncommon 
mental powers need a motive for physical effort, and this can be 


140 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

supplied by giving them tasks, paying them for them, and having 
them well done. Sensitive , nervous children would he greatly 
benefited if the first ten years of life were given up exclusively to 
outdoor work and play alternately. The degree of health attained, 
not to mention the substantial character gained by such a course, 
can hardly be estimated. Work is a vital necessity and molds 
character; play should be used only as a rest from labor, and 
those who work in their childhood are more reliable and responsi¬ 
ble characters than those who do nothing but play all through 
their early years. The men and women of the last generation 
were more substantial and useful than the present, and one reason 
for this is found in the fact that formerly all children had tasks and 
duties to perform. The word duty meant a great deal to them, 
and was an incentive to noble effort, because they Avere thus 
trained. Children in most instances will be greatly influenced 
by their early training, hence the first years of a child’s life are the 
most important ones. If good health be desired, youth is the time 
to lay the foundation for it. Many distinguished and learned 
people, who were born sickly and were feeble in youth, have 
passed lives of great usefulness and died at advanced age. Fon- 
tanelle was a very sickly and weak infant, yet he lived to be one 
hundred years of age. Albert von Haller, a celebrated Swiss 
physician, was “rickety, feeble, and delicate as a child,” but lived 
to the age of sixty-eight years; he was one of the greatest medical 
minds of the world. Baron Cuvier, an illustrious naturalist, was 
feeble in childhood, but became robust in after life; he was most 
industrious and attained the age of sixty-three. Augustin de Can¬ 
dolle, a great botanist, nearly died of hydrocephalus at seven years 
of age ; he was feeble until fifteen, when his health improved, and he 
lived to the age of sixty-three, having passed a most useful career. 
Aristotle, the most eminent of ancient philosophers and natural¬ 
ists, was a weak, precocious child, but lived to an advanced age 
after performing almost herculean mental labor. Many more cases 
might be mentioned of the same sort, but sufficient are given to 
show that weakness in childhood can be counteracted by judicious 
hygienic treatment, which will prolong life and restore health. The 
let-alone cure is one of the best for precocious or feeble youth ; 
let them grow up as do the plants, in a free, wild, and natural 
manner. Such children thus treated will more than make up in 
alter years all the time considered lost by fond and anxious parents, 
who are very apt to regret the loss of early schooling and study by 
their children. 

A majority of those who are born healthy and with sound 
organs in most cases become weakened by ignorant or foolishly- 


HEALTH. 


141 


fond parents, who often allow children to have their own way in 
regard to eating, sitting up late at night, playing too much or 
too violently (who ever heard of a child injuring itself at work]), 
and yet most parents are afraid to set their children a task for fear 
that they will be injured by it, while at the same time they allow 
them to play without supervision (and many of their games are 
conducted without judgment, and prolonged until exhaustion 
ensues); yet parents would not think of allowing their youth to 
exercise one-half as hard or as injudiciously at their work as they 
do in their sports. 

It is more essential to oversee children at their amusements 
than at their tasks. Few parents feel this necessity, but if one will 
only observe the little girls in a school-yard jumping ropes in the 
violent manner which is their habit, one will become convinced of 
this necessity. Dancing is also carried to a great extreme, and 
needs to he corrected. It is usually prolonged too far into the night 
for health, and this phase of it should he discouraged. A good sub¬ 
stitute for dancing is gymnastics; club-swinging is a fine exercise 
for health, and quite exhilarating; as suitable for children and 
young ladies as for gentlemen. A pair of Indian clubs should be 
included in the furnishing of all homes. Dr. Dio Lewis’ Light 
Gymnastics will be found most excellent aids to vigorous health, 
as well as Butler’s Health Lift and the Reactionary Lift. All these 
can be obtained for less than the price of one fashionable suit of 
clothes, and every household should have them as an essential part 
of its furniture. 

I think the reader has long ere this become convinced tliat size 
of the brain, body, or nose alone does not indicate either mental or 
physical power. Neither does quality alone, nor form, nor propor¬ 
tion, but a modicum of all these qualities and conditions is essential. 

If the size of the nose observed in a given subject would 
seem to exhibit mental power, the quality of the texture of skin, 
hair, and eyes must be diagnosed before judgment can be passed. 
Then, in order to know what direction the mind takes, the form of 
the nose must be understood; then the color taken into considera¬ 
tion, and the proportion which each feature bears to the others 
should be noted, and then the proportions of the body must be 
observed. At the same time the health conditions of the individual 
must be taken into account before a just verdict of character can 
be rendered. If size, form, quality, color, and proportion are all 
in favor of a good and useful character, and good health be want¬ 
ing, all these indications are greatly modified, because the motive 
power of the body is feeble and the organism is an inert mass, 
without ability to carry out its mental behests. 


142 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


The mind and body being a unit, and so closely interrelated, 
it is impossible for the one to be very greatly defective without in¬ 
volving the other. 

Drug Medication .—Unless by the intelligent direction of the 
medical profession, drug medication is generally a dangerous prac¬ 
tice. The intelligent use of Nature’s medicines,—diet, light, heat, 
pure fresh air and water, and rest,—at the commencement of 
many ailments, will in most cases remove morbific influences and 
assist Nature in throwing off disease. Very often serious injury 
is done the human constitution by an indiscriminate use of patent 
nostrums or private recipes. Unless such medication is of some 
simple remedy of known value and intelligently used, a train of 
evils may be set up that will take many months of patient care 
and the attention of a conscientious physician to overcome. 

If, in case of threatened sickness, one will at the outset give 
up for a few days his accustomed business, control a probably 
abnormal appetite, and rest from all care, labor, and anxiety, this 
course, with exercise properly taken, may avert many a serious 
illness and save much suffering. I have found hot water a 
splendid tonic for a jaded, all-gone feeling; and a glass of hot 
milk, on retiring, has often worked wonders with a stomach de¬ 
pressed by nervous excitement or late suppers. The fact is, in 
this electric century we eat too fast, too much, and ofttimes im¬ 
proper food, improperly cooked. 

We must, if we wish to progress and get all out of life pos¬ 
sible, reform our kitchens and our dietary. A dish of pork and 
beans, pot-pie, and soggy bread and pastry may be all right for 
the average laborer in the ditch (even that I question), but, for 
the delicate young woman at the desk or the man of business at 
his office, such a diet is entirely inadmissible. 

Thousands of persons annually swallow various drugs in the 
delusion that they are toning up the system, while in many cases 
they are doing themselves irreparable injury through not knowing 
what they are taking or what its effect will be on the system. The 
medical profession are now honestly and conscientiously devoting 
much time, thought, energy, and labor to hygiene, and publications 
on this essential subject should be more sought for. Every family 
should have some good work on hygienic topics, and follow the sug¬ 
gestions which in the majority of cases are essential to good health 
and looks. While I am writing on the subject of health, I would 
religiously urge upon all heads of families the necessity of keeping 
the cellar and back-yards scrupulously clean; it is just here where 
many a case of typhoid fever, etc., has its first start, more particu¬ 
larly in the large centres of population. 


HEALTH. 


143 


If municipalities would spend more money to provide pure, 
wholesome water, and insist on better methods of house-hygiene, 
many diseases of an epidemic character might be stamped out, and 
the human race improved in physique and endurance. Cleanli¬ 
ness is the price of material progress, and I cannot too strongly 
urge upon my readers the necessity of household and personal 
cleanliness. 

I propose in these chapters to teach the reader that the 
health principle resides in the human system, and is only imparted 
to it by Nature’s own peculiar remedies, viz., pure air, sunlight, 
water, exercise, rest, suitable food, magnetism, electricity, and 
self-control and self-denial , the last two being the main factors. 
These are all aids to health, as well as to a truly religious 
condition; in fact, health and religion seem to me to be very 
closely allied. It is true, we shall have to modify our precon¬ 
ceived notions of both subjects, and not regard health as something 
which the doctor has on hand, or that the apothecary keeps in a 
bottle to be dealt out by the dollar’s worth; nor should we under¬ 
stand religion as something that the minister has in a church, and 
of which he has the monopoly to impart at his pleasure. No, dear 
reader; religion and health are not in the hands of monopolists, 
but reside within our own organizations, and are matters that we 
have control of mainly. Happy he who has inherited both a re¬ 
ligious and a healthful organism ! for such beings are capable of 
great good to others, and to whom “much is given much shall be 
required,” and to do for those who are impoverished in mind and 
body is one of the greatest joys and luxuries of life. 

The features of the face, taken one by one, then all together, 
without any reference to the shape or size of the head , will unfold 
and describe the entire character of the individual. Not only will 
it do this, but it will also give us the history of his tribe, his an¬ 
cestry, his past, and the probabilities of his future. Physiognomy 
is the only science with which I am acquainted that will foretell 
the future as well as reveal the past with certainty. In making 
delineations of character, and in predicting future powers and 
capacities, the diagnostician must ever keep in view the influence 
which a state of high good health will have upon the efforts of the 
individual. With good health almost anything is possible ; with¬ 
out it very little, indeed, except wretchedness and a state of general 
depravity. In order to understand any given face, the health con¬ 
ditions, past and present, must be had in consideration before a 
verdict or final summing up can be made. 



144 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


COMPENSATION. 

All through the various forms of what may be termed the 
higher development of organized life—from the insect up to man— 
. we find clearly established a law of Compensation, or, as I am 
sometimes impelled to call it, a law of Substitution; for its action 
does not seem to always fully compensate for absence of qualities, 
but rather substitutes other powers, both physical and mental, for 
defects which would render the organism helpless or unhappy with¬ 
out some assistance from other faculties and functions. In this 
relation I shall—as this is a very important branch of my subject— 
dwell briefly on its action in the lower organisms, and will then 
proceed to discuss its operation in the human mind and body. 
And here let me remark that while the law of Compensation has 
been recognized by naturalists in the animal organism, it has never 
been applied scientifically to the workings of the human mind, so 
far as I have been able to learn. 

The compensatory structure of animals will be easily recog¬ 
nized in the following statement of Paley. He remarks:— 

In many species of insects the eye is fixed, and consequently cannot 
turn the pupil to the object sought. This great defect is perfectly compen¬ 
sated by a mechanism not easily observed. The eye is a multiplying glass, 
with a lens looking in every direction, by which means—although the orb 
of the eye be stationary—the field of vision is as ample as that of other 
animals, and is commanded on every side. We are told that one thousand 
four hundred of these reticulations have been counted in the two eyes of a 
drone-bee. The wing of a bat is furnished with a mechanical contrivance 
in the form of a hook, with which it fastens itself to the surface of rocks, 
houses, and caves. At the angle of the wing there is a bent claw. It hooks 
and remains suspended by this claw; takes its flight from this position. As 
it can neither run upon its feet nor take its flight from the ground, this 
unique instrument was necessary. A singular defect required a singu¬ 
lar substitute. The proboscis of an elephant is a compensation for the 
shortness of its neck. A snail is compensated by the secretion of a viscid 
humor which it discharges from its skin ; and so, in the absence of feet, is 
enabled to ascend the stalks of plants with facility. 

The common parrot has in its structure of the beak both an inconve- 
niency and a compensation for it. When I speak of an inconveniency I 
have a view to a dilemma, which frequently occurs in the works of Nature, 
in that the peculiarity of structure by which an organ made to answer one 
purpose necessarily unfits it for some other purpose. This is the case before 
us. The upper bill of the parrot is so much hooked and so much overlaps 
the lower that if, as in other birds, the lower chap alone had motion, the bird 
could scarcely gape wide enough to receive its food; yet this hook and over¬ 
lapping of the bill could not be spared, for it forms the very instrument by 
which the bird climbs, to say nothing of the use which it makes of it in 
breaking nuts and the hard substances upon which it feeds. How, there¬ 
fore, has Nature provided for the opening of this occluded mouth? By 
making the upper chap movable as well as the lower. In most birds the 


COMPENSATION. 


145 


upper chap is connected and makes but one piece with the skull, but in the 
parrot the upper chap is joined to the base of the head by a strong mem¬ 
brane, placed each side of it, which lifts and depresses it at pleasure. 

The spider’s web is a compensating contrivance. The spider lives 
upon flies without wings to pursue them, a case one would have thought of 
great difficulty, yet provided for, and provided by a resource which no 
stratagem, no effort of the animal could have produced, had not both its ex¬ 
ternal and internal structure have been specially adapted to the operation.* 

I could multiply these examples ad infinitum. 

In the human family the illustration of the law of Compen¬ 
sation is more extended, and includes the mental as well as the 
physical system. This involves some knowledge of the law of 
Proportion, or harmonious development of the body, upon which, 
of course, depends the harmonious action of the mind; for, as 
before stated, certain conformations of the body produce certain 
mental faculties. It therefore behooves us to know to which forms 
these faculties are related and how produced. 

I will notice, first, the operation of the law of Compensation 
as regards the human organism physically, or, rather, physiologi¬ 
cally. In cases where one lung is weak, the other often increases 
in size and power to make up the deficiency. Deaf-mutes are com¬ 
pensated by an increased activity of other senses. Blind people 
are unusually gifted with an acuteness of the senses of hearing and 
touch. Where the kidneys are small or weak the skin is uncom¬ 
monly active, and assists the kidneys in carrying off the waste of 
the body. These are some of the ways in which Nature compen¬ 
sates for defective and inharmonious organizations. The manifold 
action of the law of Compensation, as exhibited in the working 
of the human mind, is as wonderful as it is beautiful. I shall 
have space here to offer only a few illustrations, and leave the rest 
for the investigations of my readers. 

If you observe an individual with very small Self-esteem, 
which is indicated by a short upper lip, you will find Approbative- 
ness, Imitation, and generally Mirthfulness correspondingly large. 
The philosophy of this form of compensation is, that as small 
Self-esteem produces sensitiveness to the opinions of others, Imita¬ 
tion seems given the individual to assist him in entertaining and 
attracting, while large Mirthfulness gives the faculty of amusing and 
of being easily amused, and, consequently, prevents the individual 
from becoming unhappy through the consciousness of the absence 
of Self-esteem ; for any deficiency which prevents a balanced con¬ 
dition produces a want which is instinctively felt. I hold that we 
all instinctively feel what we are , whether we acknowledge it in 
words to ourselves or not. Actors, as a class, possess the faculties 

* Chambers’ Information for the People, vd. ii, p. 201. 

10 


146 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


of Imitation and Mirthfulness in a large degree, and most of them 
will be found deficient in Self-esteem, but large in Approbativeness; 
for it is not their own esteem that they desire and which satisfies 
them, but the approbation of their audiences. A large propor¬ 
tion of them have a short upper lip—relative length of the upper 
lip indicating a good development of Self-esteem. An individual with 
large Self-esteem being self-sufficient—that is, more given to regard 
his own opinion of himself than to accept the estimate of others in 
regard to his character—feels no particular sensitiveness as to what 
others think of him, and therefore depends upon himself, just as he 
is, for the power to attract and hold the esteem of others. Self¬ 
esteem lends dignity to its possessor, and creates a substantial and 
decorous demeanor, which, in itself, has the power to fasten the 
good opinion and attachment of others, and he therefore needs 
none of the fascinations of imitative talent to attract friends to 
himself. Indeed, every one could not be attracted by the same 
qualities, and so Nature gives this infinite variety and diversity for 
the satisfaction of our minds and for the varied uses of mankind. 

Where Friendship is lacking we often see Benevolence com¬ 
pensating the character. Where Constructiveness is wanting Size 
and Form assist, by an increased development, in making the indi¬ 
vidual useful in some branch of mechanical art. Many persons 
possessed of highly artistic natures very often exhibit a large share 
of Acquisitiveness, and sometimes evince a strong commercial 
spirit; this acts in a compensating manner, and takes the place in 
them of the practical faculties. This system of Compensation in¬ 
heres in the entire mental constitution. Later on I shall refer to 
this subject and to the localizing of signs of character. Enough, 
however, of the compensatory action of the mind has been shown 
to illustrate its methods. 

The preceding consideration of the sub-basic principles of 
physiognomy leads us to regard the following laws as established, 
viz.:— 

The size of the nose (governed by quality) is the measure of 
power, both of the mental and physical nature. 

Th z form or shape of the nose indicates the kind or direction 
of the power. 

Quality of the skin, hair, and eyes is decisive as to the grade 
of the individual, mentally and physically. 

Color of the skin, hair, and eyes is indicative of the amount 
of force present, and of the health conditions. 

Proportion or harmonious development of the face denotes 
• balanced character and equilibrium of the bodily functions. - 

Good health is essential to normal action of body and mind. 


COMPENSATION. 


147 


Compensation is the endeavor of Nature to assist unbalanced 
organisms. 

This exposition of the sub-basic principles of physiognomy 
will teach the reader that in analyzing the character very 
many principles are involved and must be considered in order to 
render a just reading of the face. Besides the requisites here 
mentioned for consideration, there are many facial expressions 
which have been acquired by long use or misuse, which always 
leave their impress indelibly stamped upon the countenance. A 
man can no more work as a blacksmith for years without showing 
the increase of muscle in his arms than can one use constantly the 
same set of muscles in the face without their leaving a permanent 
indication of such use. By watching closely the movements of 
the mouth in talking, one can form a very good estimate of the 
kind of language which that mouth has been accustomed to utter 
—whether it be kind, gentle, and loving, or cross, peevish, bad- 
tempered, and profane. The record is indelible, and cannot be 
easily erased or changed except by long practice in another direc¬ 
tion. All abuses of the physical functions write their record upon 
the face. The dram-drinker, the sensualist, the glutton, as well as 
the sneak and liar, may be all detected by a close observer who 
has learned to apply the rules of scientific physiognomy. 

Of this tendency of the muscles to reveal long-continued 
states of mental and physical abuse, Dr. John Cross remarks :— 

It lies with physiognomy to detect the impostor; for however well he 
may manage to jabber about morality, honor, or even religion, yet he can¬ 
not hinder the muscles without from obeying the central impulse, nor can 
he prevent an organ whose function is perverted from falling, according to 
the self-accommodating power, into color, size, and shape most suitable to 
the performance of this perverted function.* 


* An Attempt to Establish Physiognomy upon Scientific Principles, John Cross, M.D., p. 12. 























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CHAPTER V. 


Rationale of Physical Functions and Mental Faculties and 

their Signs in the Face. 

“Whether the soulbe air or fire, I know not ; nor am I ashamed, as some men 
are, in cases where I am ignorant, to own that I am so.”— Cicero. 

“It will be understood by the word Mind we do not designate the intellectual 
operations only But the word Mind has a broader, deeper signification ; it includes 
all sensations, all volition, and all thought ; it means the whole Psychical Life. And 
this psychical life has no one special centre ; it belongs to the whole and animates 
the whole.”— George Henry Lewes. 

T HE plan of this system of physiognomy would be incom¬ 
plete were I to omit the rationale , or theory, of the 
action of the several organs and systems of functions 
comprised in the human body, and which assist in pro¬ 
ducing the various social, moral, and mental phenomena 
observed in the actions of the individual, and which collectively I term 
Mind. Many philosophers have endeavored to ascertain the basis 
of mind; and by mind I mean that class of phenomena called 
reason, sentiment, mental operations, morality, the emotions, the 
passions, such as anger, jealousy, fear, hope, love, friendship, etc. 

The action of these is generally considered to be the result of 
brain- or will- power, with which the interior organs of the body 
have little or nothing to do. Theologians teach us that the influ¬ 
ences prompting many of the emotional states, such as anger, 
hatred, revenge, jealousy, and the like, are created by a spirit 
denominated a “devil.” The acceptance of this theory would end 
all further inquiry on the subject. My observations do not cor¬ 
roborate their explanation of these phenomena, and I am conse¬ 
quently forced to bring against this view the Scotch verdict of 
“not proven.” My theory of the passions, so-called, will be found 
in the chapter on “Theories of Certain Traits,” and the face read 
scientifically will corroborate this theory. 

Many diverse methods of ascertaining the basis of mind 
have been employed in all ages, yet without satisfactory results. 
Philosophers both in ancient and modern times have pursued the 
method of sitting in judgment upon their own mental states, and 
have analyzed their mental processes, in order to give a rationale 

am 


150 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


of mind. These observations have been made without reference 
to bodily conditions by treating of the mind as an entity, some¬ 
thing almost separate from the body, and not co-operating with it, 
but acting in concert with another entity denominated a “soul.” 
This view of mind has met with popular acceptance for ages, and 
to this day the most crude, hazy, and uncertain idea of the location 
and construction of the mind is prevalent even in the most culti¬ 
vated circles. So vague and indistinct is the understanding in 
regard to mind that for two thousand years the words “soul” and 
“mind” have been used synonymously. A reference to the liter¬ 
ature of the past will show that this nomenclature was popular 
among all classes of writers. Since the wonderful invention of 
mechanical instruments which the last century has witnessed, the 
instrumentalities essential to experiment in all departments of 
studv have been increased: hence it is that men have been enabled 
to commence anew, and with improved implements, the investi¬ 
gation of mind on a more scientific basis than that formerly 
employed by the old-time philosophers. Experiment has been 
followed by demonstration, until now the best anatomists and 
physicians—especially those having charge of the insane, the 
feeble-minded, the defective and the criminal classes—have become 
more enlightened on the subject of mind and its sources and seats. 
Their experience has led them to take a more comprehensive and 
practical view of mind, and one less imaginary and sentimental 
than those promulgated by ancient faiths and philosophers. 

Phrenology appeared early in the present century and did a 
great work in breaking up the idea that mind was a unit, which 
was one of the fundamental errors of the old school of philosophy. 
Yet phrenology, radical, daring, and progressive as it was compared 
to the then existing theories, was in its basilar construction erro¬ 
neous. The theory that mind was composed of many separate 
parts, each having a “local habitation and a name,” was an inno¬ 
vation and a step forward; but when it took the ground that mind 
is shut up in the brain , and held it a prisoner there, and that all 
mental powers proceed from that source and are confined to that 
locality, it formulated an error, of which its founders were not, of 
course, aware. They did a good work in their day, according to 
their best light, and the world is the better for it; but modern 
science reflects sufficient light of a more advanced character; 
hence— 

Phrenologists are bound by all laws of truth and science to advance 
with the age, and give a more scientific explanation of mind, and connect 
their theory and observations with the entire nervous system and visceral 
organization. (Lewes.) 



RATIONALE OP FUNCTIONS AND SIGNS. 


151 


My theory or philosophy of mind will he unfolded in this 
work. It takes the ground 

That mind inheres in the entire organism, and that the face 
read scientifically reveals all the conditions of mind and body; 

That the brain is the chief mental organ ; 

That it is also the locality where co-ordination of the motor 
and sense systems takes place; 

That one office of the brain is to assist the voluntary muscles 
to contract; 

That all parts of the body and mind have local representation 
in the brain; 

That the several ganglia and plexuses are mental organs and 
directly concerned in mental manifestations; 

That the entire nervous mechanism as well as the muscles, 
the skin, the bones and the entire visceral organization are mental, 
each in its own way and degree, and altogether in their operations 
make up the sum total of what we call mind; 

That every mental faculty has a physiological or anatomical 
base, and that each mental faculty can be traced directly to its own 
appropriate base, whether located in a ganglion, a visceral organ, 
or in the muscular or osseous system; 

That the office of the mind is threefold, viz., to produce, first, 
sensation; second, intelligence or consciousness; third, thought or 
ideation. All of these three departments of mind are founded 
upon the sensations felt and the intelligence conveyed by the sev¬ 
eral parts of the nervous mechanism; 

That the entire human structure is essential to the expression 
of mental effort, and that mentality cannot he excluded from any 
organ or function whatever, yet the fact is recognized that some 
functions contribute more directly than others to mental efforts, 
each in a different degree and kind ; 

That the human face, read scientifically, reveals all interior 
physical powers, as well as all mental states, and is both the proof 
and result of evolution, and, lastly, proves 

That the human organism embodies all of the basilar princi¬ 
ples of chemistry, architecture, and mathematics observed in the 
mineral, vegetable, and animal kingdoms, viz., the laws of gravita¬ 
tion, capillary attraction, color optics, pneumatics, crystallization, 
acoustics, the mechanical principles of the several lever powers, 
the hinge, the valve, the ball-and-socket joint, together with the 
principles of electricity in the brain and nervous system, and of 
magnetism in the muscles. 

Let it be understood that no attempt is made in this work to 
connect the mind and soul, and that the term mind , as herein used, 


152 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

refers to the material mind found organized with the material body. 
The task of connecting the mind with the soul is left to theolo¬ 
gians. My own theories on the subject of the soul I do not offer 
as scientific. Yet it may not be inappropriate for me to state that 
it appears to me that one life and principle animates all created 
things, which seem formed according to a universal plan and 
design. 

My theory will now be unfolded and will show that mind and 
body are one and indivisible, and cannot be judged as entities; 
for mind inheres in every atom of the body. All intellectual and 
moral powers are indebted to physiological organization to exhibit 
their ability. The office of the mind is threefold, viz., to produce 
sensation, consciousness, and ideation. The chief organ of sensa¬ 
tion is the entire outer skin-covering, together with the so-called 
“five senses.” The visceral organs, together with the bones and 
muscles of the body, contribute their share of sensation; while 
the nerves assist in conveying intelligence to the chief mental organ, 
where sensation is, as George Henry Lewes expresses it, “ in some 
profoundly mysterious manner elaborated into ideas.” Wherever 
there is a ganglion, or plexus, or a branch or filament of the 
nerves, there we find mentality,—that is to say, sensation,—for the 
nerves ramify upon every organ and form a net-work over the 
entire skin-covering of the body. Hence it is that we know that 
fine, thin-skinned persons and animals are more sensitive and more 
intelligent than those possessed of thicker and coarser skins. 
Here, then, is a most convincing proof of the direct relationship 
between the two extremities of the mind—the brain and the skin. 
The sooner we discard the idea that mind and morals are shut up 
in the skull, and instead adopt the truth, that mind and morality 
are dependent upon physiological formation and exist and are 
exhibited in every atom of the body, the sooner shall we arrive at 
the correct basis of mind. We shall then understand that normally 
organized bodies are more capable of the highest morality and 
mentality than are defective or diseased ones. The human mind 
cannot conceive of anything, not even of a “soul,” which does 
not possess a material form or shape and composed of material of 
some sort, whether gaseous, ethereal, celestial, or in some manner 
or of some substance or property which exists and is known 
already to the human mind; for it is impossible to think or imagine 
anything with this human material mind that is not material; call 

not thinkable in 

The more recent of the philosophers and writers on the origin 
of mind—Messrs. Spencer, Lewes, Haeckel, Lindsay, and others— 


it “spiritual” or “divine” or what we may, it is 
other than material form or substance. 


RATIONALE OF FUNCTIONS AND SIGNS. 


153 


have adopted the plan of seeking for the constituents and origin 
of mind by the investigation of matter, viz., in the bodies as well as 
brains of animal and human organisms. And here I believe the 
problem will be solved. The introduction of words into our 
language, representing ideas which are as far as scientific demon¬ 
stration is concerned entirely without foundation or support, has 
caused much confusion in the minds of the masses of mankind. 
Before proceeding in this study, the idea of “soul” as being in any 
way related to mind (for at present we can offer no scientific proof 
that it is anything but an idea) must be dismissed. This will 
clear away the hindrances, so that mind can be demonstrated 
through the action of physical phenomena entirely, and without 
the complications and confusion which would ensue were we to 
endeavor to prove the origin of the mind by mysterious doctrines 
dependent entirely on speculation and faith for their explanation. 

The brain has been considered by most metaphysicians, philos¬ 
ophers, and anatomists even, to be the sole source and seat of the 
mind. Recently, a dim suspicion has been creeping into the 
minds of the more advanced and intelligent observers and thinkers 
that this may be an error. The proofs of the theory of the soul 
and mind, so much dwelt upon by the ancient metaphysicians, 
have no material or tangible basis upon which to commence 
experiment and demonstration, but rest entirely on belief or faith. 
Hence, in the investigation of mind, we are necessarily limited to 
the observation of matter. By confining ourselves to this domain, 
we shall reach conclusions which I believe will be decisive. 

The cerebrum, or front portion of the brain, has for a long 
time been considered by anatomists as the locality where thought, 
emotion, volition, and sensation are in some way (unknown) 
brought into a condition called consciousness. By recent experi¬ 
ments upon animals, and through accidents to human beings, it is 
demonstrated that the cerebrum does not possess the power 
formerly attributed to it. Much of it has been removed without 
destroying life and without causing the cessation of the principal 
physical functions. Indeed, in one instance, well authenticated by 
Longet, as quoted by Lewes, it is related that 

A newborn infant, whose brain during the birth had been completely 
extirpated (to save the mother’s life), w^as wrapped in a towel and placed in 
a corner of the room as a lifeless mass. While the surgeon was giving all 
his attention to the mother, he heard, with horror, a kind of murmur pro. 
ceeding from the spot where the body had been placed. Soon a distinct cry 
was heard, and, to the surprise of all, this brainless infant was seen strug. 
gling, with rapid movements of its arms and legs. It cried, and gave other 
signs of sensibility for several minutes.* 

# TUe Physiology of Common Life, George Henry Lewes, p. 161. 


154 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Dr. Dalton, in giving the result of experiments he performed 
in removing the cerebrum of a fowl, says:— 

It was not accompanied with the loss of sight, of hearing, or of ordi¬ 
nary sensibility. All of these functions remained, as well as voluntary 
motion.* 

This is a mere allusion to the mass of evidence observed and 
collected by different anatomists, all going to prove that the brain 
is not the exclusive seat of sensation and consciousness. I advise 
my readers to consult the book from which these examples are 
taken, as well as the later work by the same author, entitled “The 
Physical Basis of Mind.” 

Let every fair-minded, unprejudiced person ask himself this 
question: For what purpose are the nerves and ganglia connected 
with the several visceral organs'?—what is their use'? Why, says 
popular opinion, to carry to the brain the knowledge of the condi¬ 
tion of those organs. Is that all their office ]—is there no power 
evolved from these organs'?—do they not sustain or create and 
nourish certain so-called “mental faculties”'? Whence, then, is 
derived the sentiment of Love, for example]—is it manufactured 
in the brain and exhibited only by the voice, by sentiment] If 
this were the case, then it would result in words only. This senti¬ 
ment of Love is derived, in my opinion, from a physical base— 
from the functional action of the reproductive system—and results, 
in most cases, in functional activity of this system by reproduction. 
I think the most superficial reasoner will not dispute this. Now, 
if sentiment is derived in one instance from the functional action 
of one visceral organ and its ganglion or plexus, would it not be 
corroborative evidence as to the ability of all the other viscera to 
produce or create other hinds of sentiment , such, for example, as 
Friendship, Conscientiousness, Love of Young, Benevolence, or 
Cheerfulness]—which last many of the most ignorant, even, under¬ 
stand is in some way connected with a healthy condition of the 
liver; for when they observe one who is “blue/’ as they express a 
despondent state of mind, they invariably ascribe it to a disordered 
condition of the liver, and correctly so; for Hope, which creates a 
cheerful disposition, is directly related to the liver; and if the 
sentiment of Hope depends upon the normal action of that organ, 
how can it be said that Hope is a purely mental attribute, and 
created in the brain ] I grant that the liver must be connected 
with the brain, as we know it is, by the great sympathetic or nervus 
vagus; but I deny that Hope is manufactured there. Its seat and 
source is in the liver , and depends upon, first, its natural construc- 

* The Physiology of Common Life, George H. Lewes, pp. 76, 77. 



RATIONALE OF FUNCTIONS AND SIGNS. 


155 


tion, or size and quality; and, second, upon its normal condition. 
These two requisites being had, we find a cheerful, hopeful indi¬ 
vidual, with a clear, fertile, suggestive mind—so clear, indeed, as 
to make him highly analytical in everything which he observes or 
does. I know all this is antagonistic to the popular idea of mind, 
of sentiment and emotion; but whence, I ask again, does Mind 
derive its power'? Not from the brain alone, because I have given 
you the evidence collected by such eminent students as Lewes and 
Dalton, and the opinions of others as learned will follow this. I 
have shown that, in the case of the newly-born child, movement, 
respiration, and vocal exercise were possible without any brain 
whatever. Now, if this be possible without brain, then the power 
was derived from some other source. I claim that it came from 
the plexuses of the several visceral structures; and the face, which 
is an exact register of the size and power of the various organs in 
the body, will prove to any good observer, who cares to investigate 
the science with a dispassionate mind, that where the signs for size 
of certain visceral organs are found in the face, the mental char¬ 
acteristics, which I claim are related to these organs, will be 
exhibited in every instance. Is this fancy or imagination, fact or 
fiction'? The proof is within reach of every reader; let him 
justify my theories, or disprove them by evidence as conclusive. 

The more advanced of writers on mind at the present time 
are a unit in their understanding of the oneness of body and mind, 
and of the intimate connection of the organs of the body with the 
functional action of the brain. Of these writers, none have ad¬ 
vanced opinions that have commanded more attention and respect 
than Dr. Henry Maudsley, author of “ Physiology and Pathology 
of Mind,” Body and Mind,” etc. 

Of the unity of body and mind, he observes:— 

So intimate and essential is the sympatl^ between all the organic 
functions of which mind is the crown and consummation that we may justly 
say of it that it sums up and comprehends the bodily life,—that everything 
which is displayed outwardly is contained secretly in the innermost. We 
cannot truly understand mind functions without embracing in our inquiry 
all the bodily functions , and I might, perhaps without exaggeration, say, all 
the bodily features* 

One of the most mischievous ideas prevalent is that the moral 
sense is not created by the bodily organization, but that it, in some 
mysterious and unknown manner, is connected with a “ soul ” or 
“ spirit ” that is external or superior to the body, and cannot be 
improved or injured by the inherited or varying conditions of the 
bodily organs. It is popularly believed that a religious or moral 

* Body and Mind, p. 29, 


156 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

training alone imparts the power for effective morality, and that a 
certain degree of the “ grace of God ” (which can be had only by 
complying with certain religious rites and ceremonies and by be¬ 
lieving certain sectarian dogmas) is the most essential condition 
toward moral life and action. Those who have studied the patho¬ 
logical changes of the human mind and body, as well as those 
who have learned the meanings which Nature reveals in certain 
forms, colors, and qualities exhibited by the human face and body, 
have become thereby convinced that there are more potent and 
certain causes for the presence or absence of the moral sense in 
man than those. Perhaps the most efficient cause is found in in¬ 
herited tendencies either for or conducive to moral power. On this 
subject let me again quote Dr. Maudsley. He writes thus:— 

When we come to deal with examples of moral degeneracy, whether 
among the insane or among criminals, w'e must perceive at once that it is 
not sufficient to ascribe immorality to the devil; that we must, if we would 
not leave the matter a mystery, go on to discover the cause of it in the in¬ 
dividual. The effect defective comes by cause, we are constrained to be¬ 
lieve. What is the cause and what are the laws of moral degeneracy ? As 
society is constituted, certain forms of evil-doing are certainly not profitable 
in the long run. How comes it, then, that an individual capable of look¬ 
ing before and after, remembering the retribution of past sin and foreseeing 
the Nemesis that awaits on wrong-doing, is so forgetful of true self-interest 
as to yield to evil impulses ? And whence do these impulses come ? One 
thing is certain, that moral philosophy cannot penetrate the hidden springs 
of feeling and impulse ; they lie deeper than it can reach , for they lie in the 
physical constitution of the individual , and, going still farther back, perhaps 
in his organic antecedents. Assuredly, of some criminals, as of some insane 
persons, it may be truly said that they are born, not made. They go crimi¬ 
nal as the insane go mad—because they cannot help it. A stronger power 
than they can counteract has given the bias of their being.* 

Later, he remarks:— 

I do not dispute that much may sometimes be done by education and 
training to counteract in this respect the ills of a bad inheritance, but it is 
still true that the foundations upon which the acquisition of education must 
rest are inherited, and that in many instances they are too weak to hear a 
•good moral superstructure. 

Dr. Maudsley and all other writers on the origin of mental 
and moral states will grope in darkness on many points, unless 
they study the human face as shown by the light of scientific 
physiognomy. This will reveal many obscure and hazy phenomena 
connected with mental and moral manifestations. This knowledge 
is at this juncture very much needed. The following observations 
from Dr. Maudsley reveal to us that he sees the probability of 
physiognomical knowledge, and of its use in the treatment of the 
insane and morally weak, for he observes:— 

* Body and Mind, pp. 108,100, 


RATIONALE OF FUNCTIONS AND SIGNS. 


157 


To me it seems not unreasonable to suppose that the mind may stamp 
its tone, if not its very features, on the individual elements of the body, 
inspiring them with hope and energy or infecting them with despair and 
feebleness. A separated portion of the body, so little that our naked eye 
can make nothing of it,—the spermatozoon of the male and the ovum of 
the female,—does, at any rate, contain in a latent state the essential char¬ 
acters of the mind and body of the individual from whom it has proceeded, 
and, as we are utterly ignorant how this mysterious effect is accomplished, 
we are certainly not in a position to deny that what is true of the sperma¬ 
tozoon and ovum may be true of other organic elements; and, if this be so, 
then those who profess to discover the character of the individual in the 
character of the nose , and hand, and features, or other part of the body, may 
have a foundation of truth * 

Many of the greatest pathological mysteries will be unveiled 
by a 1 knowledge of the human face. 'Much of the ignorance in the 
treatment of the insane, idiotic, and morally weak will be removed 
when our medical practitioners study this science as a part of their 
college course. And not until this is done shall we have true 
physicians, for to ignore the human face and all that it reveals of 
existing states, temporary, permanent, and ancestral, is to ignore 
the most important part of human knowledge. Consider the value 
of being able to locate the signs for all the visceral organs in the 
face. This has never appeared in any medical work in the world, 
yet it is properly a part of medical knowledge. 

Observe the immense power a knowledge of this, together 
with the mental signs, would give to those who have charge of the 
insane and imbecile. A true moral and mental philosophy is im¬ 
possible without scientific knowledge of the human physiognomy. 

A vast and weighty amount of evidence as to the locale of 
the mind is slowly yet surely being adduced from the greatest ex¬ 
perimental anatomists of the age. The following extract from a 
work of Dr. David Ferrier is quoted in support of my position on 
the contributory power of the viscera to mental manifestations, 
lie observes:— 

Whether the various viscera are represented in the cerebral hemi¬ 
spheres has not been experimentally ascertained. It is not, however, im¬ 
probable, and the ancient localization of certain emotions in certain viscera, 
though crude, is not without some foundation in positive physio-psycho- 
logical fact. Morbid states of the viscera or of the centres of organic 
sensation in reciprocal action and reaction may give rise to hypochondriasis 
or melancholia.*)* 

Again, he remarks:— 

We have every reason for believing that there is in company with all 
our mental processes an unbroken material succession Irom the ingress ol 
a sensation to the outgoing responses in action. The mental succession is 

* Body and Mind, p. 39. [Italics the author’s.] 
f Function of the Brain, David Ferrier, M.D., p. 26. 


158 


practical and scientific PHYSIOGNOMY. 


not for an instant dissevered from a physical succession. The only supposi¬ 
tion is that mental and physical proceed together as undivided twins* 

Other eminent observers, as Sir Charles Bell expressed it, are 
beginning to have u a firm yet dim conviction that the mind is 
not confined either to the brain or nervous system. Mr. Oeoige 
Henry Lewes’ remarks on this point are not without interest. He 

observes:— 

I feel myself justified, therefore, in considering that ideation is the 
form of cerebral sensibility which is determined by connection with the 
ganglia of visceral sensation. It was formerly believed that the heart, the 
liver, and the spleen were seats ot the passions. Popular language still pre¬ 
serves this notion, but Bichat was the last great anatomist who countenanced 
the doctrine. Since that doctrine has fallen into discredit there has been an 
undue neglect of the important fact which it endeavored to explain, viz., the 
immediate influence exercised over the emotions by the condition ot the vis¬ 
cera, and the influence exercised over the viscera by the state of the emo¬ 
tions; both the ancient and modern are reconciled in the view I have put 
forth, which makes the viscera the main source of emotions , just as the 
organs of sense are the main source of ideas.! 

I shall bring forward, as I proceed, the strongest proof of my 
position, that mind is to be found in the action of the organs of the 
several viscera and other functions, as well as in the nervous 
ganglia of the entire organism. It is true that no scientist has, so 
far as I am aware, brought forward the main principles which I 
here present. It remains for me to elaborate and carry to a 
finality my theories in my own particular branch of science. At 
the same time, it is a very great recommendation to my theories 
that they receive the support (in any degree, however remote) of 
the best and most advanced thinkers. Although the task of con - 
necting the proof has fallen to me, it is both a task and a pleasure. 
It is made the easier, for the reason that I have the whole world 
of living animal and human organisms from which to derive my 
proofs. 

We will now commence our investigations in the chemical 
or primitive system of the body and analyze the signs in the chin. 

THE KIDNEY SYSTEM. 

Analysis of Conscientiousness. —The kidney system creates or 
evolves Conscientiousness , Integrity , Morality. The width of the 
chin, caused by width of its bony structure , denotes Conscientious¬ 
ness, as well as the strength and action of the kidney system. A 
narrow, retreating chin shows that the kidneys are narrow and 
small; a broad, bony chin (if the eyes are well colored) announces 

* Function of the Brain, David Ferrier, M.D., p. 256. [Italics the author’s.] 
t Physiology of Common Life, G. H. Lewes, p. 84. 


THE KIDNEY SYSTEM. 


159 


strong, large, or broad kidneys and relative breadth at the “ small 
of the back,” as it is termed. By the kidney system I mean not 
only the kidneys, but the several ducts and the bladder, as well as 
all the apparatus included in the performance of its functions; 
that is to say, all of the fluid circulation of the body concerned in 
the excreting of the fluid waste and the fluid upbuilding of the 
entire body. Taking into consideration the fact that 75 per cent, 
of the human organism is composed of water, the importance of 
water as a fluid solvent of all the materials taken into the system, 
as well as its very important office as the carrier of all the ma¬ 
terials through the veins and absorbent and secretory tubes to 
the several tissues involved in the human organism, it must be 
apparent that upon the power and activity of the fluid and kidney 
systems man depends very largely for the 'purity and integrity of 
his physical powers, hence of his moral nature. If the kidney 
system is not capable of excreting the waste of the fluid circula¬ 
tion, it is thrown back or retained in the body, thus destroying the 
soundness and integrity of the whole organism; or, if the fluid 
system fail, as a common carrier, to convey the particles of lime 
and other materials needed in sustaining the power of the bony 
system; or, if the fluid circulation is incompetent to perform its 
mission in conveying other materials in their right proportion 
to their several destinations, the organism will suffer from an 
unbalanced condition in its physical as well as in its moral devel- 
opment. We cannot separate cause from eflect; one cannot be 
moral without the physical powers first possess purity, integrity, 
and equilibrium in their components and action. Some may 
object to this showing of the dependence of the .moral powers 
on the physical functions, as antagonistic to Theology. Now, il 
we could exhibit morality without the use of the organs and mem¬ 
bers of the body, this theory would be untenable. If Theology 
cannot agree with the laws of God as shown through the laws of 
Nature, so much the worse for Theology. 

Morality is related to the use of the members and organs of 
the body; we cannot be immoral without using them. We can 
be neither moral nor immoral hi thought alone. It is by the im¬ 
proper use or diseased conditions of our organs and members 
that we can become immoral. Morality is not a mere sentiment; 
it is not a matter of belief or speculation, but a living, actual 
reality, related to the right use of our physical powers. Almost 
every individual will admit that certain persons look more honest 
or moral than certain others; also, that some are very sensual- 
looking. The investigation of their conduct often proves that 
their lives and their looks correspond. Now, what creates this 

0 


160 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


correspondence and causes the difference between moral and 
immoral persons 1 Is it the nature of their surroundings alone \ 
No; for, with equal opportunities and temptations, some are able 
to conduct themselves with more morality than others. Is it not, 
then, in inherited organisms ? Is it not in certain combinations 
of organs, bones, blood, muscle, and tissue, so placed as to pro¬ 
duce certain forms, which, by virtue of these inherited forms, the 
individual is able to be either moral or immoral 1 Is it possible 
for us to know how these moral or immoral qualities are produced, 
and are we not capable of understanding which forms are most 
inclined to morality or immorality 1 I claim that all this can be 
known; and not only that all these qualities can be detected, but 
that, by judicious mingling of forms and systems, vices can be 
bred out of and virtues bred into the human family, just as it is done 
with the lower animals. What we need to know is, first, the 
meanings of the several organ systems and forms of the body; 
and then a wise and judicious combination of these principles, 
added to hygienic diet and health conditions, and moral and 
intellectual surroundings. 

Since the theological and metaphysical method of investigating 
the bases of mind have given way to the physiological and demon¬ 
strable method, it is shown by our best thinkers,—those who have 
had experience with the defective classes of mankind,—that mo¬ 
rality, as well as immorality, is a matter of physiological organiza¬ 
tion. The following, from the pen of Dr. Henry Maudsley, dis¬ 
closes to us that he comprehends the intimate connection between 
defective organisms and lack of moral sense. He observes:— 

• 

The observations of intelligent prison surgeons are tending more and 
more to prove that a considerable proportion of criminals are weak-minded 
or epileptic, or come of families in which insanity or some other neurosis 
exists. Mr. Thompson, surgeon to the general prison of Scotland, has 
gone so far, recently, as to express his conviction that the principal busi¬ 
ness of prison surgeons must always be with mental defects or disease. He 
holds u that there is among prisoners a distinct and incurable class marked 
by peculiar low physical and mental characteristics ; that crime is hereditary 
in the families of criminals belonging to this class; that this hereditary 
crime is a disorder of mind belonging to this class ; and that this hereditary 
crime is a disorder of mind having close relations of nature and descent to 
epilepsy, dipsomania, insanity, and other forms of degeneracy. Such crim¬ 
inals are really morbid varieties, and often exhibit marks of physical degen¬ 
eracy,— spinal deformities, stammering , imperfect organs of speech. , club¬ 
foot, cleft-palate, hare-lip, deafness, paralysis , epilepsy , and scrofula .” * 

Here we have the evidence of one who has had great oppor¬ 
tunities to study large numbers of defective and criminal persons, 


* Body and Mind, H. Maudsley, M.D., p. 61. 


THE KIDNEY SYSTEM. 


161 


and we find as a result that in a large majority of instances the 
lack of moral sense is accompanied with some organic defect. 
How essential, then, that bodily equilibrium and visceral integrity 
should be regarded as of as high importance as the inculcation of 
moral precepts. If the persons who had charge of our defective 
classes, such as habitual criminals, the insane, and the idiotic, 
understood physiognomy as a science, very great results to hu¬ 
manity would ensue. That the time will come when we shall all be 
judged and understood by our faces is not, I am convinced, far dis¬ 
tant, and herein lies the opportunity for race-improvement by de¬ 
sign ; for, when men have learned to recognize the criminal or 
insane neuroses, as exhibited in the face, they will undoubtedly 
refrain from intermarrying with those who would be sure to curse 
instead of bless posterity by reproducing their own weaknesses. 

The more we investigate the effect of intoxicating drinks 
upon the system, and observe the utter absence of moral sense and 
self-control which follows their excessive and habitual use, the 
better we shall comprehend the terrible devastation and moral 
degradation which a diseased condition of the kidney system in¬ 
duces, for it is this system which receives the brunt of the shock 
in cases of long-continued inebriety. It is true that in these cases 
the heart, the liver, and the stomach are all involved in the general 
depreciation of moral and mental vigor ; but the kidneys, being the 
largest excretory organs of the body, and those which, by excret¬ 
ing the fluid waste of the body, are the most important organs in 
the system, receive a larger share of labor and of the impurities 
of the organism engendered by excesses and the consumption of 
poisonous liquids. The faces of habitual criminals, or those in 
society who are morally weak, may he known by narrowness of 
chin, and many intelligent persons who have inherited apparently 
good intellects will often become criminal through a lack of con¬ 
scientiousness and firmness, while at the same time they are intel¬ 
lectually conscious of the enormity and consequent sad results of 
their conduct. But, as Dr. Maudsley justly remarks, “ some go 
criminal as others go insane—because they cannot help it.” Added 
to the narrowness of the chin, we often observe in the same indi¬ 
vidual shortness of the chin also. Where these two appearances 
are combined, a lack of firmness, endurance, patience, and perse¬ 
verance, a disposition to fly from one pursuit to another, will be 
present, and in this case it is almost impossible to make the subject 
successful in any department of learning or trade. These people 
remind one of the apes, whose chins (if they can be said to have 
chins) resemble theirs, and, as all know, these creatures cannot be 
trained to useful labor, notwithstanding their very keen, quick 


162 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


observation and agile movements. Indeed, with the deprivation of 
the moral sense, it often happens that there is, as a compensation, 
an acute and cunning intellect. 

No degree of moral sentiment will compensate one for absence 
of a true, inherent moral faculty. It cannot be comprehended 
even by those who are thus deficient. It behooves us, therefore, 
if we would be truly religious, truly conscientious, to eat and drink 
and order our habits in such manner as shall lead to a fine and 
strong development of the kidney system. All peppers, spices, 
intoxicating liquors, tea, and coffee should be avoided, and medi¬ 
cated food, such as contains drugs, spices, soda, saleratus, etc., 
should be eschewed. A man with weak or defectively organized 
kidneys cannot expect to live to old age. It is possible to exist 
many years with disorders of other organs, but the faces of all 
aged persons that I have ever seen have the sign for the kidneys 
well defined. It is right to inculcate moral sentiments, honesty, 
honorable motives, and fidelity to principle and truth. These ideas 
must be taught and kept constantly in the minds of old and young, 
but a strict regard to physiological truth and principles is equally 
binding , if we would save either soul or body here or hereafter. 

There are so many fine gradations of each faculty discover¬ 
able in different persons that it is quite impossible to describe them 
all. They must be comprehended by the observer through his 
acquaintance with the laws and principles of scientific physiog¬ 
nomy. Conscientiousness, for example, has as many different 
modes of manifestation and degrees of power as there are persons. 
So has love, and, indeed, it is the same with every mental faculty. 
But if we wish to consider integrity in its largest sense we must 
analyze it, and discover, if possible, its constituents. Many persons 
have the faculty of speaking the truth, and who are, at the same 
time, quite lax in regard to the payment of their just dues, and 
others act vice versa. Ordinary observers content themselves with 
calling such persons “ inconsistent,” but the scientific physiogno¬ 
mist, aided by the light of its principles, understands that these 
persons are true to the law of their organization; that they are 
entirely consistent with their physiological and anatomical com¬ 
bination and proportions. There is an integrity of the bony 
system and an integrity of the muscular system, as well as of the 
glandular, the nervous, the thoracic, and the brain systems. When 
an individual inherits all these systems in about equal degrees of 
power, and they are of a high quality, then we have a man of 
integrity in its highest sense. A man may possess an integrity of 
the bony system, and be will be naturally and spontaneously in¬ 
clined to morality, without fear or hope of reward; that is to say, 


THE KIDNEY SYSTEM. 


163 


he will be honest in his dealings, paying his debts, and can he 
always relied on for honesty, and also may exhibit considerable 
moral heroism. At the same time he may not evince integrity of 
the muscular system, and this will cause him to be dishonest in his 
treatment of the opposite sex, or he may he untruthful and unre¬ 
liable in his statements. This kind of character is often met with. 
The organs of generation and of speech are almost entirely within 
the action of the muscular system; hence, any lack of integrity 
in or want of balance of this system would lead directly to 
irregularities of the sexual nature, or of erratic action of the 
speaking apparatus, and untruthfulness or deception would be the 
result. 

An undeveloped or enfeebled condition of the glandular sys¬ 
tem exhibits its action in various ways. Color-blindness, or lack 
of integrity of the sight, is one method of manifesting its deficient 
organization. Color-blindness is due to a lack of supply of the 
coloring pigments and defective arterial circulation. When the 
glands fail to create a due amount of coloring matter for the gen¬ 
eral circulation, the organism does not receive its normal supply of 
coloring matter with which to supply and replenish the pigments, 
which assist not only the organs of sight and the ganglia of the 
other sense-organs, but those of smell and hearing, etc. One of 
the most significant circumstances observed in regard to color is 
that those who have the most color in their hair, eves, and com- 
plexion are the best adapted to judge of colors. Yet we often 
observe those who are color-blind in a certain degree who have con¬ 
siderable color, yet clearness of* the skin is lacking, and this one 
circumstance prevents the individual from having a decidedly good 
and strong color-sense. Here we note that integrity of the general 
circulation has failed, and thus the individual is lacking in this 
form of integrity or conscientiousness ; for conscientiousness is not 
a sentiment merely, but is, as you will doubtless become convinced, 
a matter of physiological organization, and dependent greatly upon 
the manner in which we live and upon our daily habits of eating 
and breathing. There are numerous laws which are called into 
action to produce a conscientious condition of the body. If a cer¬ 
tain mechanical construction of the eye is defective, cross-eyes 
(strabismus) is the result. Other defects produce short-sightedness 
and squinting. Here, then, is a departure from trueness and con¬ 
scientiousness. These persons are, in the degree that they are de¬ 
fective, so much less capable of correct and true action of their 
visual system,—another form of* immorality or untrueness. 

Where the organs of hearing are mechanically defective the 
individual is incapable of the same degree of accuracy in regard 


164 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


to sound and speech as where the auditory system is perfect. 
Another sort of immorality is induced by this defect. 

We might continue this form of analysis of the faculty of 
Conscientiousness indefinitely, but sufficient is here noted to teach 
the fact that morality, integrity, conscientiousness, honor, and 
honesty in every department of the body is dependent mainly upon 
an equilibrated or honest condition of the several organ systems 
within the human organism. 

Analysis of Firmness .—Firmness is indicated by length down¬ 
ward and forward of the ramus, or lower jaw-bone ; it shows power 
in the individual to resist disease by the exercise of a firm and 
persevering determination to recover, as well as the power to per¬ 
severe in a course calculated to restore health. This faculty being 
related to the bony system denotes that there is organic power,— 
the power which the conscientious nature of bone yields,—and this 
is useful in combating diseased conditions. The face of Dr. Tan¬ 
ner (who once undertook the task of fasting forty days and 
succeeded) exhibits this faculty in a remarkable degree. His firm¬ 
ness and perseverance contributed materially to his success, while 
the superior bony structure which he possesses shows that the kid¬ 
ney system is uncommonly well developed. These two faculties— 
Conscientiousness and Firmness—will carry one through not only 
great physical but also great moral disorders, and enable their pos¬ 
sessors to stand upon principle against a world of opposition. Had 
Dr. Tanner exhibited equal power in other parts of his mind and 
body, but without Firmness, he could not have accomplished his 
self-imposed task. 

The physiognomies of all long-lived persons have the sign 
for Firmness remarkably well developed. This faculty, physiologi¬ 
cally developed, gives the power to endure and also to resist all 
that would tend to imperil health and life, and even after health is 
assailed the organic power which inheres in a good bony system 
often enables the individual to withstand the attack of disease and 
come off conqueror. 

The northern tribes of North American aborigines have this 
faculty in excess; hence their indomitable will and power to resist 
diseases and recover from desperate wounds. 

Among the civilized nations I have never known a man of 
eminent character to be greatly deficient in Firmness, and most 
men who excel in any great enterprise show the sign for Firmness 
well defined ; even great criminals, especially those who have com¬ 
mitted crimes requiring great endurance, hardship, and persist¬ 
ency, exhibit this trait in their physiognomies. Its location is 
worthy our attention, being close to Conscientiousness; it assists 


FACULTIES DERIVED FROM THE INTESTINAL SYSTEM. 


165 


moral effort by its stable, firm fixedness of purpose. Firmness has 
been formed by a fine development of bone; its sign is found in 
the elongation of the lower jaw-bone, and this bone, as a logical 
and physiological sequence, has been formed by the kidney and 
fluid system of the body doing its work in a thorough and capa¬ 
ble manner; upbuilding the bones by means of the lime in the sys¬ 
tem which has been conveyed in its fluid state to its several destina¬ 
tions, and also by the excretory action of the kidneys in excreting 
noxious and useless elements. An excess of bone, like all un¬ 
balanced systems, induces disease as well as perversions of char¬ 
acter, which are shown in the mulish and stupid animal and person 
whose bones are too large and heavy for the other systems to har¬ 
monize with and give them proportionate action. Too much bone 
leaves its possessor stupid, obtuse, inert,—in other words, dull and 
lazy. The ass is a specimen of what a preponderance of bone will 
do in the way of stupidity and obstinacy. In the human family 
we shall find many who are real sufferers by too heavy and too 
large bones; not only do they suffer from inertia or laziness, but a 
too great deposition of lime in the system induces constitutional 
disorders, such as rheumatism, gout, enlargement of the joints, and 
ossification, in some instances, of the fingers; also, a decided tend¬ 
ency to liver complaints and melancholy as age advances. Those 
who doubt that mind and morals are dependent upon physiological 
formation for the illustration of their varied modes of action are 
referred to an examination of the bony system and its associated 
characteristics in all their various modifications for evidence of 
what is herein stated. 

The cultivation of Firmness, where it is defective, should be 
attempted in a religious spirit, with the view of improving upon 
ancestral inheritances and for the sake of advancing character to a 
balanced condition, to the end that morality may be enhanced, 
success in business assured, and health and longevity made 
possible. 

FACULTIES DERIVED FROM THE INTESTINAL SYSTEM. 

Digestion or Alimentiveness .—Digestion has its principal sign 
in the face located on either side of the mouth, and is known by 
fullness of the lower part of the cheek. This is the most prominent 
sign, in infancy, of good assimilative and nutritive powers. It is 
true that the signs of good digestion are to be found all over the 
person, and the bones will be well covered with adipose tissue 
where this function is vigorous. There is a seeming want of in¬ 
ductive ratiocination on the part of the majority of persons, who, 
while they recognize this sign for one physical function in the face, 


166 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


—viz., that of good digestive powers,—look no farther for the signs 
of the action of the other visceral organs, such as the liver, the 
kidneys, the heart, the lungs, the glands, the stomach, etc. Now, 
if Nature has placed the sign for one function in the face, it is 
logical and natural to infer that others are also represented there. 
While this function (digestion) is the sustainer of all the mental 
faculties—that is to say, gives the nutrition essential to their exist¬ 
ence and activity—the kidney system keeps all in purity and 
soundness by its excretory qualities alone. The fact that the fluid 
waste of the body exceeds the solid waste is undeniable. By 
actual demonstration it has been proved that the fluid waste from 
the kidneys and sweat-glands is more, by several pounds’ weight 
in twenty-four hours, than is the waste excreted from the intestinal 
system. Writers on physiology are unable to account for the 
origin of the sensation of hunger. They do not seem to be able 
to discover how the individual becomes conscious of the need of 
the body for more nourishment; that is to say, how the stomach 
is made to feel hunger. 

Dr. C. Cutter, a writer of physiology, observes:— 

It has been inferred by some writers on physiology that the glands 
which supply the gastric fluid, by a species of instinctive intelligence, would 
only secrete enough fluid to convert into chyme the aliment needed to 
supply the real wants of the system. 

What are the reasons for this inference 1 There is no evi¬ 
dence that the gastric glands possess instinctive intelligence, and 
can there be a reason adduced why they may not be stimulated to 
extra functional action as well as other organs, and why they may 
not also be influenced by habit \ Precisely what Dr. Cutter means 
by “ instinctive intelligence ” he does not explain; and until he 
gives his explanation we can find no solution to the question as he 
propounds it. How can the human system know when it re¬ 
quires nutriment l My theory has been stated before, and I should 
answer, from its mind, or consciousness; for, as mind inheres in 
every part of the body, so the branches and filaments of nerves 
connected with the gastric glands convey to the brain these wants 
of the individual. The pneumogastric nerve ramifies upon the 
stomach, and this nerve becomes cognizant of the wants of the 
organ over which it presides, so to speak, and, communicating with 
the nerves of the other parts of the organism involved in the 
process of digestion, all combined make demand for more nutrition 
and prepare the several organs and glands for its reception. This 
theory is clearly proved by the fact that where the brain is func¬ 
tionally or structurally diseased it is often incapable of taking cog- 


FACULTIES DERIVED FROM THE INTESTINAL SYSTEM. 


167 


nizance of the conditions and appeals of these parts, and insane 
persons are often compelled by 1‘orce to partake of food, as they 
would starve to death if left to their own care, not being notified 
by the stomach of the needs of the body—the consequence of the 
diseased condition of the brain. The case of the wounded sailor, 
noted by Sir Astley Cooper, illustrates this theory, and shows that 
all the vegetative processes of the body can go on without the 
brain being conscious of the action of the organs of respiration, 
secretion, excretion, or growth. 

In Sir Astley Cooper’s 44 Lectures on Surgery,” the following 
singular case is noted: At Gibraltar, a sailor fell from the yard¬ 
arm of a ship, and was taken up unconscious. He remained some 
months in the hospital there, in a perfectly insensible condition. 
He was then conveyed to England and placed in a hospital at 
Deptford, where Sir Astley Cooper, the eminent surgeon, visited 
him. He was informed by the attending surgeon that the sailor 
had been insensible for many months. He said:— 

He lies on his back with a few signs of life; he breathes; indeed, 
has a pulse, and some motion in his fingers; but in all other respects he is 
deprived of all powers of mind, volition, or sensation. If he wanted food , 
he had the power of moving the lips and tongue , and this action of liis 
mouth was the signal to his attendants for supplying this want* 

This last sentence corroborates my theory of the mental power 
of the nerves of the digestive apparatus. It is here proved that 
consciousness was suspended for many months; yet the organs of 
digestion had power to manifest intelligence in the manner indicated 
above. This man lay in this condition for thirteen months, when 
Sir Astley Cooper trephined him; that is to say, raised the de¬ 
pressed portion of the bone from off the brain, upon which it was 
pressing. Four hours afterward he was able to sit up in bed and 
converse, and four days after he was restored to all the faculties of 
his mind and functions of body. He said that he remembered 
nothing from the moment that he fell; thus proving that the 
faculty of Memory of Events was entirely suspended. His reason, 
we see, was dormant; all power over the muscles, with the excep¬ 
tion of a slight motion of the fingers and tongue and lips, was 
gone; yet this man lived, breathed, secreted the juices of the 
stomach, liver, and intestines; excreted from the kidneys and 
bowels; but was unable to manifest intelligence, except that sort 
which the digestive apparatus was able to make apparent. 

This peculiar diseased condition of the sailor above instanced 
led to the important discovery that consciousness, or mind, existed 
within the body, as it does in those animals which are destitute of 

* quoted from “ A Physiology for Schools,” C. Cutter, M.D., p. 30. 



168 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


a, brain; it shows also that, while thought is manufactured in the 
brain, consciousness and intelligence are properties of nerve and 
ganglionic masses, and the nerves connected with the glandular 
system of digestion were able in tins instance to make the man s 
wants apparent without the direct co-operation of either brains for 
thought, or muscles for speech. Of the method of studying mind 
through observation ol morbid or diseased conditions, Or. Maudsley 
remarks thus:— 

It is probable that an exact observation of the mental effects of 
morbid states of the different organs would help the inquiry into the 
feelings and desires of the mind which owe their origin to particula^r 
organs. What are the psychological features of disease ot the heart, dis¬ 
ease of the lungs, disease of the liver? They are unquestionably different 
in each case.* 

Elsewhere the same writer observes:— 

Let me now say a few words concerning the abdominal organs. No 
one will call in question that the states of their functions do exert a 
positive influence on our states of mind. I have met with one case of 
severe melancholia of long standing which was distinctly cured by the 
expulsion of a tape-worm, and it appears to be tolerably certain that 
hypochondriacal insanity is in some instances connected with, if not 
caused by, a perverted sensation proceeding from an internal organ, most 
often abdominal. In health we are not conscious of the impressions which 
these organs make upon the brain , albeit they assuredly send their unper¬ 
ceived contributions to the stream of energies of which consciousness 
is the sum and outcome; but when a disordered organ sends a morbid 
impression to the brain it no longer does its work there in silence and 
self-suppression, but asserts itself in an unwonted affection of conscious¬ 
ness. Not long since I saw a patient who believed that he had a man 
in his belly; when his bowels were constipated the delusion became active; 
he made desperate efforts by vomiting to get rid of his tormentor, and 
was then surly, morose, and dangerous; but when his bowels had been 
relieved the delusion subsided into the background and he was good- 
tempered and industrious.')* 

The reciprocal action of visceral organs upon the brain, and 
of the brain upon interior organs, has long been investigated in 
asylums for the insane; but for want of a system to verify obser¬ 
vations not much progress in the intelligent treatment of these 
cases has been made. A correct understanding of the physiog¬ 
nomy will assist materially in the recovery of these patients where 
disorder is caused by diseased states of the abdominal organs; for 
the face does unfold the signs for all these organs, and will reveal 
at a glance which are the weaker, and consequently those which 
are most likely to be assailed with disease, as well as those which 
are sufficiently strong to assist in repelling disease. 

*Body and Mind, Henry Maudsley, M.D., p. 36. 

t Ibid., pp. 83, 84. 


FACULTIES DERIVED FROM THE GLANDULAR SYSTEM. 169 


FACULTIES DERIVED FROM THE GLANDULAR SYSTEM. 

Benevolence. —Benevolence, shown by the full , rolling , moist 
under lip , indicates a strong and active condition of the glandular 
system, both of the secretory and absorbent systems. Whenever 
this feature of the physiognomy is well developed, most of the 
secreting glands—viz., the lachrymal, salivary, and mammary 
glands, pancreas, liver, prostate, and testes—will be found to coin¬ 
cide in their vigor and normal action with the size and moisture 
of the under lip. The absorbent glands also find their illustration 
in the same feature. The absorbents are divided into two classes— 
the lacteals and the lymphatics. 

The function of absorption is indispensable to nutrition ; its agents 
are the numerous minute vessels named the “absorbents” and the small, 
reddish bodies through which these vessels pass the “ absorbent or conglo¬ 
bate lymphatic glands.” The lacteals are found only in the abdomen. 
Their office is to convey the chyle, which they absorb (after the food has 
been digested in the intestines), to the thoracic duct, whence it is sent into 
the general circulation to repair the waste and renew the tissues. The 
lymphatics, on the contrary, are distributed through all portions of the 
body. Their use is to take up by absorption all waste or useless matters, 
and convey such matters which have become solvent either to the general 
circulation, there to be discharged from the system b} r some of the excretory 
organs, or used again in the economy of the human organism.* 

I have inserted this slight description of the office of the 
glandular system, in order that those of my readers who are not 
well read in physiology and anatomy may understand the philos¬ 
ophy of the action of these glands and the appropriateness of their 
signs in the face. Now, the glands in the lower lip, being more 
numerous and more prominent than in any other part of the face, 
would seem to point to that feature as the facial index of the 
glandular power of the entire system; added to the fact that the 
absorbing glands are directly related to the function of digestion, 
and whenever a prominent sign of any function or faculty is 
observed in the face, all minor signs are always to be found in 
juxtaposition with it, just as in the body all organs which assist a 
similar function or class of functions are placed in positions of 
sufficient contiguity to facilitate their mutual action. If the entire 
glandular system is well developed, we must infer that the absorb¬ 
ents will take up sufficient material to supply the necessities of the 
organism by creating new tissues, and that the excretory glands 
will perform the task of carrying from the system all effete or 
waste matter. Hence, a good development of this system shows 
its power to throw off diseases as well as to resist the approach of 

* Practical Anatomy, Robert Harrison, M.D., p. 360. 


170 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

those which affect the glands more particularly. Again, the lip is 
a facial indicator of the intestinal system, and it is an organ of 
taste. Thus you will observe that Benevolence in its developed 
state assists in protecting the body, as well as gives the power and 
desire to assist others. We cannot give if we are in an impover¬ 
ished condition, and cannot warm toward others if we are deficient 
in what creates animal heat. A thin, dry under lip indicates the 
reverse of Benevolence, and shows a constricted or impoverished 
condition of the glandular system, as well as a stingy, close-fisted 
person. 

Physicians have long known the value of the lips as indicators 
of pathological and morbid states of the body, yet have never 
understood their use as an exponent of physiological and mental 
conditions and powers. In certain fevers the lower lip assumes a 
dry appearance, at other times a livid or pale hue, and denotes 
either inflammatory or impoverished conditions of the system. At 
times the lips turn dark and crack, and are the seat of other dis¬ 
orders consequent on diseased states of remote parts of the organ¬ 
ism or of general disturbances; as in fevers, etc. In many cases 
where the lips are. full and the cheeks are thin, one set of glands 
are predominant over others. Thin cheeks indicate a lack of vigor 
in the glands of the abdomen, and consequently the faculties of 
Friendship and Sociality are measurably lacking ; but in such per¬ 
sons it is usual to find the lips full, more especially the lower one. 
This appearance reveals the fact that the other glands are more 
perfectly and more strongly developed, as, for example, the mam¬ 
mary in women and the prostate and testes in men. In such 
persons the lack of Friendship is compensated by an increased 
development of “ Love of Young ” and conjugal love. This love 
does not extend to friends, but is exclusively conjugal or sexual, 
and distinct from Friendship entirely. And thus there is ever this 
apparent attempt on the part of Nature to balance or compensate 
in some way the defects of certain parts of the organism mentally 
and physically. A man without love for friends and deficient in 
love for the opposite sex would be an anomaly. Many misers 
who have avoided the haunts of men and showed no friendly 
associative feelings whatever, have shown love for woman by 
desultory attachments to those of the opposite sex, and some slight 
feeling for their offspring, the result of such connections. The 
well-known John Elwcs, once M.P. for Berkshire, England, was a 
miser of this description, and when he died bequeathed to his two 
illegitimate children £500,000. This person’s portrait discloses 
an under lip rather more full and rounding than that of most 
misers; his upper lip also shows an average amount of Amative- 


FACULTIES DERIVED FROM THE GLANDULAR SYSTEM. 171 


Hess, but Friendship and Sociality are altogether wanting in his 
countenance. 

Economy .—The faculty for economizing and making the most 
ol one’s materials is a noble and useful quality. Saving is neither 
meanness nor stinginess, as many seem to think, but is the result 
in most cases of a good development of conscientiousness; for this 
trait in combination with firmness is observed well defined in the 
faces of all who possess the saving faculty as a talent. Now, in 
order to understand the faculty of economy we must analyze its 
origin and action physiologically before we can comprehend its 
mental and moral aspects. In the first place, we must not con¬ 
found saving with acquiring. In many cases the ability to save is 
the compensation for a lack of acquisition. Many persons are not 
endowed by Nature with a faculty for gaining much, and so the 
character, in order to sustain itself, has often the compensating 
faculty of economy. Yet many individuals possessed of good 
sound intellects, well balanced both as regards reason and practi¬ 
cality, and with good powers for acquisition, save and store up for 
themselves, as well as for others. Economy is not a faculty pos¬ 
sessed by the defective alone, but in some is the outgrowth of a 
combination of reason, conscientiousness, benevolence and firmness. 
In highly developed characters, those possessed of power and prin¬ 
ciple, are found the faculties which lie at the base of their economy. 
Economy is derived from the normal action of the glands primarily; 
for in all those who are best adapted to store up and accumulate 
on a large scale (while at the same time using with sense their 
possessions), we find the storing-up capacity within their own 
systems. The glands create the juices of the body and accumulate 
a fund of tissue, which serve to keep the body in a state of vigor 
and usefulness. Economy also results from balanced condition 
of all the bodily or visceral organs, induced by the vigor and power 
which well-nourished glands have given to the organism. This 
creates such vigor of mind and breadth of judgment as to produce 
that quality of conservativeness which enables one to amass a large 
fortune, which by exercise of the same faculties may be used for 
the good of large numbers, as was the case with the fortune which 
Peter Cooper accumulated and which will be used as a fund in 
perpetuity for the education of the youth of New York. And 
herein lies another proof and demonstration of the theory that men 
of broad build and large, broad noses possess greater breadth of 
judgment than those of opposite formation. 

The saving faculty is often exhibited by persons possessed of 
little power to acquire on a large scale. In their cases it enables 
them to balance their income with their expenditures, and often 


172 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


such characters will possess in the end more than those with 
superior powers of acquisition. 

Every faculty is primarily indebted for its vigor to the amount 
of nutriment furnished to the blood from the lymphatic or absorbent 
system; for the blood is the common carrier of all nutritious 
materials which rebuild and replenish all the tissues whatsoever, 
and every faculty of mind was once in the blood. The local sign 
for Economy is situated in the vegetative division of the face, and 
receives its power directly from glandular action and development. 
The law in scientific physiognomy in regard to localizing the facial 
signs is that each sign will be found situated within the system 
from which it derives its support. For example, the local sign for 
Constructiveness is located on the side of the nose in the muscular 
formation. Conscientiousness is known by the width of the bony 
structure of the chin. Language is dependent upon muscle for 
its power, and all its signs are within the muscular system, viz., in 
the ear, the eye, the lips, the larynx, etc. 

The economizing spirit manifests itself in a great variety of 
ways. Some will be saving of money, and not of property or 
goods; others will be saving of materials, yet give freely of personal 
service. One of the most lavish persons I ever observed gave 
liberally of his money, but would make no personal effort for 
friends, hardly bringing himself to speak up for their benefit when 
he might easily have done so. Every phase and each degree of 
Economy may be ascertained by a reference to the physiognomy 
and physiology of the individual. The desire to save is usually 
quite wanting in childhood. In such cases it should be cultivated, 
and if it is weak the child should be taught in all ways that it is 
an essential part of a well-balanced character; but the training in 
this direction must be systematic and persistent. 

The economical traits of character are rather weak in Ameri¬ 
cans, and should be more cultivated by them. Economy is not 
miserliness, neither is it meanness; only the economist can be 
generous, for the spendthrift having no stores has nothing to use 
and nothing to give in time of need. Economy is a noble trait, 
for it requires both intellectual power to administer upon one’s 
possessions, and strength of mind, of will, and of conscience to 
store up against the day of want, sickness and old age, as well as 
for the demands of benevolence. Indeed, in the faces of all in 
whom I have observed the saving and economical faculty the 
signs for Firmness and Conscientiousness were very noticeable. 
Storing up for selfish gratification is seldom practiced. * Excessively 
selfish characters lack reason, hence are incapable of making a 
sufficiently wise use of their acquisitions as to save up against a 


FACULTIES DERIVED FROM THE GLANDULAR SYSTEM. 173 


day of need, but spend as they go, and usually for their own wants 
and appetites . Benjamin Franklin was noted equally for his 
generosity and for his economy. His face exhibits the local signs 
for several sorts of economy, for there are several phases, as before 
mentioned. 

The grade of intellectual development possessed by an indi¬ 
vidual will denote the sort of economy which he is capable of 
practicing or of understanding. Some devote their powers to 
Political Economy, and put their ideas before the world for the 
better protection of the people, or for a more equitable division of 
the products of labor; while others are only able to deal with the 
small economies of a modest home. The conserving spirit will 
manifest itself in each individual differently, and where it is most 
decided will make its presence felt. A little of this trait in public 
affairs would result in a more just and equitable condition in the 
finances of our country, but as long as children are not trained to 
comprehend the value of property and to use it economically and 
with justice, just so long shall we have the loose and dishonest 
methods of financial management at present in vogue, both in 
municipal, State, and national governments. “ A fountain cannot 
rise higher than its source.” Men brought up without the prin¬ 
ciples of Economy well grounded in their youth cannot commence 
the practice in manhood with hope of succeeding. 

The phrase “ Economy of Nature” is often used, and we would 
think sometimes in looking over the vast stores of natural resources 
that Nature was so prolific that there was no need of economizing. 
Yet Nature is lavish by reason of her Economy. It is only the 
economical who have anything with which to be lavish. The 
economies and conservation practiced by Nature in every human 
organism in the world is a subject for deep thought and investi¬ 
gation ; yet this economy is nowhere more apparent than in those 
who are the most richly endowed with physical and mental gifts. 

Hospitality .—Hospitality and Sociality are two phases of the 
same faculty, and both derive their support from the glandular 
system. The sign for this faculty adjoins the signs for Digestion 
and Friendship, and is in the immediate neighborhood of other 
glandular signs. Friendship and Hospitality are very nearly allied 
in character, for one phase of friendship exhibits hospitality and 
sociality, while other phases of friendship are manifested in other 
ways, depending on the faculties in combination. 

Hospitality, like Friendship, presents two aspects, the selfish 
and the unselfish. As the action of the glands is dual, they being 
both secretory and excretory, it is natural that it should exhibit its 
accompanying faculty or sentiment in a dual manner. The glands 


174 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


contribute juices that not only assist in building up a warm and 
strong circulation, which tends to personal health and enjoyment. 
Friendship enables us to warm toward others and gives the desire 
for association at table, and this in order to enhance our own 
enjoyment; not for charity, for the sake of giving a good meal to 
a hungry person, but for the selfish enjoyment which we derive 
from eating and talking with others. Fine and keen analysis is 
needed to discriminate the action of faculties which by Nature 
and location are closely allied; as, for example, Hospitality and 
Friendship, or Benevolence and Friendship. Their expression and 
action in many phases are quite similar. Yet analysis will prove 
their separate and distinct action. Flospitality in its primary 
aspect is related to Digestion, to eating and drinking; hence, 
the table is its field of action, and this is where it exhibits its 
highest expression and shows that it proceeds from that primary 
associative, gregarious instinct, which is observed in all gregarious 
animals who love to feed in company with each other. 

In a more refined and cultivated sense, assisted by other 
faculties, it shows itself in other ways. In conjunction with Friend¬ 
ship it exhibits a range of activity quite different from the mere 
animal enjoyment of eating and drinking. It will be greatly 
influenced by other traits, which are stronger, and its action will 
be modified by them. The group of faculties in which its local 
sign is situated derives its support from similar organic sources, 
and this grouping of faculties and functions throughout the body 
and face is not the least remarkable circumstance in relation to it 
Mark the company in which it is found: Friendship adjoins it on 
its upper side, Digestion is near its lower side, while Approbative- 
ness flatters and praises its efforts on another side, and Mirthful¬ 
ness, Love of Home, Patriotism, Economy, and Love of Young 
are near neighbors. These are all derived from the action of the 
glands, and are located in the face, as are their organs in the body, 
in such close contiguity as to assist mutual action a*nd reveal their 
near relationship. All evidence points to their glandular source. 
Nearly all faculties have a primitive derivation, and exhibit a 
primitive mode of expression; but cultivation by education and 
imitation gives variety and refinement to all faculties, until in 
many cases the primary meaning and expression of a function and 
faculty is lost sight of in the advanced refinement and esthetic 
mode of its expression. I recall to mind the circumstance of a 
gentleman who was quite indignant at my statement that he 
derived his capacity for friendliness from his intestinal system; but 
after I showed him the face of a celebrated miser and explained 
the action of Friendship, he became quite reconciled to the idea that 


FACULTIES DERIVED FROM THE GLANDULAR SYSTEM. 175 


friendly sentiment could be derived from a physical base, and was 
not altogether the product of the brain or mind, as he had been 
taught. Why the products of the brain should seem more honor¬ 
able than the product of any other organ I am at a loss to under¬ 
stand, for the brain is as much an animal organ as is the heart or 
liver, and the mind is certainly an animal organism. What we 
should endeavor to do is to get at the fundamental principles of 
the body, and then adopt those methods of living that are in accord 
with Nature’s laws. For in this way only can we make all func¬ 
tions and faculties seem alike honorable. 

Love of Home .—The love of home, like all the primitive or 
cultivated traits, is exhibited in varying degrees of power and in¬ 
tensity in different persons and races. Some races, the Swiss 
mountaineers, for example, possess a most ardent love for their 
mountain heights, arid when removed from them often suffer ex- 
tremly with nostalgia, or home-sickness, and some have died in 
consequence of their protracted separation from home. 

This faculty is a primitive animal faculty, and is quite devel¬ 
oped in nest-building in birds, and such animals as the beaver, etc., 
who make permanent structures for habitation, and in such ani¬ 
mals it is more strongly developed than in many wandering, savage, 
and barbarous tribes who have no permanent, settled abode. Among 
the civilized races are often found individuals who are natural wan¬ 
derers, to whom a settled home is unendurable for any length of 
time. Such persons make good pioneers, hunters, trappers, navi¬ 
gators, founders of towns, and leaders of enterprises which involve 
travelling. The love of home is more prevalent and stronger in 
woman than in man, for the conservation of the race demands that 
the mother shall be a home-keeper, and thus the harmony of 
Nature is exhibited by creating in the female a more stable attach¬ 
ment to the home. Yet some men are as ardently attached to 
home as any woman can be. I have met a lady who changes her 
abode, on an average, six times a year, and shifts the position of 
her furniture every week. But this is a most uncommon mani¬ 
festation of absence of this trait. 

The local sign for Love of Home is known by fullness of the 
soft part of the chin just below the sign for Benevolence and adjoin¬ 
ing Love of Country. It is derived from the glandular system, as 
are most of the faculties whose local signs are in this vicinity, for 
nearly all the signs here represent primitive faculties,—those com¬ 
mon to man and animals. The analysis of character must be con¬ 
ducted in a spirit of candor, and without any bias, prejudice, or 
preconceived ideas of the action of faculties, else no profit can be 
derived from it. Now, Love of Home is a trait difficult of analysis 


176 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


by the ordinary observer. To know how much of this sentiment 
is natural or how much is acquired, or to know whether those who 
stick close to the home do so from love of it, or whether it is the 
result of laziness, is a question for the keen observer to decide. 
Some persons remain in one abode or stay constantly at home be¬ 
cause they are averse to making the efforts essential to change, 
while others exhibit a most decided affection for the home of their 
childhood, and if obliged to leave it never cease to regret it. The 
development of the gland below the lip shows more after childhood 
is passed, for the reason that the face never assumes its perfect form 
until the character has begun to strengthen and develop. 

Patriotism .—The love of country is a faculty which varies in 
the degree of its manifestation quite as much as other faculties. 
At first presentation of the subject one would think that love of 
country must of necessity be a cultivated faculty and an attribute 
of highly developed persons only, inasmuch as it is exhibited in its 
highest power by orators, statesmen, and heroes. Without the 
assistance of physiognomy we might think that Patriotism belonged 
exclusively to men of tbis class, but we shall presently learn that 
this trait is general in all civilized races, and even among the un¬ 
civilized there are many who evince the most ardent love of their 
own land. The Esquimaux, for example, are quite unable to 
understand how any one can live in a country which has neither 
ice nor seal, and their attachment for their own land is most 
decided. 

Many persons evince a most lively affection for their country, 
yet are not locative in their habits, and care little for a settled place 
of abode; yet these two faculties are in harmony and mutually 
assist each other. Their local signs in the face adjoin, and their 
origin is the same: both are derived from the action of the glands. 
The perfected phase of this trait, which is observed in statesmen 
and orators, is due to the general development and perfecting of 
this trait, assisted by other perfected powers in the individual thus 
exhibiting it. 

There are men in private life who are unknown to history and 
to fame, whose love of country is not excelled by any statesman or 
hero. There are women, too, whose Patriotism is of the highest 
order. Such women are the mothers of patriot heroes. It is to be 
remarked that man has not a single mental faculty which is not 
equally the attribute of woman, and if woman is possessed of 
Patriotism it is intended that she should use it and transmit it, 
for every faculty is for use. Nothing is created by Nature with¬ 
out a purpose, and if it be argued that Love of Country was given 
to woman to transmit to her sons, I answer that it might have been 


FACULTIES DERIVED FROM THE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM. 177 

given to the male only, and so transmitted as a masculine faculty 
exclusively without the intervention of the female. 

The pages of history are brilliant with the deeds of patriotic 
heroines, and for one whose glorious deeds shine forth with noon¬ 
day brilliancy there are thousands unknown to fame who have 
given up sons, fathers, and brothers, as well as risked their own 
lives and fortunes, in defense of their country; and the bead-roll 
of fame might be enriched with names whose deeds were as great 
as those of Joan of Arc, Charlotte Corday, or Madame Roland. 
This faculty is universal in the higher races, and is an animal or 
primitive faculty, and manifested, of course, in a limited and 
animal-like way by birds and beasts, who show most decided love 
for their own countries by pining and drooping when transported 
to countries unfavorable to their development. We must not argue 
that animals do not possess all of the faculties common to man 
because they do not express them as we do. 

We shall do credit to our modesty if we refrain from setting 
ourselves up too high above those creatures in whose organisms 
reside the self-same traits of honesty, affection, maternal love, 
fidelity, industry, patience, love of home and of country which the 
highest human races possess, varying only in degree, not in kind. 
There is no doubt in my mind that the faculties which derive their 
sustenance from the action of the glands have each a separate 
source of supply; for example, the sentiment of Amativeness un¬ 
doubtedly derives its power from the development of the glands 
belonging to the reproductive system, while the sentiment of Love 
of Young doubtless receives its sustenance from the mammary 
glands, which are largest in the female and only rudimentary in 
the male. This deficiency in the male would account for the 
superior strength of this sentiment in woman. Love of Home and 
of Country, as well as Approbativeness and Hospitality, I think must 
be derived from the intestinal glands. Their signs being in the 
neighborhood of the mouth, the principal organ of digestion, would 
indicate this to be the case. 

FACULTIES DERIVED FROM THE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM. 

Amativeness , or Love of the Sexes .—Amativeness and repro¬ 
ductive capacity are known by thickness, moisture, and redness of 
the centre of the upper lip. When very thick it also denotes 
glandular, muscular, and adipose development. This sign is better 
defined in the physiognomies of ancient races and in European 
faces than in American people. The function of reproduction is 

more active in the muscular or artistic classes than in all others, 

12 


178 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


and those who have excelled in creative art will disclose the sign 
of this function and faculty well defined. 

Its use primarily is for the propagation, creation, and per¬ 
petuation of the race. Its moral significance is of incalculable 
importance, for upon its normal action and natural and religious 
use the purity and welfare of the human family are dependent. 
It has no functional activity until the age of puberty, at which 
time important moral as well as physical changes occur. These 
changes are equivalent to the introduction of an entirely new 
faculty and function. Its full moral and physiological importance 
should be taught to youth, as ignorance of the true nature of its 
powers may lead to disastrous results, which may descend to the 
innocent for generations and lead to the utter demoralization of 
entire communities. 

It has been the custom to regard the sexual system as some¬ 
thing bad, and entirely animal in its influence upon the human 
mind; how much that is moral, beautiful, aspiring, social, and ar¬ 
tistic proceeds from its normal development the reader will learn as 
we continue the science of physiognomy in these pages. I feel very 
much strengthened and fortified in my theories by much that Dr. 
Maudsley has written, and it is due my readers that my ideas, 
novel and unique as they may seem, should be supplemented by 
authority from those who have made a life-time study of mind in 
all its phases. In referring to the fact that conscience is a matter 
of physical organization, and also of the effect of depreciated 
sexual power in man, he remarks :— 

Of the moral character of eunuchs, all that we can briefly sa}^ is that 
in most cases they have no moral character ; their minds are mutilated, like 
their bodies; with the deprivation of sexual feeling, the}^ are deprived of 
all the mental growth and energy which it directly or remotely impairs. 
How much this is it would be hard to say; but were man deprived of the 
instinct of propagation, and of all that mentalty springs from it, I doubt 
not that most of the poetry and perhaps all of the moral feeling would be 
cut out of his life.* 

Comment on such evidence is wholly unnecessary. A refer¬ 
ence to the faces of all persons who are most remarkable for moral 
or mental energy will prove the statements here made. All well - 
sexed men and women inspire more attention and exert more in¬ 
fluence in their communities than do those who are more feebly 
endowed in this respect. I have never seen the portrait or face of 
any character remarkable for any mental or moral gift whose 
countenance and physique showed a lack of procreative power. 
The organs of reproduction are situated in the vegetative or chem- 

* Body and Mind, IJ. Maudsley, M.D., p. 118. 


FACULTIES DERIVED FROM THE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM. 179 

ical division of the body. The signs for Amativeness and the re¬ 
productive system are located in the vegetative division of the face. 
Now, although the organs of this system are muscular, the func¬ 
tional action of these systems, both in male and female, are chemical 
mainly, and assisted by the action of the glandular system. The 
growth of the embryo is a purely vegetative or chemical process, 
as much so as is the growth of a plant. 

The procreative act is the highest, holiest, as well as the most 
constructive and creative of which man is capable. It should be 
so taught and understood, and its high office comprehended 
thoroughly by those who enter matrimony. 

Love of Young .—The local sign for love of children, pets, 
and animals is shown by the drooping of each side of the upper 
lip on either side of Amativeness, of which it is the natural and 
necessary companion. It forms a little “ scallop ” shape,- which 
also assists in giving beauty to the mouth. Indeed, all well- 
developed mouths present this appearance more or less. Every 
function that is of use to the individual, and in a normal condition, 
sets a sign of beauty in the face, and those who learn to under¬ 
stand these signs and their signification will enjoy beauties which 
are denied to those ignorant of them. 

In some subjects the outer sides of the lip project downward, 
almost overlapping the lower lip, just as is seen in dogs and cows 
and other animals whose love of offspring is intense. This sign is 
situated in the same place in all the higher animals. As I have 
stated elsewhere, when Nature gives the love or capacity for any 
pursuit she also gives some kind of power for its expression. 
Hence, when we observe this sign largely defined, we must infer 
that the ability to nourish or care for the young accompanies it. 
In some it betokens the physical development essential to the 
nourishment of offspring,—that is to say, good digestion and a 
suitable endowment of the glandular system. In others, in whom 
the brain system is predominant, it is associated with a mirthful- 
constructive talent, which manifests itself in the invention of 
stories, games, and amusements for the diversion of the young. 
Miss Louisa Alcott, the celebrated writer for children, exhibits 
this formation ; all the signs of this kind of talent are prominent 
in her physiognomy. 

This faculty is manifested in others by love of teaching and 
training young children and animals. No one can succeed in 
training dogs or horses who has not this faculty. All of the facul¬ 
ties and functions in the Vegetative or Chemical Division of the 
face are related in some degree to the glandular system. Now, as 
love of offspring is generally stronger in woman than in man, she 


180 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


is by Nature especially fitted to nourish the young, and the senti¬ 
ment of Love of Young is created and sustained by the glandular 
system—by the mammary glands in particular. In man these 
glands are rudimental, hence his love for and desire to nourish and 
take care of the young is not so strong as in woman, although 
several well-authenticated cases are found in medical works of men 
who were able to nourish habes at their breasts. There are a few 
ducts and a small gland in the mammae of men, it is true, and it 
is quite likely, under some abnormal conditions of the generative 
function in man, that the mammary glands have become en¬ 
larged, as is well known in cases where the testes have become 
atrophied. 

This function and faculty, it will be observed, has its moral 
and intellectual use, as well as its physiological power. It is, 
therefore, highly important as being one of the greatest protectors 
of infant life and health and the conservator of posterity. The 
signs of the functions and faculties in the Chemical Division of* the 
body are the most easily recognized by the ordinary observer; but 
more profound thought and reason are necessary to carry this law 
of correspondence of functions with mental and moral faculties to 
its ultimate conclusions. 

Where there is large Love of Young, in combination with an 
average or good physical development of body, all of the facial 
glands will present an active appearance, exhibited by a healthy, 
red hue, and moist condition. The portion of the upper lip where 
the sign for Love of Young is located exhibits redness and moisture. 
The eyes will appear bright and moist, and all of the glands con¬ 
cerned in assimilation will be found active. The juices extracted 
from the nutriment are received into the lacteal glands, and 
supply the body with nourishment. The better the development 
of these glands, the greater is the degree of the “sentiments” 
of Love of Young, Mirthfulness, Approbativeness, Benevolence, 
and Sociality. 

Many physiologists and modern writers on mind have ob¬ 
served the action and effect of hope, joy, fear, and rage upon the 
glandular system; but, singular as it may seem, have never in one 
instance, that I am aware of, connected the several glands with 
these various and distinct related emotions as their source or origin. 
Pathognomy ought to have enlightened them on this point, as in¬ 
sanity has opened the door so widely to the comprehension of the 
origin of mental powers. Yet, we find among writers such ob¬ 
servations as the following, which I claim corroborate my position 
as to the origin of the emotions of Hope, Approbation, Benevolence, 
Love of Young, and Mirthfulness. 


FACULTIES DERIVED FROM THE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM. 181 


Says Dr Tuke:— 

As respects secretion, the emotions, by causing a larger amount of 
blood to be transmitted to a gland, increase sensibility and warmth, and so 
stimulate its functions; or they may directly excite the process by their 
influence on nerves supplying the glands.* 

MirtJifulness .—The most prominent sign of this faculty is 
found at the outer corners of the mouth. It is shown firstly by a 
depression caused (when smiling) by the action of the two muscles 
named major and minor zygomaticus, which draw the mouth out¬ 
ward and upward, and, secondly, by glandular tissue or adipose 
material. The more these muscles are exercised, the more defined 
the impress of such activity is apparent, and hence it is that we 
often find dimples at this place. In those who are less playful 
and mirthful, small vertical wrinkles are seen. This sign adjoins 
the local sign for Love of Young, and by virtue of its character is 
connected naturally and necessarily with it. In some it causes the 
corners of the mouth to turn upward. Laurence Steme, the cele¬ 
brated humorous writer, had this peculiarity in a marked manner. 
It is adapted to the care and amusement of the young as well as to 
the recreation of adult life. It is in one sense creative or construct¬ 
ive, like Amativeness, as it assists in contriving and planning 
amusements for old and young; it shows in witty and funny 
speeches, and attracts all by mirthful and lovable manners; it is 
also an aid to digestion, and adjoins its most prominent sign. All 
display of anger or sadness while eating impedes digestion, while 
mirth assists its action. The source of supply of Mirthfulness is 
undoubtedly glandular, although the muscles assist its expression. 
The zygomaticus minor muscle is sometimes scarcely perceptible or 
entirely wanting. 

The location of Mirthfulness near the mouth and its intimate 
relation to Love of Young point to its origin as glandular, depend¬ 
ing undoubtedly on the quantity and quality of nutrition assimi¬ 
lated and animal warmth supplied to the system by the action of 
the lacteal glands. Shriveled, thin persons, or dyspeptics, are not 
as mirthful as those whose digestion is unimpaired; and as dys¬ 
peptics regain health and normal conditions their love of fun and 
mirthfulness returns to its natural state. The location of this 
function and faculty and the effect of its normal and abnormal 
action evidence its origin. Like all the faculties found in the 
Vegetative System, it must be considered as having its support 
from sources similar to those of other functions and faculties in 
this system. The association of all these functions is for mutual 

* Influence of the Mind upon the Body, D. H. Tuke, M.D., p. 319. 


182 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


support and assistance; hence, their origin is easily determined. 
To “laugh and grow fat” is a truism. Anger and sadness suppress 
the normal supply of secretions, while mirth and contentment 
excite them to action. 

In regard to the processes of Nutrition, the pleasurable emotions 
tend to excite them ; hence, the excitement of certain feelings, if definitely 
directed, restores healthy action to an affected part and removes abnor¬ 
mal growths. The pleasurable emotions tend to act only in one direction, 
that of increased activity of the secretions, but the painful emotions act 
both in stimulating and in arresting secretions. Thus, Grief excites the 
lachrymal and Rage the salivary glands. On the other hand, the salivary 
secretion ma}^ be checked by Fear, and the gastric by Anxiety.* 

Most of us have witnessed the depressing effects upon the 
mind caused by the recital of sad news, or by long-continued 
anxiety. These effects extend to the digestive processes, and many 
persons, when under the influence of grief, sadness, or anxiety, 
lose all relish and desire for food, and also the power to digest 
nourishment. In this condition it is wrong to urge the sufferer to 
eat, and great harm may result in the attempt. 

Instead of making attempts to force them to take nourishment, 
a pleasant, cheerful manner should mark those surrounding the 
individual, and the mind should be led to more hopeful and cheer¬ 
ing views. In this manner, the natural secretions which have 
been affected by unpleasant emotions will gradually return to a 
normal condition, and the appetite be in this manner restored. 

Pneumativeness is dependent primarily upon the perfection 
of the glandular system, yet its function is not perfected until the 
blood has received the purifying influences of the oxygen as it 
reaches the lungs. Color also has a mixed origin, being both 
glandular and arterial. 

Sanativeness belongs partly to the glandular system, but is 
assisted by the muscular powers. 

THE LIVER. 

Hope .—The degree of this very important faculty found in an 
individual is dependent upon the normal action of a strong and 
healthy liver. If the liver be of good quality—that is to say, free 
from all inherited weakness, and always acting normally—a high 
quality of Hope will accompany its action. Hope is a great sus- 
tainerof life; it buoys one up under great difficulties; it gives the 
power to overcome obstacles by a hopeful, cheerful cast of mind 
—if I may be allowed to use this term in speaking of a physical 
function, for we derive our “mental powers” from these functions 

♦Influence of the Mind upon the Body, D. H. Tuke, M.D., p. 319. 


THE LIVER. 


183 


direct. In sickness no faculty except Firmness so sustains the spirits 
and strength of the invalid. In this way it promotes health and lon¬ 
gevity. Whenever I se§ an individual with cheerless, despondent, 
hopeless views of life and the future, I look for a liver diseased 
either by abuse or by inheritance from some “blue,” grim, joyless, 
jaundiced, bilious ancestor, and I find this invariably the case. 
How little people think, as they stuff and gorge and make them¬ 
selves bilious and jaundiced, of the gloom and wretchedness they 
are storing up for future generations, cursing the unborn and 
sending down to posterity the blighting effects of their uncon¬ 
trolled appetites! Surely, it is here religion should commence, 
where it is most needed; and Nature has placed Conscientiousness 
in the Vegetative Division in the physical basis of* human character, 
in order that it should protect the body in purity and soundness, 
and that morality should prevail. 

When I observe persons whose views of life are gloomy, and 
who live without hope, I cannot refrain from paraphrasing the 
Scriptures thus:— 

The fathers have chewed gall, and the children’s teeth are set on edge. 

I suspect there must have been many keen, observing, 
thoughtful men in “ Bible times,” who were wiser and more scien¬ 
tific than they dared to acknowledge—some who understood, as 
Moses did, the physical construction of the body, as well as man’s 
requirements toward a religious life. When I read such expres¬ 
sions as the “gall of bitterness,” “bowels of mercy,” etc., I can¬ 
not but think that some of the men of those times must have 
known that friendship derived its merciful attributes from the in¬ 
testinal system, and that hopelessness and bitterness of spirits came 
from an overflow of the gall-bladder; else why such expressions'? 
It will be a happy day for society when these unfortunates can 
be made to clearly understand that people who observe their 
peculiarities are able to appreciate them from the stand-point of 
physical imperfection, and not in the light of unpleasant eccen¬ 
tricity. It is a hopeful sign of the times that no one cares to pose 
in the light of the “ interesting invalid.” With the development 
of Face and Form Reading all these oddities, resultant from a dis¬ 
ordered liver, will be classified in their proper light of physical 
deformity. No one cares to be classed among the physically un¬ 
fortunate, like the hunchback, the club-footed, and the blind; 
and if an increased knowledge as to the true relations existing 
between the liver and the disposition can be generally disseminated, 
it will result in a greater degree of caution in the indulgence of 
the appetite. Suggestions as to curbing the demands of the 


184 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


palate, however, are not usually received with much enthusiasm, 
and I will not pursue the subject farther, except to say that I 
firmly believe that a great responsibility rests on parents in the 
arrangement of a dietary for their children, if they would secure 
for them a perfect digestion. 

The liver being the largest gland in the body, we must infer 
that it creates important mental states. The greatest writers on 
mind seem to realize its importance, and have gathered extensive 
evidence by observation and experiment which go far toward 
proving its intimate relation to mental activity. The evidence 
collected by this class of writers is chiefly obtained by observing 
this organ in a state of disease. Not having any scientific 
, knowledge of the face by which to make observations of the liver 
in a state of health, nor to observe hoio it affects the normal in¬ 
dividual, their only resource has been pathological observation, 
such as is had in cases of sudden emotion or long-continued dis¬ 
orders of this viscus. And until physicians and metaphysicians 
are acquainted thoroughly with the facts of scientific physiog¬ 
nomy these methods alone will have to be employed in the study 
of those diseases of the mind induced by disorders of the liver, or, 
conversely, diseases of the liver induced by injuries to the brain 
or brought on by violent emotion. The following description of 
disease of the liver, produced by mental shock, is stated thus by 
Dr. Tuke. He remarks:— 

Dr. Bocld, in his “ Diseases of the Liver,”* observes that jaundice 
following mental shock, long-continued anxiety or grief, is often unattended 
by any alarming symptom, but now and then, after it has existed for some 
time without any symptoms indicative of especial danger, disorder of the 
brain which proves rapidly fatal comes on. After death, in such cases, por¬ 
tions of the liver are sometimes found completely disorganized. It would 
seem that some virulent poison is generated in the liver which deranges and 
then paralyzes the brain, and after death comes softening and disorganiza¬ 
tion of the liver itself. Dr. Wilson Phillip asserts that depression of mind, 
if protracted, alters the structure of the liver. 

Of the influence of the liver over mental states, Dr. John 
Wm. Draper observes :— 

It is, however, on all hands admitted that nothing so quickly disturbs 
the brain in its action as functional disturbance of the liver. If, through a 
partial failure in the operation of that great gland, the products which it 
should normally secrete begin to accumulate in the blood, or have to seek 
new channels for their escape, the vigor of the intellect is at once impaired .f 

Not only is the general condition of the mind impaired by 
pathological changes in the action of the liver, but where there 
is an inherited defect either in size or activity of this organ there 

♦Influence of tlie Mind upon the Body, D. H. Tuke, M.D., p. 304. 
t Human Pathology, John William Draper, M.D. 


FACULTIES DERIVED FROM THE INTESTINAL SYSTEM. 


185 


is a corresponding defect in the activity and clearness of the in¬ 
tellect ; especially is this the case with the reasoning and analytical 
powers. 

It must be borne in mind that this viscus is both an excreting 
as well as a secreting organ; hence, it assists in relieving the sys¬ 
tem of impurities, where its action is strong and active. A tem¬ 
porary disturbance of its function, as is seen in a torpid or inact¬ 
ive state of the liver, produces a temporary inert condition of the 
mind, as well as a cheerless, melancholy, “blue” state of feeling, 
which a return to normal action completely changes to activity of 
mind and to a cheerful, hopeful condition. It is well known that per¬ 
sons transacting business while laboring under temporary disease of 
the liver are not so well able to perform their business in a satis¬ 
factory manner as when in their normal condition ; neither have 
they the same control of the moral nature. This fact is too well 
known to require proofs from me. This being admitted, how then 
can it be doubted that a healthy condition of the liver leads to 
morality, while an unhealthy state of this organ conduces to feeble¬ 
ness of moral action l 

The first and most important knowledge for mankind to gain 
is that concerning his own body, and a health-catechism should be 
the first book placed in the hands of youth, who should be taught 
that the worst sin against God’s law is to breathe impure air; next, 
to drink impure water and eat improper food; and that to keep 
these laws is the “ chief end of man.” If the body be kept in a 
normal condition, pure morals and good minds are pretty sure to 
be the result. The candid reader, I am sure, will ere this have 
become convinced that true religion and a good liver are in direct 
relation to each other. It has been shown that insanity is often 
the result of a diseased liver. Now, if this be so, can it not be 
readily seen how essential to a pure mind and religious life is a 
sound liver l 

FACULTIES DERIVED FROM THE INTESTINAL SYSTEM. 

Friendship .—Friendship is related to and sustained by the 
intestinal system, and is comprised in the chemical or vegetative 
part of the process of digestion. Its principal local sign is fullness 
of the upper portion of the cheek, and adjoins the chief sign for 
Digestion, or Alimentiveness. Fullness of the salivary glands 
just in front of the ear-opening is another sign of assimilative 
capacity. The first stages of digestion—those performed by the 
stomach—are produced by muscular action chiefly, with slight 
assistance from the chemical action of the salivary and gastric 
juices. The most important part of digestion is carried on by the 


186 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


alimentary canal, commencing with the duodenum. The food, in 
its passage through the intestines, is acted upon by the secretions 
of the liver and pancreas; and in this part of digestion the process 
is mainly chemical; and it is here that the juices needed for ani¬ 
mal heat and warmth, for the nutrition of the body generally, are 
found. It is here that color is evolved by chemical action and sent 
through the glands and veins to its several destinations in the tis¬ 
sues by the power of the same action without the slightest assist¬ 
ance from the muscular system ; and when we observe fullness of 
the upper part of the cheek and a bright-red color, we know that 
Friendship is active, because the power, the warmth essential to its 
action, is present in the body in just the right proportion to enable 
the individual to perform the offices essential to the active duties 
which Friendship exacts. A thin, flat, pale, or bluish upper 
cheek shows the reverse of this faculty, and will always be accom¬ 
panied by a small or relatively defective intestinal system. 

Friendship, like Love, is both a benevolent and a selfish trait. 
Its character is dual, as is its f unctional action , for the glands both 
excrete and absorb. Primarily, it seeks to please itself in social 
enjoyments, in the society of friends, and in eating and drinking 
with them. It is not, like the Irishman’s “reciprocity,” all on one 
side. It seeks, also, the enjoyment of those it loves; and, where 
there is a good admixture of the Architectural or Mathematical 
powers, it assists, by planning and personal service, in every way 
the interests of the objects of its affection. A good development 
of the intestinal system gives to the organism the juices and 
nourishment needed to carry forward the work of Friendship, and 
also affords the animal warmth essential to the creation and per¬ 
petuation of this faculty, either as a sentiment or social enjoyment. 
Its physical basis, as I have shown, is in the Chemical Division; and, 
in its primitive aspect, it creates a desire for association and com¬ 
panionship. In the early stages of man’s development it assisted 
in forming tribes and clans, and the faces of all clannish races ex¬ 
hibit this faculty largely; as, for example, the Highland Scotch, the 
Swiss, the Hollanders, and others. As the organism rose higher 
by the development and perfection of other faculties, it exhibited 
itself more as a sentiment , and showed its action by pleasant speech, 
in thought, care, and active works. In combination with the 
Chemical Division large it will exhibit itself by entertaining friends 
with feasts, by cooking for them, and by presents of nice foods, 
and by attention to their bodily wants. With the Architectural 
faculties added it shows in entertainments also, but adds both sen - 
tirnent and good deeds. Witli the highest or Mathematical Divi¬ 
sion large, where the brain and nerves impart sensitiveness, it will 


FACULTIES DERIVED FROM THE INTESTINAL SYSTEM. 187 

be exhibited more in emotion, feeling, thought, and sentiment; in 
plans for the welfare of friends; in poetry dedicated to beloved 
objects; and by presents of flowers, books, and pictures, and by 
delicate attentions. 

The Germans, as a class, are the most sociable and friendly 
of all the civilized races. They are also the best feeders, with most 
uncommon assimilative powers. Hence, it will be seen that Friend¬ 
ship is a conservator of life, and assists in the progressive develop¬ 
ment of the human family, both morally and physiologically. 
Some of the glands involved in digestion are both secretory and 
excretory. This dual action gives rise to a dual manifestation of 
Friendship; it is both selfish and unselfish. 

The erroneous views of metaphysical writers as to the origin 
of mind have given rise to the idea that Friendship, as well as all 
other sentiments, is originated and operated by brain-power alone. 
Had these writers taken the trouble to investigate man in a scien¬ 
tific manner, they would have found that those races which have the 
best assimilative powers are inclined to be the most sociable and 
friendly. Persons who are very abstemious in their diet always 
care less for society and have less ability for social efforts than 
those whose digestion is very strongly developed. The act of 
eating is itself a social affair, inasmuch as it brings together those 
of the same family or household, and this constantly recurring act 
develops the desire and love of association. Those who are en¬ 
dowed with large Friendship make good caterers and provide well 
for the physical wants of those under their charge. 

Hollow-cheeked and pale-faced persons have so poor a diges¬ 
tion and so little regard for food that they are incapable of selecting 
food for others; hence, in choosing a landlord or landlady, never 
select one who has a long, thin, pale face, for, with every desire to 
please, they will prove themselves less capable of selecting and 
preparing food and drink than those who exhibit a full and rosy 
development of this part of the face. 

The close proximity of the facial signs for Alimentiveness, 
Sociality, and Friendship are significant, and serve to show the 
common origin of all these sentiments. The base of all of these 
is found in those organs which conduce to the perfect assimilation 
and appropriation of the nutriment taken into the system. No 
metaphysician that I am aware of has given the origin of any of 
these social sentiments, but has left the whole matter to be referred 
to the action of the brain system. 

I think it must be apparent to all thoughtful persons that the 
brain can create nothing of itself; but must depend entirely upon 
the power originated or residing in the several organ systems within 


188 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


the body, and which send their contributions to the brain through 
the blood, nerves, and muscles. The body is the manufactory , the 
brain the registering and photographing apparatus ; the face is the 
index or dial of ail existing states and conditions ; and not only is 
the face the register of all moral, mental, and physical con¬ 
ditions, but it is also the indicator of the grade of development 
of our ancestors , and one skilled in physiognomy is often able 
to tell the habits, customs, professions, and physical powers and 
weaknesses of one’s ancestors by means of the facial signs ob¬ 
served. A developed friendship is not created in one generation, but 
must be the product of the habits of many ancestors ; hence, when 
we observe the sign for Friendship, Sociality, or Alimentiveness 
large in the countenance of an individual, we are safe in saying 
that the ancestors of that person were friendly, hospitable people. 
In this way, as in all ways, “ our deeds do follow and live after 
us.” We are not living for ourselves alone, neither can we, if we 
desire it. Our faces write in living letters not only our characters, 
but those of our progenitors also, and if we are descended from the 
“ nobility” we need no “ Herald’s College” to proclaim it. Our 
faces settle the question. Said Voltaire:— 

If as much care were taken to perpetuate a race of fine men as is done 
to prevent the mixture of ignoble blood in horses and dogs, the genealogy 
of every one would be written on his face and displayed in his manners. 

There have been master minds in all ages of the world who 
have comprehended that the face was intended to disclose the 
character; but as a practical system has been lacking by which to 
locate and verify the signs of character, intuition has been the 
main dependence of all observers. 

The physiognomy of Shakespeare reveals a character possessed 
of a large degree of this faculty. He was by this power enabled 
to divine, as it were, friendly or unfriendly, honest or dishonest 
persons by simply coming within their personal atmosphere. It 
was thus he comprehended character instantaneously. His writ¬ 
ings, as well as his physiognomy, prove his possession of this 
power. 

Analysis. —As I have previously shown that Hope derives its 
power from a portion of the glandular system,—viz., from the liver,— 
so also we shall find that the analytical power is in strong sympathy 
with the same organ. Its facial sign adjoins that of Hope, and is 
situated upon the septum of the nose directly under the cautionary 
action of the nostrils. These two faculties and functions (Hope 
and Analysis) occupy a position about midway between the Vege¬ 
tative, or chemical, and the Muscular, or mechanical divisions of the 


FACULTIES DERIVED FROM THE INTESTINAL SYSTEM. 


189 


face and body, and are both assisted by the action of the liver. 
This organ has the power of excreting and secreting, and assists 
by its clearness of action the so-called mental operations so neces¬ 
sary in mechanical, artistic, and literary work. 

The sign for the Liver and Hope in the face is situated just 
above the Vegetative Division of the physiognomy, yet it seems to 
assist the action of this department as well as the action of the 
other divisions above; particularly does it affect the lungs and heart. 
We know that this is the fact physiologically, and, if physiologi¬ 
cally, the 66 mental” character is affected by such interaction. The 
kind of analytical power to which the action of the liver gives rise 
is better adapted to the analysis of art, literature, mechanism, and 
science, than the sort which is essential to abstract reasoning. 
Hence, we observe with inventive, fertile, imaginative, and artistic 
persons this sign is very pronounced. The septum of the nose of 
such subjects will be seen projecting downward, with an unusual 
clearness of the skin and brightness of the eye, thus evidencing 
that the biliary system is doing its perfect work. A large frontal 
brain, if of high quality, gives the power to reason abstractly, but 
for reflection resulting in action , as in executive administration, 
and in the several forms of art, as in painting, sculpture, acting, etc., 
an active liver is necessary, as this gives clearness and activity in 
carrying out the ideas which the mind has formed. 

Physiology teaches that the liver acts as a sort of “clearing 
house ” for the blood of the entire system, and that its office is to 
cleanse and purify the blood before it ascends to the brain. This 
being the case, we can readily understand how essential to the 
brain is the perfect action of this organ in all its operations. Hence 
it is that where we observe the facial sign for the liver we always 
find a good degree of analytical power accompanying it. This 
fact should teach us that if we wish to increase our mental 
powers we should pay attention to the condition of the liver, as 
far more depends upon the condition of this organ than most 
people are aware of. The purity and vigor of the entire body 
depends upon the purity and quality of the blood, and thus it is 
that the interaction of the liver, blood, nerves, and brain are all 
concerned in intellectual manifestations and power. All organs 
of the viscera are directly related to mentality, and the mind is 
dependent upon their normal action for the ability to manifest 
Hope, Analysis, and other sentiments and powers. I feel justified 
in naming the liver as the basis of Analysis, for the reason that I 
have observed this faculty most active when the liver was most 
developed, and not so active in those in whom the sign for the liver 
was small, even when the fore-brain was well developed. Another 


190 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


reason for considering these faculties as having a common basis is 
because their signs adjoin each other in the septum; and it is a 
law of physiognomy, as well as of physiology, that those faculties 
and functions which are grouped in close juxtaposition are mutually 
related to and assist eacli other. 

FACULTIES DERIVED FROM THE NERVES OF THE SKIN. 

Modesty .—The most prominent sign of Modesty is shown by 
a vertical depression running down the centre of the upper lip. 
It is an unfailing sign of a love of purity, cleanliness, and gener¬ 
ally of chastity; all of which are conducive to health and long life. 
Persons exhibiting this sign use refined language, dislike all coarse 
or smutty jokes or allusions; love neatness of attire, and desire to 
change their clothing often; dislike bad odors emanating from the 
breath or skin; bathe frequently; and in all ways testify to 
cleanly, chaste, and modest tastes. Its location near Amativeness 
and Self-esteem suggests the beauty and utility of its placing. 

Modesty is related to the brain and nerve system, and is sus¬ 
tained by the nerves of the skin-covering mainly. The sensitive¬ 
ness of the skin demands that care shall be exercised in promoting 
the comfort of the body by cleanliness without and purity within. 
Individuals exhibiting the sign for Modesty take as much pains in 
the preparation of their food as they do in preserving the skin, for 
Modesty is more than “skin deep.” It is concerned with the 
interior conditions as well as with the exterior; for it is only by 
having a state of soundness and purity of the digestive system that 
a fine, clear, healthy skin can be obtained; and although very 
cleanly, chaste, and modest persons may not know enough of the 
rationale of this faculty to reason upon it they will observe, if they 
attend to it, that they are inclined to be fastidious in regard to the 
quality of their food and drink. Care in this direction prevents 
the pimples and blotches which are often observed in the counte¬ 
nances and on the bodies of many persons. 

Modesty is innate in those who exhibit it largely. It has 
many phases, and presents both physical and mental aspects. 
Some individuals exhibit only one phase, others possess several 
characteristics. Those persons whose skins are thick, greasy, and 
rough, and whose hair is very coarse and dull are never as modest 
and cleanly as those who are the reverse, and this is still another 
proof of its origin. 

The situation of the local sign is most wisely placed, for on 
the one hand it tempers and modifies the effects of Amativeness, 
which would otherwise descend to coarse, low, and sensual behavior, 
and on the other hand it modifies Self-esteem, which unrestrained 


ANALYSIS OF THE GLANDULAR SYSTEM. 


191 


would exhibit egotism of the most offensive and unbearable descrip¬ 
tion. Scarcely any sign so exhibits the wisdom of its placing as 
the local sign for Modesty. This sign is general as well as local, 
and fine, clear skin, as well as bright, fine, glossy hair, attests to 
that love of cleanliness and neatness which is one of its most 
striking phases. 

ANALYSIS OF THE GLANDULAR SYSTEM AND OLFACTORY GANGLION. 

Cautiousness .—One of the principal facial signs of Caution is 
shown by extreme length of nose. Its principal use is to protect 
the body by the sense of smell, which prevents all hurtful and 
noxious materials from entering the stomach, and keeps poisonous 
gases and odors from the lungs. The sense of smell acts as a 
sentinel; hence its position, directly above the mouth. This sign 
is conceded by all physiognomists. In the animal world this 
faculty is more used than in the human race; for we depend more 
than they upon our eyes and acquired experience. The eyes and 
observation are not so well suited to this purpose in animals as they 
are in men, hence it is that all animals smell their food constantlv 

' _ v 

during a meal. The herbivorous animals, while in a natural state, 
seldom touch any grass or herb which is poisonous or detrimental 
to them—so unerring is their scent; yet, after becoming domesti¬ 
cated, they lose this faculty partially. This sense is perhaps as 
high as man’s power for observation; yet people usually speak of 
it as “animal instinct,” conveying the idea that this faculty is 
something inferior to human observation, while in reality it is far 
superior to it; for no human being can tell by smell alone, without 
experience, whether certain plants are hurtful or useful. In many 
directions animals possess superior powers. Had they a suitable 
physiological development which would enable them to speak, they 
would soon convict many of us of more cruelties, meannesses, and 
contemptible behavior than even wild beasts are guilty of. 

An excess of Cautiousness is usually associated with a con¬ 
stricted state of the liver and prevents its healthy action. Where 
this is the case, Hope and artistic Analysis are never strongly devel¬ 
oped in the individual. Intense Secretiveness tends also to an 
inactive liver. 

All of those classes of animals that are excessively cautious 
. and secretive—as, for example, the tiger, the panther, the fox, the 
coon, the skunk, the opossum, and the cat—make great use of their 
flexor muscles, and this, added to the fact that their biliary system 
is not so powerful as their thoracic system, causes many disorders 
of the liver among them. 

The correlation of function with faculty, and of form with 



192 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


function, is a most interesting branch of our subject, and will be 
treated of later. The habits, traits, forms, and weaknesses pro¬ 
duced by different degrees of development of the liver are most 
wonderful. The sense of scent is a powerful animal faculty, and 
in looking for its origin we find it best developed in the most 
cautious animals; hence, the length as well as width of the nasal 
organ stands in direct relation to the faculty of caution, and this 
reacts upon the muscles, particularly upon the flexors, as by the 
use of these the animal is enabled to sneak and hide. Secretive¬ 
ness and Cautiousness both conspire to affect the action of the 
liver as well as of the muscles and the sphincters. Those in whom 
these traits are paramount are usually affected by constipation and 
all the sphincters of the body are very tensely constricted. So 
great is this contraction in some cautious and secretive persons that 
it induces permanent derangements of the intestinal system. 
Herein we have the most positive evidence of the interaction of the 
mental and physical states of function and faculty. 

The Hebrew race is the most Cautious of all the civilized 
races; the facial sign of this trait in them is most remarkably devel¬ 
oped ; their noses are both very long and very broad, thus evidencing 
a talented degree of Caution. 

The several faculties the signs of which cluster about the tip 
of the nose, viz., Mental Imitation, Sublimity, Ideality, and Human 
Nature, are based mainly upon a fine development of the brain and 
nervous system, assisted by the muscular system. Acquisitiveness 
is evolved from the muscular system and visceral organs, while 
Constructiveness derives its power from muscle. 

FACULTIES DERIVED FROM THE OSSEOUS SYSTEM. 

Veneration .—This faculty is evolved primarily from a devel¬ 
oped condition of the stomach. Height and width of the bridge 
of the nose is its principal local sign in the face. Unlike the in¬ 
testinal system, the action of the stomach is mainly mechanical. 
We find its local sign, as well as the organ itself, situated in the 
mechanical or architectural division. The stomach is the receiv¬ 
ing laboratory where the solid materials are first mixed by me¬ 
chanical action mainly. This operation is named u peristaltic 
action,” and is produced by the contractions of the muscles of the 
stomach and the expansion and contraction of the lungs and dia¬ 
phragm. The saliva and gastric juice of the stomach perform only' 
a small part of the chemistry of digestion. The materials that are 
taken into the stomach, after being thus acted upon, are distributed 
for further chemical action in the intestines, glands, etc., before the 
act of creating and replacing new tissues, bones, muscles, nerves, 


FACULTIES DERIVED FROM THE OSSEOUS SYSTEM. • 193 

etc., is completed. Although we are dependent upon the fluid cir¬ 
culation to convey to their destinations in the liquid form all the 
materials necessary for the maintenance of the body, at the same 
time suitable solid materials must be furnished to the stomach, to 
be by its mechanism converted into chyme, a kind of pulp. There 
its further progress is continued to the duodenum, where it attains 
a fluid state denominated chyle. This is received into the general 
circulation, and assists not only in nourishing the body, and in 
creating bone, muscle, and nerve, but it also furnishes the materials 
essential to the creation of other human organisms. 

This slight description of the process of digestion will serve 
to explain how the perfected and developed condition and action 
of the stomach will produce a corresponding development of the 
bony system, as well as a fine quality of all the softer tissues. 

And now I suppose the reader will ask for the connecting 
proofs of the relation of the stomach with the faculty of Venera¬ 
tion and its sign in the face. This question is pertinent, and de¬ 
mands on my part a decided and clear answer. Physiognomy, like 
all sciences, is founded on observation primarily. Now, in the 
faces of the most developed races and persons (by this I mean 
physical as well as moral development) we observe that the nose is 
high and broad at the point where I have located the sign for 
Veneration, and this height and width are always accompanied by 
superior strength of stomach. In the noses of undeveloped persons 
and races the organ, at the sign for Veneration, is flat and narrow, 
and totally different in appearance from the former; and with this 
inferiority of nasal development we always find co-existent a lack of 
the venerative faculty, while the character is inclined to low thoughts 
and impudence, or evinces a spontaneous and natural disregard 
of those things which are respected by the opposite type, such as 
laws, customs, proprieties, old age, religion, and social observances. 
Depression of the nose at Veneration is always accompanied with a 
relative ivealmess of the stomach. The logical conclusion, then, 
must be that the face and character of an individual who is physio¬ 
logically and anatomically developed will exhibit a degree of per¬ 
fection in which the bony system is one of the dominant tissues 
and Veneration one of the most marked attributes. Continued 
observation , research , and comparison on my part have given me 
the proof that the development of the nose at this part indicates 
a vigorous and strongly developed condition of the stomach. This 
faculty and function are finely illustrated in the Hebrew race, for 
the Hebrew is an old and perfected race,—one which has paid 
especial attention to the hygienic laws as inculcated by Moses; 
hence, it has become physiologically developed, and in point of 


194 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


ability to digest is not excelled by any other civilized race. The 
noses of most of them are high and broad at the sign for Venera¬ 
tion. Their regard for God, law, order, old age, etc., is exhibited 
in their lives, and certainly a race which has given to the world a 
* Deborah and a Moses in ancient times, and, in modern days, a 
Mendelssohn, an Aguilar, a Heinrich Heine, a Disraeli, a Lessing, 
a Rachel, a Malibran, and a Montifiore, proves its title to a high 
degree of development. 

As before stated, a nose low or scooped at the centre is uni¬ 
versally accompanied by a predisposition to weakness of the 
stomach. This does not necessarily involve weakness of the intes¬ 
tinal system, for the one depends upon muscular or mechanical 
action and the other part of the process of digestion—the chief 
part—upon chemical or glandular action. Over thirty feet of in¬ 
testinal surface (according to physiologists) are traversed before the 
process of digestion is complete. In the animal kingdom we 
observe among those that have very flat noses, such as monkeys, 
apes, and other flat-nosed creatures, that dyspepsia is quite preva¬ 
lent, more so than among camels, dogs, elephants, and horses. 
Dyspepsia leads to consumption, which cuts off those men and 
animals that exhibit a low formation of the nose. Persons and 
animals with long, slim necks are also predisposed to dyspepsia 
and consumption, and accordingly we find that giraffes especially 
are subject to dyspeptic ailments, even in their natural state. 

FACULTIES DERIVED FROM THE OSSEOUS AND MUSCULAR SYSTEMS. 

Executiveness .—This faculty, like Veneration, is found only 
among the most developed beings. Wherever it is observed it re¬ 
sults from a fine development of the bony system, and its local sign 
is manifested by height of the nasal bone and width of the muscle 
just above Veneration. Its location between the signs for Venera¬ 
tion and Self-will is most significant, and denotes that it is related 
in its action to both these faculties of mind. It is assisted by both, 
hence their juxtaposition in the face. Wherever the fluid circula¬ 
tion of the body has done its work thoroughly, we find that the 
bones have received their modicum of material, created by thor¬ 
ough assimilation of the nutriment conveyed to the stomach. If 
heredity has in the first instance bestowed upon an individual a 
fine development of the osseous system the ability for perfect 
assimilation will keep up the same high standard of bone growth, 
and it is among individuals thus endowed that we may look for the 
highest examples of executive powers. Assistance must also be 
received from the muscular system, for no system acts entirely 
alone. The local signs which lie grouped together are useful in 


FACULTIES DERIVED FROM THE MUSCULAR SYSTEM. 


195 


pointing out the systems or functions which they represent and 
from which they derive their support. Each group acts in conjunc¬ 
tion and harmony in the body, and promotes the mental manifesta¬ 
tion made possible by their developed condition. Here, as else¬ 
where in the human organism, we are met with the fact of the 
interrelation and correlation of physical functions with mental 
faculties. 


FACULTIES DERIVED FROM THE MUSCULAR SYSTEM. 

Self-Will .—The ancient metaphysicians, not having a phys¬ 
ical basis upon which to rest their deductions in regard to Mind, 
left us a very indefinite idea of the term “ Will ” as applied to the 
human mind. What I wish to describe by this term is that class 
of acts which are performed by aid of the muscles mainly in con¬ 
formity to the decision of the individual. Whenever we observe . 
one with a large development of the muscles we shall find the sign 
for Self-will most decided in the face. This sign is situated in the 
nose at its junction with the forehead. It lies between the eyes 
and above the sign for Executiveness, a faculty which it greatly 
assists. It is composed of muscle. It is true that there is bone 
beneath it, but where this sign is most apparent the muscle fills out 
this portion of the nose, and (as we see in Greek profiles) the out¬ 
line of the nose descends in one continued right line from the fore¬ 
head to the tip of the nose. 

The corroborative evidence of its muscular origin is found in 
the fact that those whose muscular system is best developed possess 
the greatest degree of will-power, or the ability for prompt, spon¬ 
taneous, and forcible action, while those lacking in the muscular 
system are correspondingly deficient in this most useful faculty of 
mind. The faces of all who have excelled as leaders, commanders, 
and those who have led in the greatest enterprises of the world 
exhibit in their countenances this sign, and in every instance where 
this sign is exhibited we shall find a superior muscular develop¬ 
ment. I do not mean by this remark that we shall find the mus¬ 
cular system of a prize-fighter, but that the muscles dominate the 
bony system, regardless of the size of the individual, whether it be 
a child or a dwarf. The signs for the supremacy of this system 
are manifest all over the entire body, and are known by thickness 
of the neck, wide and thick shoulders, round body and head, full 
convex eye, round ear, curving jaw, round thick nose, round chin, 
fingers inclined to taper, and all of the joints rounded and well 
covered by muscle. These signs are found in those whose will is 
most powerful. 

It is true that the brain where conscious intelligence is created, 


196 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


and where sensation and motion are co-ordinated, must have a 
quality or condition corresponding to the quality of muscle found 
in each individual. This the law of harmonious action teaches 
must be the case; the action of the muscles depends in most cases 
upon the decision of the thinking or conscious portion of the 
brain, and those who possess a fine and large degree of muscle 
decide instantaneously. In many instances the muscles act auto¬ 
matically after repeated movements of them in one direction, and 
instances are related where piano-players have been able to use 
this automatism while asleep at the piano. 

If one were to decide upon performing a certain act without 
going any further, the mere act of deciding could not be considered 
an act of the will purely, but must be understood as a process of 
the abstract power of reason , which, if followed by acts of the 
muscular system could be properly demonstrated an exercise of the 
will. Sometimes the voluntary muscles seem to act spontaneously 
or without previous decision on the part of the reasoning powers, 
but whether the individual acts spontaneously or with purpose, or 
whether he acts wisely or unwisely, the one best endowed in the 
matter of muscle can act with the greatest force and spontaneity 
in his movements, and where there is a good or great brain system 
in addition, the thoughts and speech are capable of the greatest 
degree of courage, clearness, and power. Such people are execu¬ 
tive and resolute, with ability to command and lead, in thought as 
well as in action. If Self-will were a purely mental or brain 
faculty, then those with the most powerful brain systems would 
exhibit the greatest degree of will-power; but observation teaches 
us that this is not the case. It is true that those with large brains 
have decided opmions, but where we observe the best development 
of the muscles there is to be found the greatest capacity for the 
expression of the active will . By dividing up the powers of the 
human organism, we are enabled to simplify the study of human 
science; not only to simplify its study, but also to make clear 
what has been so long a mystery to the mass of mankind, and 
when the masses can be taught that the first and most important 
duty of life is to understand, care for, and protect the body, we 
shall then have those who are truly religious; that is to say, those 
who live in harmony with the laws of God and Nature. A high 
and fine development ol the muscular system is a precious inherit¬ 
ance; the conservation of this system should be taught as a 
religious duty. The world is peopled with the weak of will, the 
irresolute, the timid and shrinking, who often become a burden to 
others and assist in swelling our criminal classes. Surely, then, 
parents should see that daughters, as well as sons, have opportunity 


FACULTIES DERIVED FROM THE MUSCULAR SYSTEM. 


197 


for such muscular training as shall fit them to meet the battles 
and storms of life with a strong and courageous will, which will 
enable them to conquer circumstances as well as their own defects. 

Credenciveness .—A faculty which is so generally distributed 
in so large a measure throughout all the races of mankind is surely 
worthy of more than passing notice. 

Credenciveness in its normal condition is the faculty which is 
adapted to the reception and belief of the truths of history, biog¬ 
raphy, current events, and statements of individuals. 

It has been named by phrenologists “Faith,” “Wonder,” 
“ Spirituality,” and “Marvelousness,” neither of which expresses its 
normal use and purpose. Its perversions are numerous and gross, 
leading often to the most superstitious and degrading practices. Un¬ 
accompanied by reason, conscientiousness, or intelligence, it is found 
among the degraded idolators and animal worshippers of the savage 
tribes, and leads to most barbarous and inhuman practices. This 
faculty is also possessed in varying degrees by civilized races, and 
is the faculty most relied upon by fanatics and despots to control 
multitudes of those who possess Credenciveness unbalanced by 
reason, conscientiousness, or knowledge. Religious impostors 
from time to time have relied upon an exaggerated degree of 
Credenciveness in their followers to maintain their power and re¬ 
plenish their coffers; and, even in this enlightened age, there are 
numerous people who are swayed by those who know how to 
work upon this weakness, and thus they become voluntary con¬ 
tributors toward the maintenance of numbers of idle people, simply 
because they have shrewdly identified themselves thoroughly with 
the “ cause.” 

The uses of this faculty are various. Besides the aid it ren¬ 
ders to our daily life by giving us the desire to know the wonders 
of Nature, to hear the news and statements of facts, the love of 
stories, history, biography, etc., it assists the poet in clothing his de¬ 
scriptions in most exaggerated and wonderful style, such as are found 
in Dante’s “Inferno ” and Milton’s “ Paradise Lost.” This faculty 
is large in those artists who by their works illustrate the wonder¬ 
ful, weird, mystic, and improbable. The paintings of Gustave 
Dore and William Blake show the effect of this peculiar faculty. 
Many poets have given convincing proof of their possession of 
this faculty by their vivid descriptions of heavens, hells, devils, 
furies, and dragons, of fearful aspect; such beings are described 
by Milton and Dante, who also have given us pen-paintings of 
scenes of supernal beauty. 

Astrologers and mesmerists deal in mystic and symbolic 
language, and astonish the credulous and amuse others, all for 


198 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


a small financial consideration. But, with the advance of general 
knowledge, their field of operation is steadily narrowing in all 
directions. The works and face of Mahomet, too, are in perfect 
accord in this direction; and in private life, wherever we find a 
very superstitious person, one who revels in marvels, miracles, 
and wonderful statements, we shall find the wide-open eye and 
high-arched brow of the “believer” of anything and everything 
which is impossible, improbable, astounding, and marvelous. The 
less truth there is in anything, the more attraction is there for this 
class of beings. Europeans as a class are more credulous than 
Americans. They are yet under the influence of mediaeval 
superstitions and the authority of the ecclesiastical powers, while 
Americans have had one hundred years of enlightenment and 
freedom of thought and conscience, and these influences tell upon 
the character, for Americans have less veneration and less credulity 
than any other civilized nation; yet even they have enough and 
to spare. The Chinese, as a race, are very credulous, and certainly 
we can scarcely find a more slavishly-superstitious race. Just the 
opposite of theirs is the physiognomy of a scientist—one who 
seeks the absolute truth. The eyebrows of such are most espe¬ 
cially significant of Observation,—the faculty which is just the 
opposite of Credenciveness. In these the inner corner of the eye¬ 
brow is brought close down to the eye, and the eye itself, no 
matter how large it may be, is set back under projecting eye-bones, 
and this is the appearance that the faces of the most practical 
classes present—such as mechanics, most physicians, naturalists, 
scientists, and practical persons generally. 

Now, it will be observed that all of these indications of Cre¬ 
denciveness are found situated in the muscular system, and are most 
developed among the muscular races; hence, we are warranted in 
ascribing to this faculty a muscular origin. The very construction 
of the portion of the face about the eyes and eyebroios renders this 
class of persons incapable of the closest observation. Capacity 
for accurate observation alone can give this power, aided by Con¬ 
scientiousness, and these two faculties arise from the bony system. 
Those in whom the muscular system is dominant have not evolved 
to that plane which enables them to comprehend the laws and 
principles of Nature so well and so readily as those in whom the 
bony system is dominant. It would appear that religion is a result 
of evolutionary progression, and that the capacity to understand 
absolute truth is most pronounced where reason and conscience 
are the most developed, and these faculties are strongest in the 
osseous people and races; while superstitious religions, and beliefs 
in charms, incantations, omens, and supernatural beings are observed 


FACULTIES DERIVED FROM OSSEOUS AND NERVOUS SYSTEMS. 199 


most prevalent among the muscular people and races—for example, 
the Turks, Arabs, Hindoos, Chinese, and the barbarous races gen¬ 
erally. Their religious beliefs are characterized by the most 
childish, mystic, and incomprehensible ideas and ceremonies ; or in 
other classes, by barbarous, cruel, and degrading rites. The re¬ 
ligion of a race will settle its grade in development most conclu¬ 
sively, for “ religion without reason is superstition.” 

FACULTIES DERIVED FROM THE OSSEOUS AND NERVOUS SYSTEMS. 

Observation. —The origin of this faculty is without doubt in 
the osseous system, assisted by the muscles and certain nerves, inas¬ 
much as it is the most general and the best developed among bony 
people and animals. Its principal facial sign is a lowering down of 
the eyebrows at their inner terminus and a projection forward of the 
frontal bone at this point. Phrenologists tell us that this appear¬ 
ance is caused by “ brain development 99 at this locality, but I think 
we can readily prove it to have its origin in the osseous system 
primarily, assisted by the eye and the muscles of the surrounding 
parts, particularly by the orbicularis palpebrarum and the corru- 
gator supercilii muscles, which, by reason of their constant use (by 
those who are naturally observant), become much enlarged as age 
advances, until they sometimes present the appearance of a small 
wen. Again, the superior size of these muscles at this point is 
due to the increased size of the bones beneath them. 

The phrenological theory that brain-matter causes the bulging 
out of the eyes by an “ organ ” under them, or back of them, indi¬ 
cating Language, is as erroneous as the theory that brain “organs” 
back of the bones of the superciliary arch cause the prominence 
which they name “ Observation,” a name which I also use as de¬ 
scriptive of the same faculty and locality, but claim for it an 
entirely different origin. I believe I have stated elsewhere in this 
work the origin of the signs adjacent to the eyes. The develop¬ 
ment of this locality takes place under the laws of progressive 
evolution, and when organisms have reached that point in which 
the bones have supremacy over the muscles, the bones adjacent to 
the eyes, the superciliary ridges are, as a matter of course, corre¬ 
spondingly developed. Hence it is that we find the faculty of 
Observation not the strongest where the brain is the largest, but 
where the bony system is best exhibited. 

Bone development in the face advances pari passu with bone 
development in the rest of the body. In order to clear away the 
doubt and mystery which has so long attended the analysis and 
origin of mental power, we must lift the load from the poor over¬ 
loaded brain and relegate to their own sources the several powers 


200 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


concerned in the so-called “Mental operations .’ 5 Again, we may 
tind corroborative evidence of the osseous origin of the several 
signs and faculties by reference to the most observing animals,— 
the horse, the elephant, and the dog. The bony system of these 
animals is in excess of the muscular, and their uncommon degree 
of the faculty of Observation is well known. 

The aggregation of bone and muscle about the eves, as ex- 

oo o . * . . 

hibited in the countenance of the most observing and practical 
races and persons, is caused in the first instance by continued 
use of the visual organs. Now, it is a well-settled principle of 
physiology that “use increases capacity,” and when the eyes are 
greatly exercised an unusual flow of blood to those parts takes 
place, and a corresponding increase of size of ail of the several 
tissues involved in the act of seeing occurs, and this being trans¬ 
mitted to offspring (who by virtue of another principle equally po¬ 
tent, viz., “that those faculties which are the strongest demand 
the most activity”), exercise in a greater degree the same faculties 
as did their progenitors, and, thus intensified by inheritance and 
use, the great observers of the world are created, not by their own 
efforts entirely, but by the efforts of their ancestors as well. If we 
take the trouble to trace the lineage of any of our eminent 
scientists, mechanics, or inventors, we shall undoubtedly find that 
they have inherited from some practical and observing ancestor the 
capacity for increased observation. Erricsson is a most illustrious 
example of inherited mechanical powers. 

Bone development is a later and higher evolution than muscle 
growth, and accordingly we find that those races and persons 
whose bony systems exceed the muscular are higher and more per¬ 
fected generally and most unquestionably more moral and prac¬ 
tical. The reader is referred to the general description of the 
osseous system for a full account of its powers. . I believe that all 
faculties, as well as functions, are represented in the brain, but 
doubt the ability of any one to describe the character of others by 
feeling or looking at the brain, without reference to the face and 
the form of the body generally. 

FACULTIES DERIVED FROM THE MUSCULAR AND BRAIN SYSTEMS. 

Memory of Events .—The memory of events, as its name in¬ 
dicates, gives the power to retain and recall events of all kinds,— 
history, scientific facts, anecdotes, experiments, public measures, 
news, and neighborhood gossip. Its facial sign is situated above 
Observation and between the two local signs of Locality. 

Those with this faculty large learn readily new ideas, princi¬ 
ples, and doctrines; can become good teachers, and, with Language 


FACULTIES DERIVED FROM xMUSCULAR AND BRAIN SYSTEMS. 201 

large, editors and writers. It endows the character with a com- 
mon-sense view of affairs, and assists progressive tendencies. It is 
large in children, as their faces indicate. It is possessed by histo¬ 
rians, descriptive writers, orators, and statesmen. 

Memory oi Events is indebted mainly to the brain system for 
its power, aided by the muscular system. Its complex derivation 
gives it ability to remember events which the visual organs take 
cognizance of, as well as what is heard,—as events transpire in 
history, or in affairs of the city, town, or neighborhood. Where 
the region about the eyes is well developed the character will 
possess great practical inclinations, and as the eyes and ears are 
largely concerned in the reception of news, both by seeing and 
hearing, this department of the mind is indebted to the auditory 
and optic nerves, as well as to the muscles of those parts. 

Memory pertains to every individual thing and fact in exist¬ 
ence. There is memory of form, of words, of tunes, of time, of 
voice, of taste, of color, of locality, of numbers, and of all sepa¬ 
rate parts, particles, and motions in the universe. Indeed, Memory 
is a universal faculty, and adapted to the recognition and retention 
of all matter and matters whatsoever; it is as illimitable as the 
scope of creation. 

Memory is a faculty of the five systems of functions ; each has 
its own sort of memory. The muscular system, in a most especial 
manner, is endowed with Memory. The automatic movements 
which are made by the musician, the dancer, the athlete, the 
mechanician, etc., become to them “ second nature,” as we term it. 
So, also, the olfactory, auditory, and gustatory nerves store up sen¬ 
sations once impressed upon them, and the odor of a flower or the 
taste of food instantly brings to the recollection scenes, places, and 
persons long since (apparently) forgotten. Memory connected with 
the taste and smell must be the strongest, inasmuch as they are 
the parts of the sense-memory that is first exercised in infancy. 
After these, the visual, auditory, and tactile sensations are earliest 
used and the easiest recalled; but the memory of thought, of ab¬ 
stract ideas, comes into play later in the life of the individual after 
the knowledge of things has ripened into thoughts . 

A great memory in any department of mentality is a grand 
gift, and where great memory is co-existent with other equally large 
powers of mind we have individuals of the first class; such were 
Julius and Joseph Scaliger, Humboldt, Lord Macaulay, Hugh 
Miller, Guizot, Richard Porson, Baron Cuvier, Goethe, Madame 
de Stael, and Edmund Burke, of whom Dr. Johnson remarked 
that “ his mind was a perennial stream.” Most of these persons 
were endowed by Nature with exceptional powers of Memory, but 


202 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


developed, increased, and strengthened by wise care and judicious 
practice. There are some persons who possess most uncommon 
powers of Memory, but have no originality. Unlike the above- 
mentioned persons, they contribute nothing to the general store of 
knowledge or thought, but are mere storehouses of the thoughts 
of others, and can quote by the hour what different authors have 
said, yet never venture upon an original observation. These last 
may be likened to a storehouse, while the former are great manu¬ 
factories wherein thought is created for the benefit of generations 
to come. Apropos to this, the poet, Tupper, observes, “Memory 
is not wisdom ; a fool can rote volumes.” Yet this faculty is often 
taken by the thoughtless as an indication of wisdom. 

The possession of a great memory merely is no indication of 
intellect or wisdom. Many persons noted for memory of various 
kinds have also been noted for absence of intelligence of most 
other things. Young Bidder, the arithmetician, possessed a most 
extraordinary gift of calculation, yet was incapable of being educated 
for the higher departments of mathematics for lack of sufficient 
intellect to supplement his arithmetical powers. Indeed, there is 
no doubt that extended memorizing often injures and impairs the 
reasoning faculties. Many gifted creative minds are very deficient 
in certain departments of Memory. The agitation and rapidity of 
thought, and the manifold combina tions of ideas, of construction and 
reconstruction essential to original creations, whether of music, 
science, or literature, must naturally militate against that calm and 
quiet condition of the brain which is essential to extended memor¬ 
izing. This is, no doubt, the experience of all creative minds, unless 
an unusually great memory has been inherited along with the other 
powers. 

As Memory belongs to every part of the organism, so its cul¬ 
tivation can be proceeded with from the physical stand-point as 
well as from the mental, and, indeed, in children this part of the 
memory would be the only proper part to commence with. It is 
this department of mind that the kindergarten system of education 
seeks to develop when it educates the young child in size, form, 
color, touch, taste, and smell; for as physical sensations are the 
first which are experienced by the human being, this method of 
teaching is simply following the methods of Nature in this respect. 
The old-time method of education was to commence with the use 
of abstract memory,—the memorizing of ideas, words, and expres¬ 
sions,—and this involved the forcing into action that part of the 
memory which develops latest in life. This is manifestly im¬ 
proper and injurious. Nature’s teaching and Nature’s leading can 
never take us wrong. The old-time ideas of Memory contributed 


FACULTIES DERIVED FROM MUSCULAR AND BRAIN SYSTEMS. 203 


to this ignorant method of procedure. Metaphysics taught that 
memory was a unit and the direct effect of the action of the brain 
alone. It admitted not the degraded body into the companion¬ 
ship of Memory. The ideas entertained in regard to it were very 
restricted. On this point the following expression from Dr. Mauds- 
ley is pertinent. He observes:— 

Take, for example, the so-called faculty of memory, of which meta¬ 
physicians have made so much, as affording us the knowledge of personal 
identity. From the way in which they usually treat of it one would sup¬ 
pose that Memory was peculiar to Mind , and far beyond the reach of phys¬ 
ical explanation. But a little reflection will prove that it is nothing of the 
kind. The acquired functions of the spinal cord and of the sensory gan¬ 
glia obviously imply the existence of Memory, which is indispensable to 
their formation and exercise. How else could these centres be educated ? 
The impressions made upon them and the answering movements both leave 
their traces behind them, which are capable of being revived on the occa¬ 
sions of similar impressions. A ganglionic centre, whether of mind, sensa¬ 
tion, or movement, which was without memory, would be an idiotic centre 
incapable of being taught its functions. In every nerve-cell there is Memory, 
and not only so, but there is memory in every organic element of the body. 
The virus of small pox or of syphilis makes its mark on the constitution for 
the rest of life. The Memory in which the scar of a cut on a child’s finger 
is perpetuated and grows as the body grow r s evinces, as Mr. Paget has 
pointed out, that the organic element of the past remembers the change 
which it has suffered.* 

Memory of all sorts depends upon a healthy condition of the 
body for the exercise of its greatest degree of power. Slight ill¬ 
ness will sometimes weaken the memory of persons, places, duties, 
words, and facts to an astonishing degree, and not until the bodily 
health resumes its normal condition will the memory resume its 
power. 

There are cases on record where the memory has been almost 
entirely obliterated by long-continued illness, by debauchery, and 
also by sudden fright and terror, by suspense long-continued, and 
by sexual excesses, self-abuse, and other causes. Memory is sub¬ 
ject to many diseases, and investigators who have adopted the 
physiological method of research are accumulating a vast amount 
of useful knowledge as to the origin or cause of these diseases, 
together with the means for their remedy. Mons. T. H. Ribot 
has written a very common-sense and useful work on “Diseases of 
the Memory,” and as he has adopted the new method of analyzing 
Memory he has advanced our knowledge in this direction im¬ 
measurably. Of the various inequalities of Memory he has the 
most just ideas. The fact that some persons possess memory of 
words and not of colors, memory of forms and not of sounds, etc., 


* Body and Mind. H. Maudsley. M.D.. p. 24 


204 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


and that the base of some departments of Memory is to be found 
in the organic functions is recognized by him, as the following 
extract will prove. Pie observes:— 

Through differences of constitution the impression transmitted may 
be faint or strong, stable or transient. The preponderance of any system 
of organs—those of generation, for example—gives the superiority to one 
group of recollections. There remain the higher psychic states, abstract 
ideas, and complex sentiments. These cannot be referred directly to any 
organ. The seat of their production and reproduction has never been 
located with precision, but as they no doubt result from an association or 
disassociation of primary states, there is no ground for supposing that they 
are exceptional.* 

Of the possessions of partial memories he observes:— 

What is implied by these partial memories ? Special development of 
a special sense with the anatomical structures dependent on it. To make this 
clearer take a particular case—for instance, a good visual memory. This 
has for its condition a good structure of the eye, of the optic nerve, and of 
the portions of the brain which concur in the act of vision,—that is to say 
(according to the received notions of anatomists), certain portions of the 
pons, the crura, the optic tract, and the hemispheres.f 

M. Ribot gives as among the causes of loss of memory the 
following: “Weakened circulation of the blood, deficient action 
of the heart, excessive fatigue, and lack of nutrition, together with 
the immoderate use of stimulants, narcotics, and sedatives, such as 
hasheesh and bromide of potassium,” which last very greatly im¬ 
pairs the general memory. Besides the work by M. Ribot, above 
mentioned, the reader can consult with profit “Principles of Mental 
Physiology,” by Wm. W. Carpenter, M.D. 

Weight. —The sense of weight or balance is inherent in the 
muscular system, and its effects are wrought almost entirely by the 
movements and adjustments of the muscles, as in walking, danc¬ 
ing, skating, and balancing. It is the peculiar inherited quality 
of the muscles which gives ability for marksmanship, aim and 
direction,—as in shooting, handling tools, such as the graver, the 
chisel, the use of levers, and dentists’ instruments, etc.; it gives 
the intuitive perception of the laws of equilibrium, or gravity, 
motion, and resistance; it is one of the essentials in engineering, 
setting up and running machinery, and in the mechanical part of 
music. Children possessed of a good degree of this sense walk 
earlier than others and love to be in constant motion. The effects 
produced by its development point to its origin. It has several 
facial signs. As muscle produces curves, and bones cause angles, 
we shall expect to find in the rounded individual many evidences 
of this sense. The rounding head, the rounding out of the sides 

* The Diseases of Memory, T. H. Ribot (Humboldt Library), p. 33. f Ibid., p. 32. 


FACULTIES DERIVED FROM MUSCULAR AND BRAIN SYSTEMS. 205 


of the upper part of the forehead, and the tilling out of the super- 
cilii muscle at its intersection with the pyramidalis nasi muscle are 
some of its facial and local signs. 

The muscular sense, or faculty of weight, is large in singers, 
musical instrumentalists, acrobats, sailors, athletes, rowers, swim¬ 
mers, and equestrians, as well as in astronomers, engravers, sculp¬ 
tors, jewellers, glass-blowers, weavers, plumbers, and mechanics 
generally. 

Those who possess a large share of this sense are not liable 
to seasickness, for the reason that the adjustments necessary for 
walking, balancing, etc., are easily made, and the individual shifts 
his position and maintains his equilibrium most readily. 

The united action of the bones and muscles form a system of 
lever-powers, and hence it is that the joints of those who have sen¬ 
sitive and highly organized muscles can change and adapt their 
positions more readily than where this system is deficient in size 
and quality. 44 Physical Imitation ” is a muscular faculty, as well 
as Constructiveness, Language, and Self-will; hence, it must be 
apparent to the reader how important is the development and ex¬ 
ercise of the muscular system to the growing child, and when he 
reflects that those faculties which are put in constant use are trans¬ 
mitted in an intensified and augmented degree he will realize the 
vastness of results which flow from a highly developed muscular 
sense. The Greeks comprehended the influence which the de¬ 
velopment of the muscles had upon the character, and accordingly 
we find that their government sustained at a great expense elabo¬ 
rate gymnasia, where athletic games were taught to men, women, 
and children. These games were accounted sacred, and great 
prizes and honors awarded to the successful competitors. How 
vast the influence which this muscular development of the Greeks 
has exercised upon ancient as well as modern art, science, 
and intellect, it would be hard to say, but looking backward to 
the days of their great sculptors, orators, actors, poets, and crowned 
athletes we are forced to recognize that the high development of 
the muscular sense is one of the most important factors in char¬ 
acter-building, both mentally, morally, and physically. 

Not only is the high development of the muscular system a 
powerful ally to art, but it also contributes to assist poor, ailing 
humanity by its magnetic qualities; for we find in this system the 
capacity for imparting vital powers to those who have lost strength 
and who are suffering under diseased conditions. The capacity 
for healing by magnetic powers or manipulation is most strongly 
indicated where the muscular system is dominant, and is least 
exhibited where the vegetative system is in the ascendancy. 


206 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Locality. —Locality is a faculty from which is derived the 
sense of locating and placing all things which one observes, and 
of being able to re-locate them by recalling to mind their places 
and positions. 

It is always found large in those who love motion, and ac¬ 
cordingly we observe in the faces of travellers the local sign for 
locality well defined. Naturalists, navigators, scientists, and me¬ 
chanics find this a most useful faculty, and, as they are obliged to 
exercise this trait constantly, it soon makes a most decided im¬ 
press upon the countenance. By constant practice the muscle 
at the local sign for weight assumes a size most noticeable, and 
is often mistaken for a false growth or wen by those who are 
ignorant of how large a facial muscle may become by constant use. 
Where the brain system is regnant this faculty and sign are rela¬ 
tively small; so, also, where the vegetative system dominates, but 
with the muscular system slightly in the ascendant, there we find 
it the best defined; hence, we know that it originates in that 
system. Another proof is, that the sign itself is shown by the 
fullness of a particular muscle. One peculiarity in regard to the 
signs in the face is that each so-called 44 mental faculty” exhibits its 
facial sign by the development in the face of the system or systems 
from which its power is derived , and which is its physical base ; thus, 
to illustrate, the sign for Benevolence is found in the development 
of the under lip, and, as the size of the under lip is caused by the 
development of the glands therein, so we know that Benevolence 
is created and sustained by the power and action of the glandular 
system. The only method to observe in tracing the origin of facial 
signs is to analyze their purpose as well as the system or tissue 
which promotes their action, observe its laws and methods, and 
study its immediate surroundings. 

FACULTIES DERIVED FROM THE GLANDULAR AND ARTERIAL SYSTEMS. 

Analysis of Color. —The ancient writers classified the several 
races of men by the colors exhibited in their skin, hair, and eyes, 
and the combinations of colors observed by them were denominated 
44 temperaments.” Hippocrates, the most noted physician of ancient 
times, described four primary constituents of the blood, or what he 
assumed to be its constituents, as the basis of human character. 
These he named the “ blood,” the 44 phlegm,” the 44 yellow bile,” 
and the 44 black bile.” According to the predominance of one or 
the other of these components in the individual, he was considered 
to be either of the 44 sanguine,” 44 phlegmatic,” 44 the choleric,” or 
44 melancholic” temperament. This classification of the structure 
and character of mankind was the standard authority for ages, and 


FACULTIES OF GLANDULAR AND ARTERIAL SYSTEMS. 207 


existed as such with slight modifications by later observers, until 
modern phrenology was announced as a science, when its promul¬ 
gators modified these four primary temperaments into the lym¬ 
phatic, the sanguine, the bilious and nervous, or mental; the 
latter addition being the radical idea introduced into the ancient 
system. Now, the ancient writers, both in their scientific writings 
as well as in their poems and statuary, show that they laid little 
stress upon the formation of the brain as illustrative of character. 
It was, in fact, an unknown region to them. They knew nothing 
of its importance to the human body, and did not realize its rela¬ 
tions at all. Lavater first, and after him Gall and Spurzheim, 
the promulgators of phrenology, made the first departure from the 
ancient method of classification based on color, and classified by 
the form of the brain , as well as the colors of the organism. The 
phrenologists went almost as far in one direction as the ancients 
had in the other * while the latter laid all the stress upon color, so 
the former laid the most stress upon the shape of the brain , and, 
going farther, at last located the entire mind therein. 

Scientific physiognomy extends somewhat the science of 
mind, and shows that mind is inherent in every atom of the body; 
that /orm, not only of the brain, but of the face, the limbs, the 
trunk, the viscera, the hands, the feet, the fingers and toes, together 
with color, quality, size, proportion, and compensation, must all be 
regarded in order to secure a just comprehension of any individual 
character of mind. Still, color plays a most important part in re¬ 
vealing character. In order to understand its importance as a 
revelator of mental and physical characteristics, we must analyze 
its purpose and trace it to its origin. The color which emanates 
from the sun is undoubtedly the source from which we obtain the 
greater amount of coloring matter. Light is composed of all 
colors, and it is from sunlight that we, as well as all vegetation, 
derive the larger amount of color. The lesser quantity is brought 
into the human system through the medium of nutriment received 
through animal and vegetable foods. These articles of food take 
up from the mineral constituents of the earth, air, and water por¬ 
tions of coloring matter which, by the fine and subtle chemistries 
of Nature, are carried through these channels until they reach the 
complex human system, and are there organized into several 
colors, which we observe in the white, red, black, and yellow 
races, as well as in the diverse shades which we find in the 
Caucasian, or white race. Experiments with the spectroscope have 
demonstrated that each mineral possesses a color peculiar to itself, 
and chemical analysis has taught us that a bright-yellow color 
is a product of sodium or salt; strontium and lithium give forth 


208 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


red; copper, green; arsenic, lilac. Various shades of these several 
colors are produced while these minerals are in a state of incan¬ 
descence, and form what is called their spectra. By the use of 
the prism, which is a triangular piece of glass, a volume of color 
from any one of these metals while in an incandescent state can be 
obtained, and by refraction the lines of light are thrown apart, and 
the color, which is a property of that particular mineral, is thrown 
into view. Continued experiments on the part of the great sci¬ 
entists and chemists of the world have demonstrated that the 
potencies of all substances in Nature may be known by their 
colors. Now, if it be possible to determine the power of an ele¬ 
mentary substance by its color,—such, for example, as sodium, 
which is a mineral almost universally present in air, water, and in 
all organized bodies,—would it not he logical to infer that colors as 
we find them exhibited in the highest organism in the world would 
be equally susceptible of analysis and classification, and their power 
demonstrated \ The truth is, that color is so universal a constituent 
of all things in Nature, and man has been so accustomed to its 
effects, that an analysis of its properties and potencies has not been 
sought until recently. But the labors of such physicists as Wol- 
lasten, Bunsen, Frauenhofer, Helmholtz, Lockyer, Dalton, Ber¬ 
zelius, Kirchoff, Brewster, and others, are unfolding to the 
knowledge of man the highly important part which color plays 
in the construction of the entire universe, as well as in its effect 
upon man’s organism. Every phase of color, each shade, hue, and 
tint, reveals somewhat of man’s character, and when the glands by 
their subtile chemistries have extracted the colors from the nutri¬ 
ment taken into the stomach (which had been previously drawn 
up from the soil into the grains and vegetables through their roots) 
and placed them in the skin, hair, and eyes of man, it is quite 
within the power of ordinary minds to comprehend and interpret 
the signification of the several colors thus placed. 

We have only to refer to the origin and primitive meaning of 
colors as disclosed by the spectrum and chemical analyses, in order 
to determine the relation which they bear to man and the powers 
which he derives from them. We shall find in this comparison a 
remarkable coincidence of signification, and a true interpretation 
of Nature’s methods of revealing her laws and power. 

Without going into an exhaustive description of the signifi¬ 
cance of colors here, I will briefly state that experiments with the 
solar spectrum have demonstrated that red gives forth the most heat; 
yellow stands next in power; green the third; blue still less, while 
the violet ray has the least of all. The mineral substances from 
which each of these colors are derived are known to chemists. It 


FACULTIES DERIVED FROM BRAIN AND NERVE SYSTEM. 209 


follows as a logical sequence that wherever we find corresponding 
colors in man we shall also find a correspondence of properties ; 
as, for example, with red, we shall observe the most heat or vitality 
and power; and thus in decreasing degrees the grade of potency 
of other and weaker hues. It must be apparent, also, that if cer¬ 
tain colors are present in an individual, the mineral constituents 
from which these colors are drawn must be present; of course, not 
in the crude state, but organized in the blood, the bones, the 
muscles, the skin, the hair, and eyes. The variations in the min¬ 
eral constituents in different human organisms have been proven by 
the analyses of the several parts of the body in different individuals 
after death. For it has been demonstrated experimentally by physi¬ 
cists that sodium, calcium, iron, copper, and other minerals enter 
into the composition of the human body in varying degrees of 
quantity, and are different in the several organs; hence, the differ¬ 
ences in power, health, activity, and appearances in divers indi¬ 
viduals are shown and may be known by analyses of the several 
colors of the various parts of their bodies. One fact is patent to 
all, that colorless, pallid persons never possess the same degree of 
health, power, and activity that is exhibited by the well and nor¬ 
mally colored. And this is equally true in regard to plants. 

FACULTIES DERIVED FROM THE BRAIN AND NERVE SYSTEM. 

Mental Order .—This department of Order is largest where 
the brain system is dominant, and enables its possessor to arrange 
thoughts, sentences, quotations, and all his mental operations in 
an orderly, precise, and systematic manner. This form of order is 
operated by the brain purely,—by that part of the brain which is 
representative of this faculty; for there can be no longer a doubt 
that every department of mind, every faculty, and every function 
is represented and localized in the brain; and that this department 
of Order derives its energy from the brain purely, without the 
assistance of the muscles, the bones, the viscera, or other parts. 
We must consider it as having its origin in the brain. Many per¬ 
sons who possess Mental Order in large measure are deficient in 
Physical Order and seem to have no ability for the methodical 
systematic arrangement of their homes, furniture, clothing, books, 
etc. Mental Order is large in writers of history, scientists, and 
naturalists, and is possessed by inventors and good mechanics. 

Physical Order is derived from a square, precise, and orderly 
arrangement of the osseous system. Where this system is slightly 
in the ascendancy over the muscular system, we find the best talent 
in this direction. Its possessors will have a place for everything 
and everything in its place; will be precise, methodical, exact, 

14 


210 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


and with a fair degree of time will be prompt and punctual in 
keeping engagements and observing set times for duties, business, 
pleasures, etc. They are pained and irritated if their associates 
fail to replace tilings where they belong, and if they become 
enfeebled by nervous disorders are very fussy and suffer by seeing 
things disordered or out of their place. This faculty is quite 
small where the vegetative system is dominant, for this system 
possesses very little either of Mental or Physical Order. The vege¬ 
tative system is based on the fluid circulation and the nature of 
fluid is such that it moves and shifts and does not remain in fixed 
positions, but, like the water of the ocean, surges from point to 
point and never returns to the same place. Hence, very little 
Order may be expected from the soft, fluidic, yielding, vegetative 
individual. 

Order is adapted to everything in Nature and must be 
supreme on earth, as well as “Heaven’s first law ” All creatures 
have their appropriate sphere or realm, and when they are inap¬ 
propriately placed chaos and suffering is the result. Each indi¬ 
vidual has his or her place in Nature, and until this is found their 
highest use and happiness will not ensue. Physiognomy is the 
best means known to man for classifying and grading all human 
beings and for pointing out and determining their place according 
to the order or grade of intellect which each possesses. 

FACULTY DERIVED FROM THE FIVE SUPERIOR SYSTEMS. 

Time .—The faculty of Time has several diverse phases and is 
manifested in very different and distinct ways. Time, as we com¬ 
pute it, is caused by the revolutions of the earth, sun and moon. 
This is our basis for the calculation of time; hence, time and 
motion are synonymous, and the several distinct phases of time 
which we observe in the acts and organisms of man are dependent 
upon some of the many modes of motion, either within or without 
his body, for their ability to manifest their presence. One phase 
of this faculty enables us to take cognizance of the lapse of time, 
of periods of succession of hours, days, months, and years. This 
peculiar form of time inheres in the brain and nervous system, 
and is exhibited in its highest power by astronomers and mathe¬ 
maticians, and is dependent largely upon abstract mathematical 
faculties for its expression. Its computations can be conducted 
by the brain alone, without the assistance of the other parts of the 
organism. Another form of time gives the ability to keep time 
in dancing, walking, marching, athletics, beating time on instru¬ 
ments with the hands, and in singing, playing upon musical instru¬ 
ments, and in manufacturing time-keeping instruments, which 


FACULTY DERIVED FROM THE FIVE SUPERIOR SYSTEMS. 211 


illustrate the periodic movements of the earth, winds, tides, etc.; 
also, in elocution, oratory, and speaking. In all these movements 
the muscular system is most concerned, and this sort of time is 
discoverable in persons in whom the muscular system is dominant 
and who are possessed of a rounded form. In elocution and 
oratory the regular periodic beating of the heart , and the rhythmic 
movement of the lungs and periodic circulation of the blood doubt¬ 
less influences the speech by dividing it up into natural pauses. 

Time is most certainly concerned in the process of digestion , 
and here two different phases of time will be observed in action. 
That part of the digestive process which is performed by the 
stomach has a certain set and defined time for the proper discharge 
of its duties; for the time essential to the digestion of all articles 
of food by the stomach is known and has been tabulated in medical 
works. The process of digestion in the stomach is affected and 
assisted by the movements of the heart and lungs, and thus we see 
why it is that those in whom the thoracic system is large exhibit a 
good sense of time in walking, speaking, singing, etc. The 
rhythmic movements of the heart, the lungs, and stomach combined 
contribute to produce movements of a precise and periodic nature, 
and those in whom the muscular system predominates are the best 
adapted to regularity and automatism of motion of all sorts. The 
time-keeping sense in marching and walking and in taking cog¬ 
nizance of the lapse of time—in being punctual in keeping engage¬ 
ments and in observing regular habits—is almost lacking in those 
in whom the vegetative system predominates. The explanation 
of this is that the process of digestion is almost constantly going on 
in the intestines and the functional action of the intestines is not 
dependent upon a certain set period of time for its performance. 
Individuals have been known to exist thirty days and over without 
action of the intestinal system; hence, time affects this part of the 
organism the least. In the lowest animal organisms assimilation 
is constantly going on, and the intestinal system of the human 
species is analogous to the primitive intestinal tube of the gastrula 
(the primitive intestinal animal). 

Several forms of the time-sense are often observed in combina¬ 
tion in one individual. Musical composers, for example, like 
Handel and Meyerbeer, illustrate by their combination of the brain 
and muscular systems the possession of two sorts of time—the sort 
which inheres in the brain system exclusively, added to the rhythmic 
sort which is the essential property of the muscular system, and 
which cannot be performed by means of any other department of 
the bodily organization. Brain is competent to perform only its 
own peculiar form and share in the illustration of the time-keeping 



212 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

faculty, and until this division and distribution of the several parts 
of this faculty is made, and each form of the faculty assigned its 
own proper sphere of action, we shall have no just or correct ideas 
of this all-pervading sense. The phrenological idea, that one little 
sign at the outer angle of the eyebrow stands indicative of this 
universal faculty, is most absurd in the presence of the great 
enlightenment which physiological analysis throws upon the origin 
of the several sources of Time. It is not disputed that the faculty 
of Time is represented in the brain. It probably has several 
representatives there, each standing for its own peculiar phase in 
the bodily organism. The appearance at that portion of the eye¬ 
brow which is said by phrenologists to be the sign for the presence 
of an u organ ” of Time in an individual is a local sign of the sort 
of time which inheres in the osseous system and is caused by the 
squareness of the bones at this point, and not by a bulge of brain . 
The osseous system illustrates a different phase of time than that 
exhibited by the brain, the thoracic, or the muscular system. The 
dominance of the osseous system in an individual gives the sort 
of time-sense which exhibits punctuality in habits, promptness in 
keeping engagements, and in being able to tell the time of day or 
night instinctively. Time, as well as Order, is one of the leading 
characteristics of the bony system, and belongs to the mind of the 
bones. The vegetative individual possesses little of either of these 
faculties, because lacking in bone; yet many have the sort of time 
useful to musical accentuation, if a fair share of muscle is in combi¬ 
nation. Many eminent singers in whom the vegetative system is 
well developed possess the faculty of musical time through their 
combination of the muscular and vegetative systems. A predomi¬ 
nance of the osseous and muscular systems will exhibit a different 
phase of time than where the muscular and brain systems are pre¬ 
eminent. So, also, an individual in whom the brain, muscular, 
and osseous systems are well developed and of high quality will 
possess a combination of several kinds of Time, which may assist 
in musical composition or in astronomical labors. In which of 
these it may result, will depend upon other faculties in the combi¬ 
nation. If the osseous system predominates slightly, then a scien¬ 
tific tendency will be exhibited; but if the muscular system is in 
the ascendency, a musical or artistic capacity is present. A little 
more bone or a trifle more muscle makes a vast difference in the 
direction of mental efforts; so, also, does a slight difference in the 
quality of the several constituents of a given organism, generally 
speaking. Where the quality of the skin is of a high grade, all 
the other tissues and constituents will be ot the same quality, even 
if they are not largely developed. In the investigation of the 


FACULTIES DERIVED FROM THE MUSCULAR SYSTEM. 


213 


source or sources of a faculty, and in the analysis necessary to the 
same, we must be guided by a close investigation of the physio¬ 
logical and anatomical structure of the body. Neither one person 
nor one generation is competent to perceive and relate all that may 
be said on the subject of physiognomy; for, like astronomy, one 
generation of observers after another must leave to posterity the 
result of their labors to be added to and built upon by their succes¬ 
sors. There is much that can be learned only by an examination 
of the living subject , and the teacher of this science should endeavor 
to teach from the book of Nature all departments of the science, 
as it is only in this manner that the infinite number of minute 
differences in human nature can be observed and comprehended; 
for the smallest and finest appearances in a physiognomy are some¬ 
times the most decisive, as, says Lavater, “to despise what is 
minute is to despise Nature ; 55 hence, in looking for the origin 
of the faculty of Time, or indeed of any other trait, we must 
analyze first its manifestations as it outworks mentally, then trace 
it to its origin and analyze the action and the constituents of the 
system or function from which it proceeds. There is no other 
reliable method. 

The periodic character of all vital phenomena is well demon¬ 
strated in all Nature’s works, whether it he in the process of diges¬ 
tion, in the repair of tissue, the periodic movements of the heart 
and lungs, or in the regularity attending gestation in the various 
animal organisms. All attest not only that Time is a universal 
property, but that it has many modes of manifesting its several 
phases; hence, the idea of pointing to one single sign as its repre¬ 
sentative in the face is too contracted entirely. We must learn 
how to separate and analyze its several manifestations before passing- 
judgment on this point. 

FACULTIES DERIVED FROM THE MUSCULAR SYSTEM. 

Calculation .—Arithmetical ability, or the capacity for compre¬ 
hending and calculating numbers, memorizing dates and figures, 
and reckoning sums, is a trait entirely distinct from those which 
conduce to mathematical power. Although the mathematician is 
dependent upon a certain degree of knowledge of arithmetic, yet 
the two are not always found associated in the same individual. 
The origin of pure Calculation is undoubtedly in the muscular 
system, and is represented in the brain. 

The best natural calculators in the world are those in whom 
the muscular system predominates slightly over the osseous. The 
Mongolian race, for example, are natural and rapid calculators, 
and show early and decided ability in the direction of arithmetical 


214 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

calculation; yet the great majority of them would be wholly unable 
to learn mathematics, for the reason that pure mathematics is 
mainly dependent upon the reasoning faculties for power to exhibit 
its principles, and reason of a high order is not a development 
observed in the majority of this race. Calculation is also possessed 
by some animals in a marked degree. The pig has been trained 
to use blocks in numbering, but its powers are quite limited. The 
elephant, the horse, the magpie, and the dog possess considerable 
ability in comprehending the number of articles which they use, or 
which have been intrusted to them. 

On this point Professor Haeckel remarks thus:— 

At the lowest stage of human mental development are the Australians, 
some tribes of the Polynesians, and the Bushmen, Hottentots, and some of 
the Negro tribes. Language, the chief characteristic of genuine men, has 
with them remained at the lowest stage of development, and hence, also, 
their formation of ideas has remained at a low stage. Many of these wild 
tribes have not even a name for animal, plant, color, and such most simple 
ideas, whereas they have a word for every single striking form of animal and 
plant, and for every single sound. In many of their languages there are nu¬ 
merals only for one, two, and three. No Australian language counts beyond 
four. Very many wild tribes can count no further than ten or twenty, 
whereas some very clever dogs have been made to count to forty and even 
beyond sixty.* 

There have been many persons who, from birth, have mani¬ 
fested most extraordinary powers of calculation. George Bidder, 
well known to fame, is an example of the precocious development 
of this trait, yet, although his calculations were most extraordinary 
and lightning-like, he was quite unable to pursue the higher mathe¬ 
matics with a view of studying for a profession, proving conclu¬ 
sively that a different department of the mind and body is used in 
each of these branches of numerical computation. There are many 
phases of the calculative faculty. Where it is exhibited by those 
in whom the muscular system predominates it is usually accom¬ 
panied by a good share of what is termed “ policy,” or worldly 
calculation. In the Mongolian race, and in those individuals of 
the Caucasian race who resemble the Mongolian in their anatomical 
development, a large degree of cunning, craft, and slyness is ob¬ 
served. These traits are all based on pure calculation, and, although 
they have no immediate relation to numbers, are yet one phase, 
and the lowest phase, of Calculation; and this form of calculation 
is the compensation for mental, moral, or physical defects, which 
prevent the individual or animal from making his way or procur¬ 
ing a living by moral and intellectual efforts. Craft in man or 


* History of Creation, Haeckel, vol. ii, p. 363. 


FACULTIES DERIVED FROM THE MUSCULAR SYSTEM. 


215 


animal is a sign of weakness of some sort, for u craft is but the 
substitute of power.” 

The class of animals in whom are found the greatest degree 
of calculation, cunning, slyness, and deception are those in whom 
the muscular system dominates the osseous or brain systems, as 
will be observed in the tiger, the panther, the cat, the rat, the fox, 
the coon, the opossum, and the skunk, etc., while in those animals 
in whom the osseous system is in the ascendency, as the dog, the 
horse, and the camel, we find very little cunning or slyness. The 
latter class possess real power of mind and morality as compared 
with the former, hence can maintain themselves without resort to 
trickery. Shy and timid animals also exhibit a large share of cal¬ 
culation of a different sort from that shown by the sly animals. 
The deer, the hare, and the rabbit are dependent upon their fleet¬ 
ness and extra caution. Cautiousness is one form of calculation, 
and cautiousness in excess is not exhibited either by persons or 
animals possessed of good moral and intellectual powers. 

I do not wish to be understood as saying that a good arithme¬ 
tician cannot be honest or possess reason, yet I may safely assert 
that the world has given us many illustrious examples of men who 
were eminent for rectitude and reason, who were greatly deficient 
*in calculation. George Combe, who was talented as a lawyer and 
lecturer, and was noted for the integrity and purity of his life, said 
that “ after seven years’ study of arithmetic he could not compre¬ 
hend the multiplication table.” In this gentleman the brain system 
was dominant. Many eminent astronomers, chemists, and physi¬ 
cists possess both calculative and mathematical ability, but these 
are first-class minds, such as Herschel, Lalande, Pascal, Del Ambre, 
Procter, Newton, Lavoisier, D’Alembert, Dalton, Oersted, Count 
Pumford, Wollaston, and numberless others. In these individuals 
most of the mental powders are above the average, and other 
faculties are of the first grade. In such minds neither calculation, 
policy, nor craft predominate, for the reason that real power and 
ability preclude the necessity of substitutes or the compensatory 
assistance of cunning or craft. 

Calculation, or computation, is nearly related to Order as well 
as to Time, and the local signs of these faculties are grouped in such 
contiguity in the face as to show their nearness of relationship and 
mutual dependence upon and assistance to each other. Each 
faculty presents many phases. Not only are these differences dis¬ 
tributed singly among many individuals, but several forms of the 
same trait are often observed in the same character. Most faculties 
appear to have a range of action of considerable compass; thus, 
Calculation ranges in man and animals all the way from the useful 


216 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


condition of numerical computation, through the various grades of 
policy (which is also a most useful and necessary trait, being nearly 
allied to tact) down to cautiousness, cunning, deception, trickery, 
slyness, shyness, and timidity. We cannot impute cunning or 
deception to an individual simply from his possession of fine arith¬ 
metical ability, yet he may, and almost always does, possess in 
combination a good share of worldly policy and tact. The skilled 
physiognomist can decide which of these forms each person pos¬ 
sesses. 

In deciding as to the origin of faculties, we are obliged to 
depend upon long-continued observations for verification, and from 
observation both in the human and animal kingdoms we are led to 
analyze the action and nature of the constituents of the function, 
or system of functions, in which we observe a faculty to be the 
most developed. From this analysis we must make a logical deduc¬ 
tion which shall agree with the facts observed, as well as with the 
related law. And when the reader asks—as he most certainly has 
the right—how the muscular system is proven to be the origin, 
source, or base of Calculation, I shall refer him first to the fact that 
long-continued observation has shown, first, that this power is 
found best developed in those persons and races of men in whom 
the muscular system is paramount; next, that its lowest develop¬ 
ments, such as craft, cunning, etc., are found universally distributed 
in varying degrees among those classes of animals in which the 
muscular system is dominant. Furthermore, Calculation is most 
nearly related to Acquisitiveness in its nature and action, and Ac¬ 
quisitiveness is indebted mainly to the muscular system for its 
getting and acquiring power, and, in its primitive or animal mani¬ 
festations, is exhibited by the desire for getting food and materials 
for nest- and home- building, as we observe in the animals and 
birds of the forest; and, as those animals who are best endowed 
by Nature with the getting and preying instinct and talent exhibit 
the predominance of the muscular system, we must logically con¬ 
clude that the origin of Calculation is muscular, for “ similarity of 
structure denotes similarity of function and faculty ” all along the 
line of organic evolution. 

Music .—Whatever doubt there may be in the mind of man 
in regard to the origin and source of the so-called “ mental facul¬ 
ties ” there can surely be no doubt as to the source from whence 
is derived the capacity for singing and playing upon musical 
instruments. 

The parts of the organism involved in the production of tone 
or sound, whether in vocal or spoken sound, are mainly muscular. 
It is true that the auditory nerves assist in conveying to the depart- 


FACULTIES DERIVED FROM THE MUSCULAR SYSTEM. 


217 


ment of brain assigned to the consciousiiess of sound the sonorous 
vibrations of the atmosphere, yet without the aid of the muscular 
system there could be neither spoken nor vocal sound. Brain 
alone, no matter how well developed, has not the capacity to pro¬ 
duce vocal music, for singing, speaking, and oratory are dependent 
upon a fine quality and high development of the larynx, the glottis, 
the trachea, the vocal cords, the lips, the tongue and cheeks, 
together with a suitable development of the diaphragm, thorax, 
and ear. 

All these parts of the organism are mainly of a muscular or 
cartilaginous nature, and where these se\eral parts of the body are 
strong and of high quality there will be found the most spontane¬ 
ous capacity for vocal expression by singing and instrumentation. 
The principles upon which sound is based are those which are also 
found to exist in muscle, viz., resonance, elasticity, and the ability 
to produce curved motions. In order to comprehend the rationale 
of the signs of musical ability, we are obliged to analyze the origin 
of sound and the instrumentalities which produce it. Sound is 
caused by vibrations of the atmosphere set in motion by force 
acting upon various substances—such as wood, metal, reeds, wire 
strings, etc. Vocal sounds are originated in the larynx, which is 
of a cartilaginous nature. The action of this organ sets in motion 
atmospheric air, which, impinging upon the tympanum of the ear, 
is there recognized as soft or hard, short or long tones, according 
to the force and time employed in such performance. Sound once 
set in motion forms waves or curves in the air, which are caught 
by the external ear and thrown upon the tympanum or drum, and 
here the nerves of the ear and brain recognize the sounds thus 
received and imitate and modulate them by the aid of the muscles 
of the glottis, the larynx, the vocal cords, the trachea, the tongue, 
the lips, the cheeks, and ear. Two of the elements of sound are 
resonance and elasticity, and these two elements are found in the 
atmosphere, as well as in reeds, strings, wire, and cartilage. 
Another element of sound is the wavy or curved motion through 
the air, and sound which proceeds from the larynx comes through 
circular waves as it flows through the air toward the ear. The 
auricle, or shell of the ear, is also round, and the inner formations 
are of a curved or spiral character, as exhibited in the cochlea, in 
the three semicircular canals. The meatus auditorius, or external 
opening of the ear, as well as the auricle, are both circular in 
formation. 

In the human being the ability to execute curves is confined 
to cartilaginous or muscular material, and all art is founded on 
the circle or sections of it. In singing and speaking the larynx 


218 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


must be able to construct every gradation of the circle. As 
Swedengorg expresses it:— 

It must have acquired the faculty of opening the glottis into all 
measures, figures, and forms whatever that can be described by the geomet¬ 
ric compass or summed up by the analytical calculus from the line or fissure 
to the complete circle. 

We are here met with the fact that geometrical measurement 
and form is yet another element of sound, and we shall find, as 
we continue to investigate the complex mechanism which we call 
man, that all the sciences, chemical, architectural and mathemati¬ 
cal, have their exponent and highest illustration in that most 
marvellous and sublime of all God’s creations—man’s physiognomy. 

In the preceding ideas it has been shown that the elements 
of sound are resonance, elasticity, and circular form; and the 
necessary components of a musician are resonance, elasticity and 
circular formation. Who shall say that the science of physiognomy 
is not capable of mathematical illustration ? 

As before stated, the parts of the body which are involved in 
the production and reception of sound or tone are situated in the 
mouth and its surroundings, as well as in the ear. Accordingly, 
we shall expect to find in the formations of the vocal and auditory 
apparatus of singers and orators a different construction from that 

or vocally. Were we to 
examine these parts in the organisms of, say, one hundred of the 
most eminent singers, we should find that their facial resemblances, 
in these respects, were identical, although of different nationalities 
and of the most diverse individualities; yet in all cases we should 
find a nose soft, muscular, round, and relatively short, notably in 
the face of Miss Annie Louise Carey, Madame Scalchi, Sir Arthur 
Sullivan, Madam Sembrich, Albani, Emma Abbot, and Campanini. 

Indeed, the noses of all good singers are short in relation to 
the other facial features. There are two causes for this. In the 
first place, all great singers possess a predominance of the muscu¬ 
lar system, and muscle tends to shorten, while bone tends to 
lengthen features. Then, again, if the nose were long relatively 
to other features, there would not exist sufficient length from the 
roof of the mouth to the point of the chin to give volume; there 
would not be sufficient area for the production of tone. This 
peculiarity of formation gives height to the roof of the mouth. 
Thus it will be observed that in order to produce powerful, sonorous, 
vocal effects, there must be a consensus of action between tlie bony 
structure of the nose, the head and the ear, and the muscles in¬ 
volved in the performance of vocality. The nasal and frontal bones 


of those not so well endowed musically 


FACULTIES DERIVED FROM THE MUSCULAR SYSTEM. 


219 


are of a loose, spongy nature, and the cavities termed “ frontal 
sinuses ” assist materially in affording resonance to the voice. The 
hones of the ear—the malleus, the incus, and the stapes—also 
contribute by their reverberatory quality to the reception of 
sound and tone, while the auditory nerves are useful in distinguish¬ 
ing the differences in sounds. The formation of the mouth and 
its surroundings also promote the production of tone. Height of 
the root of the mouth is essential, as well as length of the chin 
forward and downward; and full cheeks give the second dimen¬ 
sion necessary, while width from the lips to the vocal cords give 
the third measurement; this formation is characteristic of most good 
singers and speakers. It is this space which gives room for volume 
to the voice. The ear is also concerned in musical efforts, and 
must by its shape, size, and quality assist in the general make-up 
of a musician. Accordingly, we find that the musical ear will be 
as Professor Willis has described it; he observes:— 

The rounded, well-formed ear that sets forward and outward instead 
of being flat on the head is a pretty good sign of musical taste, if not of 
talent. 

Of the form of the unmusical ear, he remarks thus:—■ 

Observe the angular and sharp-pointed form of the top of the ear. 
It is built on the same principle as the long, sharp-pointed ear of the ass 
and mule, which animals are not noted for their appreciation of music.* 

* “ All animals with the rounding ear are more or less fond of 
musical sounds, while those with sharp-pointed ears are disgusted 
with or indifferent to music.” This has been tested by several 
observers with the above results. Every minute appearance of the 
ear is noteworthy and lias its meaning. The external ear in every • 
case is suited to the head and person upon whom it is observed; 
it is suited also to the throat, nose, and mouth found in combina¬ 
tion with it, and it would suit no other, so homogeneous is Nature 
in all her operations. There are, of course, great differences in 
the quality of hone in different individuals, but I must believe that 
the bones of those in whom the muscular system is dominant are 
less charged with lime and mineral matters, and possess a larger 
proportion of animal ingredients than those in whom the osseous 
system is supreme. The artist and singer must not only possess 
mor e flexible muscles for the purposes of art and vocality, but must 
also be possessed of more flexibility of hone, than the mechanic, 
the scientist, or moralist. In the former, all the powers and pur¬ 
poses are in direct opposition to the latter. The artistic classes are 
for the expression of motion, emotion, imitation, and amusement, 

* A Treatise on Human Nature and Physiognomy, Prof. A. E. Willis, p. 625, 


220 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


while the mechanical and scientific classes deal with the laws and 
principles of Nature; hence, their characters exhibit the most in¬ 
tegrity, stability, firmness, and accuracy, as befits those engaged in 
the discovery and application of the laws and truths of Nature. 
These laws are founded on eternal truth , hence those who assist 
in the exposition of them must in their own organisms possess the 
qualities which partake of the nature of the phenomena which 
they investigate. As well ask a blind man to state the difference 
between light and darkness as to expect the purely artistic to 
comprehend the laws which reveal the sciences, or to expect from 
the purely mechanical and scientific, the flexible, yielding, resonant 
qualities essential to art-purposes. Whenever Nature constructs 
a great musician, she does not endow him with great, square, 
strong bones and relatively spare muscles. Man often makes the 
stupid mistakes of compelling children to study arts and sciences 
for which Nature has not fitted them; but where man co-operates 
with Nature, those great geniuses are produced who dazzle and 
astonish the world, and whose works and lives go down the ages 
to bless, enrich, and stimulate the multitude. 

The logical outcome of this analysis of music is—1st, that for 
the purpose of producing singing tones the right mechanism must 
be afforded by Nature; 2d, that this mechanism is mainly con¬ 
structed of muscle, and possesses the same qualities as does the 
atmosphere, viz., those of resonance, flexibility, and capacity for 
producing curves; 3d, that the signs of this musical capacity are 
to be met with in the muscular system, and most of them are ex¬ 
ternal, as in the mouth, the ear, the cheeks, the lips, the chin, and 
the thorax; 4th, it is proven that, in order to produce volume of 
•tone, the area of the internal structure of the mouth must possess 
vertical, lateral, and antero-posterior space; 5th, it is shown that 
the glottis must be able to form all 44 measures and figures that can 
be described by the geometric compass or summed up by the ana¬ 
lytical calculus from the line of fissure to the complete circle,” and, 
lastly, the logical deduction is that the musical individual is dis¬ 
covered by roundness of the entire body, roundness of the head, 
the face, the ear, the cheeks, the throat, the chin, the thorax, and 
the fingers round and tapering. 

Analysis and logic will reveal much of Nature’s methods of 
construction, while a systematic course of observation and general¬ 
izing will provide the material from which the deductions can be 
made. 

Language .—Investigation as to the origin of language has 
been conducted with great ardor in the two last centuries, and has 
resulted in a systematic classification of the relationship of all 


FACULTIES DERIVED FROM THE MUSCULAR SYSTEM. 


221 


languages and dialects, both ancient and modern. To the inde¬ 
fatigable labors of one man—Max Muller—are we indebted for 
great light upon this branch of knowledge. His method of classi¬ 
fication is based upon the grammatical construction of language, 
and not on the similarity of the words, as is popularly believed. 

Had Mr. Max Muller made use of the knowledge which scien¬ 
tific physiognomy imparts he would have been able to advance his 
efforts, and perhaps have made his undertaking lighter, for the 
language of a race depends greatly upon its anatomical and physio¬ 
logical structure. In spoken sound, as iii singing, the effort is 
made by aid of the several parts involved in the production and 
reception of musical sounds. Yet when we come to analyze spoken 
language we must take a wider range of research, for the reason 
that all persons express themselves by speech, while only a few, 
comparatively, use musical tones. 

The means of communicating ideas and wants by language is 
universal, yet the kind of language used varies in different indi¬ 
viduals ; and the kind of language which will be used by the nu¬ 
merous races, both civilized and uncivilized, depends entirely upon 
the peculiarities of their anatomical structure, together with the 
grade of quality of their development as a race and as individuals. 

If one were to contrast the language of the ancient Greeks 
and Chinese, for example, he would find the expression of ideas, 
of shades and grades of thought and feeling, capable of being 
expressed by these two languages as diverse as are these two 
peoples; and in the structure of both face and form he would trace 
(if he understood physiognomy) the origin of these diversities, and 
assign to each the language proper to the two distinct races. An 
examination of the bones of the skull alone would not give this 
insight into these existing differences, but an examination of the 
entire outline of the body, together with a critical analysis of the 
face and the quality of the individual, would explain how the 
ancient Greeks came to construct so elaborate and pliant a lan¬ 
guage, and one so capable of expressing the most minute shades of 
thought and feeling. This could be done by an investigation of 
their faces and figures alone, without reference to their literature, 
for in this people the brain and muscular systems predominated, 
and in this peculiarity of structure we find the mechanism required 
for philosophy and art, as well as for the grand achievements of 
oratory which have probably never been equalled by any race. 
Of this peculiar flexibility of the Greek language, Professor Jebb 
remarks:— 

By using one turn of phrase instead of another which would have been 
equallycorrect, or with the help of those little words called “ participles,” 


222 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


which answered to the play of features or tone of voice in talking, or even 
by a slight change in the order of the sentence, a Greek could mark with 
delicate precision the meaning which he meant to convey. This peculiar 
power which the language acquired of being bent into the exact shape 
of the thought entitles Greek to be called the most flexible of languages. 
No one who is a stranger to Greek literature has seen how perfect an instru¬ 
ment it is possible for human speech to be.* 

The language of the Greeks grew and developed, as did the 
people, and the master-pieces of the Greek sculptors which have 
escaped the ravages of* time, and are to be seen in the various art- 
galleries and museums of Europe, disclose to us the source of the 
linguistic power of this nation. 

In this people the muscular system was trained and developed 
in every part to the highest state of perfection possible; hence, 
they possessed the most perfect mechanism for speaking, and also 
for hearing, for the auditory apparatus is almost entirely within the 
muscular system, as are the organs of speech. It is rational to 
conclude that the one conditions the other, and so among the 
families of language the Greek stands pre-eminent for its capacity 
to express with greatest precision and exactness the most delicate 
shades and grades of thought, emotion, and feeling. By referring 
to any good work on ethnology the reader can make comparison 
between the Greek and the uncivilized races. Not only will the 
physiognomy of the former disclose the facial signs for superior 
linguistic capacities, but the outlines of the entire organism of the 
Greek will (apart from the face) indicate this superiority if read by 
the laws of scientific physiognomy. I claim that by observation 
of the individual one can decide as to what class of words he will 
make use of, and that by classifying a race or individual according 
to the laws laid down in the chapter on the “ Five Systems of Func¬ 
tions” it can be known whether one will use adjectives profusely, 
whether he will make greater use of the purest Anglo-Saxon, using 
nouns most, or those words which express concrete ideas, such as 
horse, dog, cow, man, or other words or short sentences which com¬ 
pletely express in short, terse, and practical words complete ideas. 
Those persons in whom the muscular system is dominant will, if 
possessed of an average quality of brain, make use of many ad¬ 
jectives, expletives, interjections, and ejaculations ; if educated, will 
use the most ornate language, and embellish with all the graces of 
rhetoric his speech and writings. Mad. de Stael is a good illus¬ 
tration of this class. In her the muscular and brain systems were 
dominant. Where the osseous system is supreme, the most direct, 
simple, clear, and practical language will control the utterance. 


* Greek Literature, R. C. Jebb, p.8. 


FACULTIES DERIVED FROM THE MUSCULAR SYSTEM. 


223 


Where education lias assisted the individual he will be able to 
make the most clear, concise, and explicit descriptions, both in 
writing and speaking. Such persons are eminently adapted to the 
elucidation of mechanical and scientific principles. Professor Tyn¬ 
dall, for example, is an excellent illustration of this class. His 
language is sufficiently ornate and pleasing, but its general style 
is more explicit, definite, clear, pointed, logical, and direct than 
merely ornamental. The bone and brain systems are most pro¬ 
nounced in Professor Tyndall. 

I should name the class of persons of whom Mad. de Stael 
stands representative “adjective” men, and Professor Tyndall’s 
class “ noun ” men. These differences can as well be understood 
by an examination of the hand, the fingers, or shape of the finger¬ 
nails as by observation of the face, for here the sign for the gift of 
Language, or fluency, is denoted by fullness of the muscular eyeball. 
Fluency alone does not indicate the gift of Language in its highest 
and best sense. Fluent chatter is not fluent sense, neither is it con¬ 
versation, nor oratory. Other signs must decide to which of these 
departments the individual belongs. 

Where the faculty of Language is best defined, it is shown by 
a fine development and high quality of the muscular system, and 
reference to any part of this system will decide upon its presence 
or absence. The signs for mentality will exhibit its quality and 
power. Persons in whom the thoracic system abounds will give 
vent to many exaggerations in speech. Their feelings always 
being at very high or very low tension, they will in accordance 
with this formation express themselves vehemently, with force, 
enthusiasm, and joyfulness; or, if under the influence of sorrow, 
the feelings will give expression to the most despondent and hope¬ 
less words, and in listening to one under these influences we would 
imagine that never before was such a desolate, bereaved, forlorn, 
and deserted being. 

This class of persons are electric, made so by the full and free 
inhalation of the atmosphere, which elevates and depresses (ac¬ 
cording as it is good or bad, or scarce or plenty), and allows great 
scope for expansiveness. To use a homely expression, “ they are 
always either up in the garret or down in the cellar,” but to their 
credit I will say they reside chiefly in the garret when they are not 
still higher up—in the observatory. When excited by indignation, 
their expletives are of the most pointed description, and I have 
known most amiable and moral persons bring out at such times a 
“ big, big D,” or a sudden and lively reference to the father of lies, 
appearing afterward to be much relieved by the explosion. Not 
only is the kind of language which one uses indicated by his form, 


224 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


but the quality of tone produced and exhibited by his anatomical 
formation can be known (if disease has not changed it) to the 
skilled physiognomist. So harmonious is Nature, and so homo¬ 
geneous the human organism, that any given part indicates the 
character of the whole. This principle was well understood by 
Lavater, who, writing upon this point, remarked:— 

Consider the voices of men ; their height, depth, strength, weakness; 
whether hollow, clear, rough, pleasant, natural or feigned; and inquire what 
foreheads and what tones are oftenest associated. If the student has a good 
ear, he will certainly acquire the knowledge of temperament, character, and 
what class the forehead belongs to by the voice.* 

And, again, he observes:— 

Tall people with a flatness of breast have weak voices.f 

Persons in whom the muscular system is dominant and of a 
fine quality possess rich, mellow, full tones of voice ; but where the 
muscles are not of high quality the voice will be 44 throaty,” thick, 
and unmusical; even if they use the voice in singing, it will be 
disagreeable and lacking in clearness, sweetness, and purity. 

The grade of the mental development of a race or of an indi¬ 
vidual will discover the class of ideas, as well as exhibit the sort 
of language, suited to the expression of the grade of intelligence 
which it has reached. The minds of uncivilized races could not 
comprehend many of the ideas which are common to the most 
civilized, and we find upon investigating the languages of savages 
that they are as lacking in the ideas of many moral, affectional, and 
emotional sentiments as they are in suitable words for the expres¬ 
sion of them. Indeed, they could not comprehend either the 
meaning of many of our words, expressive of the simplest do¬ 
mestic duties and habits, nor see the necessity or use for such 
duties and customs. The mouth and its surrounding parts of the 
Tasmanian, Bushman, and Hottentot, for example, unfolds the 
grade of mental development, together with the style of language 
which such minds would naturally make use of. Only words 
expressive of the simplest animal necessities, and of rage and war¬ 
fare, with very few terms of parental or conjugal love, or of mercy, 
justice, right or wrong, could issue from such lips. No person 
possessed of common sense, even if devoid of a knowledge of 
physiognomy would expect anything different from such mouths. 
The physiognomical sense is sufficiently strong in the civilized 
races, at least, to enable them to comprehend this at the first 
glance; yet, in spite of this inherited and intuitional capacity for 

* Essays on Physiognomy, Lavater, p. 158. f Ibid., p, 309. 


FACULTIES DERIVED FROM THE MUSCULAR SYSTEM. 


225 


physiognomy, many persons will avow their utter disbelief in the 
theory that the countenance unfolds character. 

That language improves in the ratio that the body develops 
physiologically is proven not only by reference to the savage races, 
but also by the fact that language is not as essential to the ex¬ 
pression of our physical wants as it is to the expression of the 
higher intellectual and moral faculties. Many deaf-mutes are able 
by natural signs to make their physical wants known without 
education in the sign language; but when it is required to enun¬ 
ciate ideas and sentiments , apart from mere physical wants, then 
education must supply a system by which these can be imparted. 
The language of savages is expressive only of the commonest 
wants of life, and all of their social intercourse might be carried 
on by simple natural signs in daylight, at least, but communicating 
in the dark requires sound, or touch. 

Language is the natural expression of the intellectual powers. 
It is related to the three divisions of the face, inasmuch as the 
mouth, nose, and eyes are concerned in its expression. Speech 
is necessary, alike for the elucidation of mechanical, artistic, re¬ 
ligious, moral, and mathematical ideas. I believe speech to be 
related to pulsation; forasmuch as language is naturally and 
necessarily divided into pauses, there must be synchronous action 
between the rhythmic movements of the heart and lungs and the 
natural accentuation and periodicity of syllables and sentences. 
In Chapter III, Part II, will be found further analysis of the voice. 

Language and Music are very nearly related. The art of 
writing poetry depends greatly upon one’s sense of rhythm, and 
rhythm is a musical attribute. Sympathy is another musical 
quality observed in language; harmony another,—that is to say, 
the harmony between what one says and what one means, for a 
good observer can detect the want of harmony between the lan¬ 
guage and the feeling to which it professes to give utterance. 
Luskin beautifully expresses this idea in the following:— 

To teach the meaning of a word thoroughly is to teach the nature of 
the spirit that coined it. The secret of language is the secret of sympathy, 
and its full charm is possible only to the gentle. And of yet greater im¬ 
portance is it deeply to know that every beauty possessed by the language 
of a nation is significant of the innermost laws of its being. Keep the 
temper of the people stern and manly ; make their associations courteous, 
grave, and for worthy objects; occupy them in just deeds, and their tongue 
must needs be a grand one. All great languages invariably utter great 
things, and command them; the breath of them is inspiration, because it is 
not only vocal, but vital , and you can only learn to speak as these men by 
becoming what these men were. 

In this quotation, Kuskin shows that he comprehends the 

15 


226 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


relation which exists between the character and the language of a 
race, and to the observer and thinker nothing can be more sug¬ 
gestive of the harmony of Nature than the investigation and 
analysis of the language and characteristic traits which are found 
in combination in a people. Men and language evolve together in 
the same ratio. As the Greek race developed its beauty, strength, 
and flexibility of mind and body, so the Greek tongue evolved its 
keenness, richness, power, and pliancy. The powers of the people 
and the possibilities of their language advanced pari passu. In 
tone, in compass, in harmony, in grandeur, will a race rise in the 
direct ratio with the upward march of its physiological and ana¬ 
tomical formation. Mark the Saxon phraseology so common to the 
English, its practicability, domesticity, its will, bluntness, straight¬ 
forwardness, and monosyllabic veracity, and we find in it the picture 
of the people,—all bone and muscle, and square bones and round 
muscles at that. Carry the analysis further; observe the Celt; 
compare his emotional, witty, artistic, sarcastic, vengeful, variable 
and imitative mind and polysyllabic language, and we have his 
bodily image before us,—lithe, slim, flexible, handsome, rich- 
colored, restless and amusing, a blending in his anatomical make¬ 
up of small, round bones and supple, round muscles. 

This analysis of form-development and correspondence of 
language might be carried to great lengths, and most of the char¬ 
acteristics of race be explained by a critical survey of its language, 
or vice versa ; a description of the language of a people might 
well be given from a scientific analysis of their bodily and facial 
peculiarities. This, of course, presupposes a knowledge of scien¬ 
tific physiognomy, for without this science practically applied such 
comparisons could not be instituted. 

It is horse-physiognomy which the stock-breeder puts into 
practice when by the union of certain breeds he combines the 
traits of celebrated horses and produces by such union certain de¬ 
sired virtues. Were he ignorant of the meaning and locality of 
what are termed “good points” in an animal he could not produce 
the desired result, and no good breeder ever risks ignorance and 
expects excellent results,—that is to say, in horse-breeding. With 
his children it is different, for the “good points” which might be 
looked for in a wife he does not understand, and would probably 
care little for if he did. “ There’s money in fine colts,” but no 
man sells his children, and seems not to care that a fortune should 
come with each one in the form of an intellectual or moral birth¬ 
right. I his might be the inheritance of many did man only pos¬ 
sess the ambition and aspiration to become the progenitor of 
noble and perfected offspring. Surely, children are of more im- 


FACULTIES DERIVED FROM THE BRAIN SYSTEM. 


227 


portance than horses, hogs, or calves; yet not the thousandth part 
of the care is taken to rear fine specimens of the former as there is 
to produce thoroughbred specimens of the latter. 

In this age, as in ancient times, the nations which have ex¬ 
celled in muscular development have produced the best linguists. 
The majority of continental Europeans possessing a supremacy of 
the muscular system are excellent linguists, many of them speak¬ 
ing several languages. The English, not possessing as pliant 
muscles as the Celtic Europeans, and having heavy bones in com¬ 
bination, are quite inferior to the latter in linguistic attainments. 
The Americans, also, are not as capable as the Celtic races in this 
direction, yet have more capacity for learning and pronouncing 
language than the English, for the reason that their muscles are 
more pliant and finer, and have, in addition, a more sensitive ner¬ 
vous system, which assists the ear in distinguishing sound. Then, 
too, the European races possess the procreative faculty in a greater 
degree than do Americans, and, as this power is based upon the 
strength and integrity of the muscular system, they are more crea¬ 
tive mentally; hence, able to learn and use languages with greater 
ease and facility. Singers learn languages easily, and most of the 
great musical artists speak several languages fluently. They de¬ 
pend upon the fine development of muscle in both cases for their 
ability. The integrity of the reproductive system leads to great 
solidity of the family institution. 

FACULTIES DERIVED FROM THE BRAIN SYSTEM. 

Comparison , Causality , Reason .—In the faces of all persons 
who excel as reasoners, such as jurists, statesmen, orators, natural¬ 
ists, scientists, inventors, mathematicians, and chess-players, the 
nose is observed to be uncommonly broad and proportionately long. 
According to the law of harmony or of homogeneousness, there 
should he a corresponding proportional breadth of the body. In¬ 
vestigation and comparison of the physiognomies and forms of 
these several classes of persons prove this universal law of shap¬ 
ing. Not only is comparative physiognomy justified in this in¬ 
stance, but also comparative anatomy and physiology as well; for 
Nature declares that where the outlet of an organ is large the re¬ 
lated organ itself is on a corresponding scale ; hence, where the 
nose and nostrils are broad a similar form will characterize the 
lungs and digestive apparatus and produce breadth of body. 

The reasoning powers are those that sit in judgment upon all 
the other mental faculties, as well as decide upon the qualities, 
conditions, and relations of all tilings in existence, and are used 
to comprehend the vast and complex chain of laws governing the 


228 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


universe. It is evident, then, that the base from which the sus¬ 
tenance essential to support so important a faculty is drawn should 
be a broad one,—should have its foundation broad and deep. 
Accordingly, we find in the persons of those who excel in reason a 
proportionate breadth of body, and this reveals the fact that the 
visceral organs are large, round, and strong; also, that the mus¬ 
cular and osseous systems are well developed. If to these anatomi¬ 
cal conditions we add high quality , we have all the essentials for 
sound judgment, reason, causality, and comparison. The mind, to 
co-ordinate,—to grasp broad generalizations,—to comprehend vast 
schemes, as in the laws of a country or the laws of a universe; the 
ability to plan a great campaign, or the capacity for analyzing and 
combining grand and abstruse mathematical principles, must have 
breadth and strength in the body in order to impart similar powers 
to the deductions. A survey of the organisms of many English 
jurists and commanders, or of the majority of eminent scientists of 
ail nations, will illustrate this principle. I would refer the reader to 
an examination of the portraits of the following-named persons as 
elucidating the law governing the reasoning faculties: Lord Mans¬ 
field, attorney-general; Lord Chatham, jurist; Leonard Euler, 
mathematician; Benjamin Franklin, philosopher; John Locke, 
philosopher; Sir John Herschel, astronomer ; Baron Cuvier, natu¬ 
ralist ; George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, statesmen. 

The noses of uncivilized races and of undeveloped persons, 
as well as those of children, are deficient in development of the 
“bridge,” while in adult life the nose, if it become well developed, 
makes a most decided and broad contour at this part, and in those 
persons where this formation is present we may expect to find the 
reasoning faculties well exhibited. In physiognomy, as well as in 
all of Nature’s works, Form is self-revealing, and needs only to be 
interpreted according to its shape in order to have the correct 
meaning ; hence, breadth of nose, of shoulder, or of body signifies 
power of some sort,—if it be only power of the muscles, or capac¬ 
ity for digestion, or for breathing. If to breadth of body Nature 
has added quality, then we find breadth of mind; in other words, 
the capacity for logical ratiocination,—for comprehending cause 
and effect. In those in whom the square bony system is in com¬ 
bination with a broad form inventive power will be exhibited, but 
where # the head and body are round, made so by a combination of 
muscle and brain, we have the right conformation for reasoning 
upon mathematical, astronomical, and philosophical questions. 
In the first instance, we shall observe the long, high, broad, and 
bony nose, the nose of science and of mechanical invention. In 
the second instance, we shall observe the nose to be long, broad, 


FACULTIES DERIVED FROM THE BRAIN SYSTEM. 


229 


and muscular. The mind, in combination with such noses, will 
possess the capacity for analyzing the general principles of systems, 
and by tracing effects to causes discover underlying laws. One in¬ 
dividual thus characterized deals with the principles that move 
matter, the other with principles which exhibit mentality, and he 
seeks to connect cause with effect, and to trace the connecting 
links between motive and action. The physiognomies of Lord 
Bacon, Professor Tyndall, Professor Helmholtz, Michael Faraday, 
and Charles Darwin illustrate the former class, while the faces of 
Socrates, Sir Isaac Newton, Herbert Spencer, Sir William Herschel, 
and Dr. Gall stand representative of the latter class. 

The development of the reasoning faculties among the masses 
within the last fifty years has advanced in an astonishing degree. 
As the great leaders of thought—those who treat of causation— 
give out freely to the world their theories and discoveries, the 
people, by the aid of cheap printing, read and accept their ideas, 
and thus become familiar with the grand generalizations of causal 
science as well as with the facts of life. This is doing much 
toward the uprooting of superstition and the development of reason, 
and has in many countries almost entirely supplanted mediaeval 
superstition and bigotry. The environment of civilized man and his 
adaptation to it is not a more certain thing than that he is capable 
of comprehending the laws which control it, and until this is un¬ 
derstood man falls short of his religious duty. To neglect the 
study of causes is to remain in childish ignorance To compare, 
classify, arrange facts, forms, substances, and from them to deduce 
the laws which govern and control them, is the power which 
distinguishes the civilized man from the savage. And in this 
connection let me say that the chief facial sign which distin¬ 
guishes developed men from the undeveloped is the local facial 
sign for Reason, viz., height and width of the “bridge” of the 
nose. 

The median line of the face from the chin to the forehead, by 
its height above the plane of the face, as well as by its fullness, 
reveals in its development the perfected man. The physiognomies 
of persons in all ages of the world who have been pre-eminent in 
every department of thought and action disclose this peculiar for¬ 
mation ; and this determination outward and forward of the nose 
is one most decided evidence of the presence of reason and per¬ 
fection of character in man. Comparison of the physiognomies of 
the leaders of thought in all ages shows the development in the 
median line of the face to be of about the same grade; from this 
we mav conclude that the development of man mentally lias 
reached its acme, and that further progress of the race will he in 


230 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


the general and universal improvement of the masses uniformly 
and universally. 

Mr. George Henry Lewes remarks that “ to know more we 
must be morehence, in order to rise to greater heights man 
must have a different environment and another sphere of action. 
The world as now constituted is suited to man as now constituted, 
and the one progresses and improves as the other advances, but 
always within certain circumscribed limits varying only in the de¬ 
velopment of different sides of human nature in different ages. 
Thus, the classic age brought the artistic faculties of mankind to 
the highest degree of perfection possible to man. The present age 
gives scope to man’s greatest capacity for invention and for the 
application of natural laws and principles. Which side of human 
nature will be next presented for the perfecting process it is difficult 
to say. We thus learn that progress is the eternal law of Nature, 
and we reason from this that advance of some kind will be con¬ 
tinued until every department of our nature has been so wrought 
upon and tempered by experience that perfect human beings must 
eventually stand representative of the imperfect, feeble, and dis¬ 
eased procession of creatures who are marching adown the ages in 
solemn, yet hopeful spirit, looking ever forward to the future,—“ to 
the good time coming,” which all see just ahead, and toward 
which all thoughts are turned, and upon which all hopes centre. 
The idea of ultimate perfection is ingrained and has its origin in 
the nature of man. It embraces cause and effect. Man is capable 
of advancing in reason and morality, and this tendency to improv- 
ability, being an ordinance of Nature, is intuitional in man, and 
those who are not sufficiently developed in reason to take a broad 
view of the world, past and present, and to classify and summarize 
the progress which is apparent to the thoughtful and observant, 
feel rather than think that perfection—human perfection—is the 
ultimate destiny of the human race. The two prime factors work¬ 
ing to produce this condition are the faculties of reason and of con¬ 
scientiousness. The two latest-acquired features of the human 
physiognomy are a perfected chin and nose, and these two features 
represent the local signs for two powerful traits, without which 
man would be only an ingenious and amusing animal, quite limited 
in his scope, even as a human being, and doomed to die out, as do 
all races and individuals who are not based on truth, conscientious¬ 
ness, and morality; e.</., soundness in their physiological construc¬ 
tion, and withal a perfected kidney system. For Conscience, like 
Reason, is founded in the physical structure. Says Dr. Cross:— 

Life is not a spirit floating loosely among the organs, but is the per¬ 
petual produce of the vital manufactory within, while Nature herself is the 
assiduous and indefatigable operator, 


FACULTIES DERIVED FROM THE BRAIN SYSTEM. 


231 


The reasoning faculties increase in man in the ratio that 
physiological development and normal construction of the human 
organism advance. Health statistics and insurance-society reports 
show that the grade of health of civilized communities is higher 
than in former ages. This being the case, we may infer that the 
mental and moral conditions are changing for the better, and that 
reason will become more general; most especially as we join to 
this improved physical state knowledge of the wide-spread truths 
of the numerous sciences which are now being disseminated 
throughout the world. There are comparatively few independent 
thinkers,—those who think outside the groove cut by tradition and 
custom. Then,'too, the majority are like sheep, always following 
a leader, who, possessed perhaps of no more knowledge than his 
followers, may have much more craft and audacity, and so gets a 
following who quote him and repeat on all occasions his senseless 
and incomprehensible jargon, which, from its mystery, is by them 
confounded with wisdom; for it is the custom of the unreasoning 
to consider as wisdom that which is incomprehensible. Many dis¬ 
like to reason on the merits of a question which comes up in a 
family or in a society; women especially are disinclined to reason 
on abstract principles, for the reason that they have been taught 
that to differ with others in a logical way is “unfeminine,” but at 
the same time will not hesitate to dispute violently over the shade 
of ribbon or the pronunciation of a word. Men are, in one sense, 
blamable for this state of mind in women, for they discourage all 
attempts on the part of women to argue logically, condemning as 
“ unwomanly,” “ unlovely,” “ masculine,” and “ strong-minded ” 
those who thus exercise the God-like faculty of reason. In this 
way an incentive is held out to women to suppress reason and to 
live more and more in the emotional nature, which has been 
already too much developed in them. It is time that a check be 
put to its further development. Reason should be cultivated by 
those who are desirous of being the mothers of men ; for soft, 
gushing, sentimental mothers are surely not fit to train heroes nor 
to mold the mind of youth to noble and useful purposes. 

Among men, too, this faculty is greatly needed, for I find that 
whereas among women the softer emotions are allowed to usurp 
its place in the conduct of life, so in man the stronger emotions, 
the passions of hatred, revenge, combativeness, and destructiveness 
are exercised in place of reason and sound sense. Indeed, men in 
many instances act more like children than do women. Mothers 
should cultivate in their children the propensity which nearly all 
youth exhibit of inquiring into the cause of things. Parents should 
read up on all subjects upon which their children question them, 


232 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


so as to be prepared to impart information. An interesting occur¬ 
rence which took place in my own family may not be inappropriate 
at this point, and will serve to emphasize this advice. My son, aged 
seven years, one day heard some gentlemen talking about physio¬ 
logical subjects. He came to me with inquiries about the circu¬ 
lation of the blood, etc. Whereupon I took down a work on 
physiology and showed him a cut describing the localities and 
forms of all the internal organs of the body, such as the heart, the 
iiver, the lungs, the kidney, the brain, etc. He asked, 44 Is that 
all of usl” 44 Yes, my son,” I replied. 44 Where then does the 
soul lie'?” he asked. For a moment, I was nonplused. Up to 
that time I had taken for granted that I knew all about the soul, 
but my son’s question, direct and to the point, showed me instantly 
that I knew nothing whatever of it; so I replied, after some hesi¬ 
tation, 44 Well, I suppose God has it, my boy.” He then asked, 
44 What does God keep it for, if it is ours ?” 

Questions as deep and profound as this child’s will be asked 
of many mothers, and they must be ready with facts , knowledge , 
and positive truths , if they desire to be able to train their sons to 
manhood aright. There is no better preparation for motherhood 
than a thorough knowledge of natural laws as elucidated by the 
several sciences. To train the conscience and reason in children 
is a grand work. It is said that the Rev. Lyman Beecher, the 
father of Henry Ward Beecher, drilled his children thoroughly in 
logical reasoning, and that when a question was brought up in the 
family he compelled them to reason it out to its conclusion; and 
it was remarked that a stranger coming into the house at such a 
time would have supposed the family quarreling, so earnest and 
interested became the debate. The education of the children by 
the mother can be made a source of education to herself, and, while 
she is leading her son or daughter to investigate the why and the 
wherefore of things observed, her own mind expands and reason 
develops by exercise. How much the present generation of sci¬ 
entists is indebted to the theological and metaphysical disputants 
of the middle ages it would be difficult to say; but of one thing 
we may be sure, that under the laws of hereditary transmission 
many of the present generation have received a logical impulse 
from ancestors who cudgeled their brains reasoning upon 44 fore¬ 
ordination,” or 44 election,” or who practiced mental gymnastics in 
wrangling over the theory of 44 phlogiston,” or splitting hairs over 
the termination of a verb. I certainly feel somewhat indebted for 
my reasoning powers to my Scotch ancestors, who, in their ad¬ 
herence to Calvinistic doctrines, had abundant opportunity to de¬ 
velop the faculty of disputation. The application of logic, reason, 


FACULTY DERIVED FROM BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM. 233 


and argument to things not important is a species of mental gym¬ 
nastics ; and, if during the dark ages the philosophers who used 
these faculties left no other legacy to posterity than a sharpened 
capacity for logical reasoning, they are surely deserving of recog¬ 
nition and gratitude ; for this inherited tendency is now being used 
by scientific minds, the world over, in elucidating the laws and 
truths of Nature. Hence, we owe them thanks. They had their 
pleasure and enjoyment out of this faculty; we are reaping the 
harvest of utility and certain knowledge from this our royal inheri¬ 
tance. 

Physiognomy, in acting the part of a benefactor to the poor, 
overworked brain, has done it a great service in surveying the field 
of mental labor and in assigning to each faculty a locality and a 
headquarters from which it derives its power. When scientific 
physiognomy divided up the faculties and lifted the labor of nearly 
all of these off the brain, where they had been placed by phre¬ 
nology, it was found that there were very few indeed that could 
claim the brain as their exclusive seat and source. Even the 
reasoning faculties, which one might think should be classed as 
purely mental faculties, physiology shows that even these purely 
mental faculties (if any can be so distinguished) are indebted to a 
broad and normal development of all the visceral organs for the 
power essential to their highest expression. Yet, they do not 
require either a fine development of bone or muscle to assist in 
their operations, as do art and mechanics, but they do demand 
that there shall be a broad, strong and normal development of the 
visceral organs for their support, and for the exhibition of their 
highest excellence. This fact is undeniable; not only must there 
be strength, breadth, and normal action of these organs, but we 
must believe that a high quality of organization is also one of the 
essentials of such as are naturally endowed with large reasoning 
powers. 

In many gifted reasoners—notably in the case of Herbert 
Spencer, who possesses all the attributes of reason —quality of a 
very high order seems to take the place of very great size or width 
of body. Indeed, we may say there are two diverse formations in 
which are exhibited great reasoning powers, equally talented and 
equally admirable. These two classes of reasoners may be recog¬ 
nized at sight by the mention of the names of two typical philoso¬ 
phers,—David Hume and Herbert Spencer, for example. 

FACULTY DERIVED FROM THE BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM. 

Intuition .—Very great differences in the capacity for discern¬ 
ing differences of states, conditions, character, and qualities are 


234 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


observed in the human family. Some possess the ability to com¬ 
prehend at a glance the physical as well as moral and mental 
states of the individual under observation. Not only can they 
recognize these conditions instantaneously, but they detect with 
unerring accuracy changes which have taken place since last seen. 
In the matter of foods, fabrics, qualities of material objects and of 
natural growth, they seem to be able instantaneously or spon¬ 
taneously to arrive at just conclusions in regard to their qualities, 
and their relations to their environment. In fact, they possess a 
faculty for “ divining,” as it were, conditions of all sorts which 
they observe. This is the faculty denominated Intuition, and is 
shown in that development of the body, as well as brain, of those 
who have inherited an intensified or highly-wrought quality of the 
mental and emotional nature. When we reflect upon the electric 
flashes of the mind under stimulus of great excitement, it will not 
seem at all mysterious if we find in certain individuals this same 
electric quality to be a constant and unchanging condition , an 
habitual and natural state of existence. This peculiar development 
is brought about in many ways. The history of genius and talent 
would, if sought for physiologically, unfold many laws pertaining 
to this little-understood faculty. 

Intuition is the “seventh” sense, and should be ranked among 
the senses as a true and distinct one; not local, but diffused like 
the nervous system, which is its source and seat. This faculty 
derives its power either from (a) a particular shape and quality 
of the brain, ( b ) or from a peculiar quality of the nervous system, 
(c) or from an inherited high organic quality of the visceral organs 
and muscles. Where this faculty is exhibited in the brain forma¬ 
tion, , it will be indicated by a high and broad forehead, together 
with bright and large eyes, either large, round and convex, or large, 
bright and flat. The larger the eye, the greater is the expansion 
of the optic nerve, and where this nerve is greatly expanded and 
sensitive (as is shown by its brilliancy), Intuition—or, in other 
words, sensitiveness to external impressions—is the result. Very 
fine and clear skin and fine hair are corroborative signs. 

The nervous system is divided into two parts: 1, the en¬ 
cephalon and the cerebro-spinal system, and, 2, the ganglionic or 
sympathetic system. The following description of the powers and 
action of these two departments of the brain system, by Dr. Dalton, 
will elucidate the subject. He remarks:— 

The cerebro-spinal system consists of an apparatus of nerves and 
ganglia destined to bring the individual into relation with the external 
world. By means of the special senses he is made cognizant of sights, 
sounds, tastes, and odors by which he is attracted or repelled, and which 


FACULTY DERIVED FROM BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM. 235 


guide him in the pursuit and choice of food. B}' the general sensations of 
touch and the voluntary movements, he is enabled to alter at will his position 
and location and to adapt them to the varying conditions under which he 
may be placed. The great passages of entrance into the body and of exit 
from it are guarded by the same portion of the nervous system. The intro¬ 
duction of food into the mouth and its passage through the oesophagus into 
the stomach are regulated b}- the same nervous apparatus; and even the 
passage of air through the larynx and its penetration into the lungs are 
equally under the guidance of sensitive and motor nerves belonging to the 
cerebro-spinal system. It will be observed that the above functions relate 
altogether to external phenomena, or to the interior of the frame. If we 
examine, however, the deeper regions of the body, we find located in them a 
series of internal phenomena relating only to the substances and materials 
which have already penetrated into the frame, and which form or are form¬ 
ing a part of its structure. These are the purely vegetative functions, as 
they are called, or those of growth, nutrition, secretion, excretion, and repro¬ 
duction. These functions and the organs to which they belong are not 
under the direct influence of the cerebro-spinal nerves, but are regulated by 
another portion of the nervous system, viz., the ganglionic system, or, as it 
is more commonly called, the “ s} T stem of the great sympathetic.” * 

It is observed that when the latter portion of the nervous 
apparatus is in an extremely sensitive condition it intensifies the 
power of all of the special senses, thus assisting very greatly the 
power for perception of all external objects. It is owing to this 
keen, vivid, and intense feeling that talented persons and geniuses 
are able to depict, portray, enact or create the great works of art and 
science which enrich the world. Intuition is one of the chief at¬ 
tributes of a highly organized mentality. The capacity for education 
which the special senses possess is shared alike by the Intuition. 
Tliis faculty or sense can be equally developed until it sometimes 
assumes a degree of power which approaches the supernatural, and 
its effect is often in this condition mistaken for the manifestation 
of supernatural powers. Just to what extent this faculty may be 
developed it is impossible to say, but since in this age persons pos¬ 
sessing singular powers are not persecuted and put to death for 
exhibiting them (as was formerly the custom) we shall probably 
be able to experiment and observe unhindered these peculiar and 
occult developments of intensified and rare organizations which 
are observed in all civilized communities. Sometimes tliis trait is 
exhibited in a musical genius; sometimes a great scientist startles 
the world by the discoveries which owe their origin to a large 
endowment of this sense. The world-renowned Pasteur, the dis¬ 
coverer of the “germ theory” of disease, is an excellent illustra¬ 
tion of this faculty. The brain and nerve system is in him pre¬ 
eminent and of very high quality. Indeed, in all our investigations 
of superior persons, we shall find that an exalted quality of the 

* Dalton’s treatise of Human Physiology, p. 513. 


236 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


nerves of sensation, of the organs of emotion, or of the muscles, is 
present, and is in them the main factor which causes an uncommon 
and high degree of excellence. 

I would here suggest to the anatomist who wishes to immor¬ 
talize his name that he undertake to trace, if possible, the course 
of connection between the organs and functions of the viscera and 
senses and the cerebral structure, taking the evolution of the five 
organ systems for his basis of investigation. He would do what 
no one has as yet been able to demonstrate scientifically and beyond 
all doubt. 

For many centuries the Aristotelian theory of the circle held 
possession of the mind of the scientific world. It was argued that 
as the circle was the most perfect of forms it must hence repre¬ 
sent the orbit or path of the celestial bodies through space. Kepler 
proved this to be an error, and from that moment astronomy ad¬ 
vanced with rapid strides. This idea held captive the minds of 
men, and impeded for ages the advance of truth. The theory that 
the brain is the sole and exclusive seat of mind, intelligence, and 
mental sensations has kept back for years the knowledge of the 
true nature of man, therefore of true religion. If* we desire to pro¬ 
gress in knowledge of the truth of God’s laws, of scientific and 
exact law, we must utterly repudiate and cast out such monstrous 
error, and henceforth regard the entire organism of man as the seat 
of his mind. 


I will close this chapter by stating my belief that no one will 
rise from the perusal of its pages without, in some degree, modify¬ 
ing preconceived ideas as to the rationale of mental operations and 
the origin and locality of the mind. 


The following exhibit shows the various organs and functions 
from which the several mental faculties derive their powers:— 


1. Firmness, . 

2. Conscientiousness 

3. Economy, . 

4. Love of Home, 

5. Patriotism, * . 

6. Benevolence, . 

7. Bibativeness, . 

8. Alimentiveness, 

9. Amativeness, . 

10. Love of Young, 

11. Mirthfulness, . 

12. Approbativeness, 

13. Friendship, 

14. Hospitality, 


Osseous System. 
Kidney System. 
Glandular System. 
Glandular System. 
Glandular System. 
Glandular System. 
Glandular Sj^stem. 
Intestinal System. 
Reproductive System. 
Glandular Sj^stem. 
Glandular System. 
Glandular System. 
Intestinal System. 
Glandular System. 








ORIGIN OF THE SEVERAL MENTAL FACULTIES. 


237 


15. Pneumativeness, 

16. Color, 

17. Sanativeness, . 

18. Self-Esteem, . 

19. Modesty, . 

20. Force, 

21. Resistance, 

22. Secretiveness, 

23. Cautiousness, . 

24. Hope, 

25. Analysis, . 

26. Mental Imitation, 

27. Sublimity, 

28. Ideality, . 

29. Human Nature, 

30. Acquisitiveness, 

31. Constructiveness, 

32. Veneration, 

33. Executiveness, 

34. Self-Will, 

35. Credenciveness, 

36. Prescience, 

37. Form, 

38. Size, 

39. Observation, . 

40. Memory of Events, 

41. Locality,. 

42. Weight, . 

43. Language, 

44. Music, 

45. Time, 

46. Order, 

47. Calculation, . 

48. Causality, 

49. Comparison, 

50. Intuition, 


Thoracic System. 

Glandular and Arterial Systems. 

Glandular and Muscular Systems. 

Osseous System. 

Skin and Nervous Systems. 

Muscular System. 

Muscular System. 

Muscular and Glandular Systems. 

Muscular and Glandular Systems. 

The Liver. 

The Liver. 

Nervous System. 

Perfected Condition of the Mind and Body. 
High Quality of Brain, Muscles, and Nerves. 
Fine Quality of Nerves and Muscles. 
Muscular and Visceral Organs. 

Muscular System. 

Osseous System. 

Osseous and Muscular Systems. 

Muscular System. 

Muscular System. 

Muscular and Nervous Systems. 

Osseous S 3 ^stem. 

Osseous System. 

Muscular and Nervous Systems. 

Brain and Muscular Systems. 

Muscular System. 

Muscular System. 

Muscular System. 

Muscular System. 

The Five Systems. 

Brain and Osseous Systems. 

Osseous and Muscular Systems. 

The Brain and Visceral Structure. 

The Braiu and Developed Visceral Structure. 
The Brain and Nerves. 







CHAPTER VI. 


Theories of the Mode of Action of Certain Traits. 

“No impartial judge can doubt that the roots, as it were, of those great 
faculties which confer on Man his immeasurable superiority above all other 
animate things are traceable far down in the animate world.”— Huxley. 

T his age is peculiarly one of invention, of scientific re¬ 
search, investigation, and demonstration. The invention 
of the numerous and varied instruments used in the 
discovery of the laws and application of the apparently 
inexhaustible forces of Nature proves to us that there is 
nothing created in vain. Recent discoveries in light, color, sound, 
electricity, and the atmospheres are opening to us the most subtle 
powers in the great laboratory of Nature. Examine them as we 
will, destructive as many seem, they have each a use in the great 
scheme of Nature. Electricity is a creator and a destroyer; air 
tears down and rebuilds; the atmospheres tend to both life and 
death. The forces which seem beneficent act also a malevolent 
part. Why is this ? Why does God permit sin \ 

These are questions which theologians have grappled with, 
unsuccessfully, for centuries. It is only the scientist who, aided 
by a persistent and intelligent “interrogation of Nature,” can 
answer these questions. The invariable conclusion will be, that 
everything has its use and place in the world; that nothing is 
made in vain; that thunder and lightning are useful; that birds 
and beasts of prey are necessary. Even snakes, gnats, flies, fleas, 
and other destructive and annoying creatures have their use in 
the world. 

So in the human family all those passions which, unrestrained 
and not balanced by justice and reason, cause destruction and 
suffering, are, in the present undeveloped condition of large num¬ 
bers of persons, useful and essential to their preservation. Jealousy, 
revenge, suspicion, force, secretiveness, and conceit, all assist defect¬ 
ive individuals in maintaining their lives, happiness, and property. 
None of these traits would exist in a hurtful degree were all per¬ 
sons born balanced; but as long as natural laws are ignored in 
the propagation of the race, just so long shall we have to contend 
with the sin and misery caused by defective, weak, or overforceful 

( 239 ) 


240 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


individuals. If a few generations were to live in accordance with 
a knowledge of “revealed religion,” as shown by the laws of 
physiology, anatomy, hygiene, and physiognomy, and other divine 
sciences, they would almost regenerate the world, and sin—that is 
to say, unbalanced, defective beings—would soon cease to be propa¬ 
gated. We are in the transition state, moving from the lower to 
the higher. Human nature, like all growths, has its order of 
progress marked by laws which are unerring. It is our province 
and duty to seek these laws and apply them, in order to facilitate 
man’s rise to that high and holy estate which is his destiny. 

The first step toward this much-desired result must be to 
understand the meaning of the forms and faces about us; next, 
what causes produce them; and then to make use of this knowl¬ 
edge to create higher types. The only reparation we can make to 
the world for our failings is to assist in perpetuating a race which 
shall be as noble as the laws of science can create. Most persons 
love and propagate the race instinctively, without any other guide 
than their feelings in the matter. Is this worthy such an exalted 
character as the highest development of evolution claims for him¬ 
self 1 The major part of the world live in their instincts, as do the 
animals, but without the restraint which holds the animal to the 
due observance of the law of his being, and which prevent him 
from making the stupid and miserable failures in modes of living, 
propagation, etc., which man, with all his boasted reason and free¬ 
dom of action, is continually repeating over and over again. 

How many persons, observing the action of love, jealousy, 
revenge, suspicion, secretiveness, self-conceit, and the like, pause 
to reflect for one moment on the laws or rationale of any of these 
passions or traits 1 None of these traits in excess are to be found 
in a well-balanced character; that is to say, where reason, intelli¬ 
gence, morality, and practicality are about equal. Of what use are 
secretiveness, self-conceit, suspicion, or jealousy, to such persons'? 

If we analyze the face of Washington and read his biography, 
we shall find that no such traits dimmed the splendor and nobility 
of his life. His countenance discloses an equilibrated condition 
of the five superior systems of functions, and the signs for quality, 
or a high condition of all his powers, are also observable. In such 
persons the petty passions have neither place nor use. Only those 
who are feeble or lacking in some respect exhibit any of the above- 
mentioned vices. As an illustration of this principle, I quote the 
following from Lavater. He observes:— 

I once asked a friend, “How does it happen that artful and subtle 
people always have one or both eyes rather closed?” “Because they are 
feeble,” answered he; “ Who ever saw strength and subtlety united?” 


THEORIES OF THE MODE OF ACTION OF CERTAIN TRAITS. 241 

It is often argued that these passions are 44 human,” and that 
as long as humanity exists we shall exhibit these infirmities. Now, 
had we never observed characters without such passions we might 
agree to this argument; but we find many persons (some distin¬ 
guished, others unknown to fame), who have happily inherited 
well-balanced organizations, destitute alike of weakness and vices, 
and these are certainly as 44 human ” as the others. I firmly believe 
that ii religious people would, for one generation, pay as much 
attention to the right generation of their offspring as stock-breeders 
give to improving cattle, we should succeed in breeding out many 
moral defects, mental weaknesses, and physical blemishes. A 
knowledge of the human face is the first essential to this end. 
A stock-breeder comprehends all the points of a fine horse before 
he endeavors to improve its progeny. He also understands what 
combinations to make in order to produce superior animals; in 
fact, he studies the ‘physiognomy of the animals; that is to say, the 
meanings of their size, form, color, quality, and proportion, and 
how to combine them to produce certain desired results. This is 
done by the exercise of his observation and reason. Is it not quite 
as important that the same faculties should be used in the improve¬ 
ment of the human race? 

According to my way of thinking, there can be no higher 
religious act than the endeavor to create a human being on im¬ 
proved or scientific principles. The mass of humanity are at the 
present time living in utter ignorance of themselves. They do not 
know the meaning of one single sign of character in the face. 
They do not comprehend the signification of the form, size, color 
or quality of the nose, the mouth, the eyes, the chin or forehead. 
They are unable to judge with certainty of the character exhibited 
in the walk, the voice, the gesture or attitude of those with whom 
they associate. Most persons attach no importance to such 
matters, and if the subject is brought to their notice they conclude 
that, as they extract no meaning from such phenomena, it is 
impossible for any one else to do so. And yet they understand 
thoroughly that the shape of the fox, for example, denotes slyness; 
that of the lion, boldness and strength; that of the hare, timidity; 
and that of the greyhound, fleetness; but seek not to extend and 
apply these physiognomical appearances and principles to the 
human family, where they can be most efficiently used in upbuild¬ 
ing the human race. 

The bases of the several passions and their methods of action 

are as little comprehended as are the signs in the face. The 

rationale of the love of the sexes, of jealousy, suspicion, conceit, 

etc., seem to be very imperfectly understood. The following 

16 


242 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


analysis and description of the action of amativeness, or sex-love, 
will enable the reader to form a more just and comprehensive view 
of this important faculty and function:— 

ANALYSIS OF AMATIVENESS. 

Love, or Amativeness, is the fundamental faculty of the 
human organism. Like other faculties, it has its physical and 
mental aspects. Just in proportion as the sentiment of Amative¬ 
ness, or sex-love, is found developed in an individual shall we find 
that the functional capacity for reproduction is present in the same 
degree, and this correlation of physical function with mental faculty 
obtains throughout the entire range of character, not only of the 
human organism, but it inheres also as a principle in the Animal 
Kingdom. 

In its normal development, it is the most beautiful and con¬ 
servative of all the traits. It binds together hearts and homes, 
which serve to make the foundations of society and government 
sure. Like all other faculties, it is manifested in different degrees 
and manner by each individual. The location in the face is in the 
chemical or moral group, and in close proximity to Love of Chil¬ 
dren, Mirthfulness, and other domestic faculties. 

When possessed in a large degree, in combination with Con¬ 
structiveness, it is most potent in producing the varied lands of 
creative talent and art; and all who have excelled in the origi¬ 
nating of ideas in every department of literature, in sculpture, in 
painting, and in dramatic representation or fiction,—in short, all 
those who have shown themselves creative to any great degree,— 
have possessed the procreative power in their physical organization 
in a marked manner. Exhibited largely, and with a moral 
balance, it makes the man very much of a man, the woman very 
much of a woman; and such persons will be more influential in 
their community than those deficient in this faculty. The latter 
are the small and impoverished characters one meets with, each 
hating the opposite sex,—being hated in return; and this arises 
from the fact that they are not sufficiently sexed to appreciate their 
opposites. 

This faculty, exhibited in its physical development, without a 
balancing degree of Conscientiousness, leads to licentiousness and 
a violation of Nature’s laws, and these are sure to entail suffering 
on its possessor and on all who come under its influence. This 
should warn us to observe the law of Nature in regard to the 
normal use of this function, for every function has a law for its 
government and protection. Each should seek this law for him¬ 
self, since that law which may be binding on one does not neces- 


ANALYSIS OF AMATIVENESS. 


243 


sarily involve every organization; although the seventh command¬ 
ment should be binding on all. Each has a law peculiar to his 
own organization, which should be religiously observed. Indeed, 
religion should commence with the perpetuation of the race. I refer 
now to that religion which is the living up to natural law, and 
which if rightly understood and observed, as the laws of physiology 
and hygiene teach, would soon give us a race born under the law 
of true religion, that would become a blessing to themselves and 
to the world at large. 

There are as many kinds of love as there are persons in exist¬ 
ence, hence the variety of its manifestation. Some undeveloped 
characters exhibit only the lowest form and seek only the physical 
enjoyment of this trait. Others, better endowed, illustrate by their 
disinterested acts toward the one beloved the highest manifestation 
of this passion. The physiognomy read scientifically will reveal 
just what kind of love the individual has to offer. Persons with 
a large degree of this function and faculty are highly magnetic, 
and are enabled to attract those of the opposite sex spontaneously 
and without effort. There is no doubt but all of the faculties 
which derive their power from physical functions have each a 
magnetic or attractive quality which calls forth a response in kind 
from others similarly endowed, or who are susceptible to that par¬ 
ticular attraction. Friendship attracts friends, Love begets love, 
Love of Young meets with a spontaneous recognition and return 
from children, and Benevolence recognizes a similar spirit and 
responds in unmistakable language. These attractions are mutual 
and instant, without premeditation or design, and often not at all 
understood by those affected by them. Most especially is this 
magnetic quality possessed by those who have a fine muscular 
system. Such persons possess capacity for healing, and are espe¬ 
cially adapted to promote health in others by the system of rubbing 
denominated the “Massage.” This faculty is never present in 
those in whom muscle is greatly deficient. I have, myself, in 
sickness, experienced the benefit of this gift at the hands of a 
woman who was not cognizant of her power. I was relieved 
entirely and restored to health by rubbing and manipulation of 
my body, when medicines and physicians failed utterly to restore 
me. The most enlightened physicians now recognize “ Magnetism ” 
as one of the remedies of Nature, and often order its application. 
I have observed several men and women who possessed the 
attractive power which is evolved from a large development of 
Amativeness, who seemed to possess this faculty in this large 
degree as a compensation for the absence of all moral qualities . 
These persons were able to fascinate almost any one of the opposite 


244 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


sex, and were really so dangerous and unprincipled in the use they 
made of this power that many parents withheld their youth from 
associating with them. In almost every community there are some 
of both sexes thus endowed, and it is right that in the interests 
of morality physiognomy should unveil them; although this class 
of persons soon make themselves understood, yet often not until 
they have destroyed the happiness of numbers. 

One of the laws of human nature is, that the stronger the 
faculties possessed, the greater the inclination to use them. Thus 
by observation of the face of an individual we easily discern which 
powers are dominant, judging by those signs which are the most 
pronounced. 

The normal action of Amativeness is to make men and women 
more manly and more womanly. It gives them the desire and 
knowledge of how to attract and win the esteem of their opposites 
in sex and makes them attentive, agreeable, and fascinating, tender 
and loving in a pre-eminent degree, and is altogether the most 
important faculty, by reason of its creative power and its wide¬ 
spread influence upon the life and happiness of the entire human 
family, both civilized and barbarous. 

ANALYSIS OF JEALOUSY. 

Jealousy is commonly thought to be the necessary accompani¬ 
ment of love and a proof of its presence. A scientific analysis of 
this passion shows it to be the result of an unbalanced condition. 
Wherever we find practicality lacking, or where the reasoning 
powers are not active, we shall find this trait running riot. Per¬ 
sons with small self-esteem are also subject to this passion. They 
are so constantly depreciating themselves that they naturally and 
instinctively infer that any one else is preferred to them; that is, 
they feel it to be so. Of course, they do not reason upon it, not 
understanding the philosophy of this trait, and not knowing, 
either, where to locate it in the face. 

Unbridled and unbalanced will produces Jealousy; so also 
does deficient reasoning power, as well as a lack of conscientious¬ 
ness. In almost all cases where the practical faculties are lacking, 
we find a large share of this detestable trait. The individual thus 
endowed cannot perceive the meaning of certain acts and words, 
through lack of reason to comprehend the connection between 
them; hence concludes that they are adverse to his interests, and 
Jealousy is the result. For, as Shakespeare phrases it, “Jealousy 
is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on,” 
and, “ Trifles light as air are, to the jealous, confirmations strong 
as proofs of holy writ.” 


ANALYSIS OF JEALOUSY. 


245 


The jealousy born of sex-love is not the only phase of the 
passion exhibited by unbalanced and defective organizations, but 
it is also found excessive in the character of artists, actors, singers, 
athletes, rowers, swimmers, wrestlers, and all who compete for 
honors, fame, and public applause. The reader will, by reference 
to the above-named classes, remark that Jealousy is more active in 
those persons in whom the muscular system is dominant. This is 
one proof that the grade of evolution, which the dominance of this 
system illustrates, is not so perfected nor so finished as where the 
osseous system is well developed, and this fact of comparative unde¬ 
velopment is the fundamental reason why Jealousy is so rife among 
these classes. 

Jealousy is both an animal and a childish trait, hence a trait 
of undeveloped natures. Children, through lack of sufficient 
reason, judgment, or perception, are unable to distinguish the 
differences which exist in conditions and persons, therefore the 
motives which actuate those with whom they associate in their 
treatment of them are not comprehended by them, and Jealousy is 
often the result. Now children, like all the muscular classes above 
enumerated, depend largely upon the faculty of Approbativeness , 
and this desire to meet approval is one that is very useful and 
essential in the unfolding of the youthful mind. It is often taken 
advantage of by parents and teachers to stimulate to unreasonable 
activity all the powers of the child, both mental and physical. 
Where it is too much developed or drawn upon, the consequence 
is jealousy of others’ efforts, while selfishness, conceit, or other like 
pernicious and disagreeable effects are engendered. 

In actors, actresses, opera-singers, and athletes the action of 
Approbativeness is so excessive as to occasion much unhappiness, 
and often engenders petty struggles and wordy warfare, as all know 
who have mingled much with them. And as Approbativeness is a 
trait quite active in childhood, these classes of persons resemble 
children in this particular. 

The animals in which Jealousy is most developed are also those 
in which the muscular system is supreme, as, for example, the tiger, 
the panther, the leopard, the hyena, the cat, and the ape tribes. 

Again, another evidence of lower grade in evolution or de¬ 
velopment is shown in the fact that those classes of persons and 
animals in which the muscular system is dominant as a rule exhibit 
also the dominance of the biliary system over the heart and lungs, 
and in the order of the evolution of organs and functions the biliary 
system is evolved before the heart and lungs, hence is not indicative 
of as high a grade of development as where the heart and lungs 
are relatively more powerful. 


246 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

The muscular animals, then, it will be observed, are not so 
highly organized as the bony animals, or those in which the osseous 
system is in excess of the muscular, as, for example, the horse, the 
camel, the dog, etc.; and although these animals sometimes exhibit 
Jealousy, it is never so deep or lasting as with the former class, 
and some among them seem to be entirely free from its influence. 

From the above analysis, we find that Jealousy is a product 
of a peculiar physiological and anatomical organization. It may 
proceed from one of three causes: (1) from a lack of that grade 
of evolution which is exhibited in the osseous system; (2) it may 
proceed from the relatively greater development of the biliary 
system than that of the lungs and heart; (3) it may be the result 
of disproportion between the several faculties, as, for example (a), 
defective reasoning power, ( b ) absence of practicality, (c) lack of 
conscientiousness, ( <1 ) lack of self-esteem. 

Whatever be the cause, it can be very considerably modified, 
and, in some cases, almost eradicated, by an intelligent understand¬ 
ing, together with an earnest desire to improve and perfect the 
character. If man were not the most malleable creature in exist¬ 
ence this knowledge would be of little use, but, as the laws of 
adaptation are paramount in him, he, better than any other organ¬ 
ized creature, can bring himself into harmony with his environ¬ 
ments, and can modify and eradicate often the hereditary defects 
and peculiarities which have been transmitted to him. 

Let reason, then, be cultivated, and love and compassion also, 
and when one is inclined to be jealous of others let him subject 
himself to a course of self-examination, and this will soon put to 
flight such wicked and unjust thoughts and passions as Jealousy 
creates. Let him reflect that it is a standing menace and insult for 
one to be constantly jealous of another. It is a most dangerous 
and destructive passion, and leads to utter demoralization of all 
that is good and noble. It is the father of persecution, of misery, 
and of unspeakable suffering, and often ends in murder, suicide, 
and madness. 

Jealousy is sometimes the cause of serious physical disturb¬ 
ances, and these disturbances are proofs of the physical bases of 
the sentiments. Strange that so many years of observation of the 
serious pathological changes wrought in the visceral organs by the 
overindulgence in Jealousy and kindred passions should not have 
taught physicians the locality of the mind and the sources whence 
each mental faculty derives its functional support, particularly as 
we have, as Cuvier remarked, “ all the various tribes of animals, 
which are so many experiments ready prepared for us by Nature. 55 

Physiognomists must always refer to the animal kingdom for 


ANALYSTS OF REVENGE. 


247 


verifications and explanations when anything seems obscure in the 
human subject, for the methods which Nature has pursued in the 
course of evolutionary development are common to both the ani¬ 
mal and human kingdoms, and the best way to trace phenomena 
is to look for its meanings in the primary or primitive state of 
development; thence, by tracing it along up the line of physio¬ 
logical unfoldment, we arrive at its final and full meaning when 
we observe its action in the human being confirming or coinciding 
with its appearances in the animal. 

ANALYSIS OF REVENGE. 

Revenge, like its kindred passion, Jealousy, is more largely 
developed among the dark races than among lighter people, for, as 
in the animal kingdom, the darker the skin, the less developed the 
organization. So, also, is Jealousy more active when found among 
dark-skinned people, with dark or black eyes. I have never seen 
this trait in excess in a well-balanced organization. We shall often 
find it large in those whose will is in excess of reason and justice. 
Their “ will is law ” to them, and when they cannot enforce it upon 
others they seek to be revenged, believing that they are wronged. 
In some a deficiency of the practical faculties will cause this trait. 
This defect prevents the possessor from seeing the acts of others in 
their true light, and he consequently thinks himself an injured in¬ 
dividual, and meditates revenge for his supposed injury. This trait 
is found most active with muscular people, especially if they be 
dark, and is often accompanied with a large degree of secretiveness. 

Revenge, vindictiveness, malice, and spite are four forms of 
the same trait, manifesting their several variations according to the 
grade of development as to color, race, and traits which are found 
in combination in the individual. The darkest races of the un¬ 
civilized tribes, such as Indians, Malays, Mongols, and the African 
races, manifest the strongest degree of this destructive faculty. 
Among civilized people the Celtic races exhibit more of this trait 
than do the Anglo-Saxon races. More particularly is the deepest 
phase of Revenge prevalent among the Italians, Spanish, and Portu¬ 
guese than it is among the French,—a lighter branch ol the Celts. 

Among the French this trait exhibits more of the character 
of malice and spite, especially among the common-minded, while 
the educated indicate its presence by wit and sarcasm in writing 
and speaking, which is its last and most refined expression. The 
sign for spite, as well as for vindictiveness, is commonly observed 
among the lower classes of the h rench; often, too, among the 
undeveloped Irish it is observed. Sometimes we find this sign in 
the faces of Germans, English, and Americans, yet it is infrequent 


248 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


as compared to the first-mentioned classes. When we ascend 
from the dark muscular races to the light osseous races we find 
occurring important modifications of all the more destructive and 
immoral traits, for, inasmuch as hone and light color are an ad¬ 
vance, physiologically and anatomically, upon muscle and dark 
color, so are justice and reason, which are more characteristic of 
the former, generally, than of the latter. So we must expect to find 
a more mild, placable, and reasonable method of action obtaining 
in the more developed character. How many times must I repeat 
that mind is only a question of physiological and anatomical forma 
tion] Mind inheres in every atom of the world. Certainly it 
must have its beginnings in the mineral kingdom, for all later 
growths are sustained by the nourishment derived mainly from 
mineral sources and mineral constituents, such as lime, carbon, 
soda, etc., which are found in varying proportions in every plant 
and animal organism in the world. 

Revenge, then, it will be remarked, results from either general 
undevelopment, as in the case of the Indians, the Africans, the 
Malays, etc., or else is the result of a lack of equilibrium or bal¬ 
ance in the faculties of Reason, Conscientiousness, or those of Prac¬ 
ticality. One or more of these may be involved in the production 
of this destructive trait. 

The question why God permits sin finds its solution in the 
analysis of unbalanced characters. The predisposition to breaches 
of morality is the result primarily of deficient organic construction 
of the body, and this comes directly from ignorance on the part of 
parents of the right methods for improving progeny. When we 
see people intermarry whose ancestors are known to be possessed 
of consumptive, insane, or nervous tendencies, we may surely look 
for immoral, weak, imbecile, and defective offspring, with unbal¬ 
anced tempers, unbridled wills, or with wills so weak as to consti¬ 
tute moral imbecility. God works by Law , and people create 
immoral monsters by ignorantly or willfully violating natural law. 
Man creates sin by the help of the chief devil, Ignorance. Sin is 
simply undevelopment primarily. 

The selfishness of man also assists in creating sin. When a 
man or a company of men rob the laborer of the interest on his 
labor they commit sin, and one which will surely be followed in 
this life by retribution. The sin of greed , if practiced on a large 
scale and made offensive to a large number of the community, will 
right itself after it becomes unbearable; for society goes forward 
by fixed law,—by evolution,—and it is with society as with the 
stomach. W hen abused by overloading and gormandizing it 
throws off the effete and destructive matter and a state of calm 


ANALYSIS OF SECRETIYENESS. 


249 


healthfulness pervades the body. Just so it is with the body politic. 
Witness the American Revolution of 1776, and the French Revo¬ 
lution of 1792. And we may look to the coming years of 
this century for a grander revolution than the world has ever wit¬ 
nessed, for the sin of greed has about gone its length, and will, 
like a fever in the human body, burn out its own vileness. A 
condition of enlightened self-interest is what must ensue before 
humanity can become civilized, and in order to bring this about a 
scientific analysis of the individual members composing society 
must be had, and improvements attempted on an individual and 
scientific basis—scientific because according to the laws of Nature, 
which are the laws of God. 

By the chastening hand of destiny the wrongs of society are 
avenged; but Revenge, in the old Mosaic sense of “an eye for an 
eye and a tooth for a tooth,” seems to our enlightened sense an 
animal-like method of proceeding, and not calculated to improve 
our sense of justice. “ The whirligig of time ” often makes all 
things even. It is better to leave injuries to time, to the chances 
and changes of life to right, than to endeavor to revenge them. As 
a rule, in this world we reap what we sow, and those who 
are engaged in sowing the seeds of malice, spite, and revenge, in 
the long run bring just punishment on their own heads. 

No person of noble or balanced character seeks to be revenged 
for wrongs done him; yet many of the noblest are often foully 
dealt with, for “Envy loves a shining mark.” It is only ignoble, 
unbalanced, animal-like people who seek revenge, and this trait, 
like jealousy, proceeding as it does from those who are defectively 
organized, needs no reality to spur it on to action. Suspicion, the 
most unfounded, is often its only basis. Ungoverned will is one 
of the incitants to revenge. Look at it as we will, we shall find 
ignorance or undevelopment at the bottom ol all revengeful de¬ 
sires. Children who show a propensity in this direction should be 
carefully trained with the view of eradicating it. The conscience 
should be cultivated and appealed to as well as the affections. 
Reasoning upon the dreadful effects wrought by revengeful per¬ 
sons should be presented to their minds, and all right methods 
taken to raise, cultivate, and develop the moral status of such 
unfortunate children as have inherited this dreadful trait from their 
ancestors. 

ANALYSIS OF SECRETIVENESS. 

Whenever Secretiveness is observed in an unusual degree in 
an organization we naturally infer that there is something to con¬ 
ceal, something deficient for which Secretiveness is the compensa¬ 
tion. Secretiveness is the fine veil which Nature gives to hide a 

t U • V ■ . - . ' w . . * • ' ‘ * ^ 


250 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


defect in either the mental, moral, or practical part of the organism. 
Some beasts of prey possess this faculty in a large degree. This 
is their normal condition. Having no mental or mechanical 
powers, as has man, to assist in procuring food, this faculty is 
needed by them for this purpose. Tigers, wolves, cats, foxes, 
opossums, and all animals with the muscular system predominating, 
are most largely endowed with this propensity. Like its kindred 
passions, Jealousy, Revenge, and Suspicion, it proceeds from a 
want of balance in the faculties; a lack of proper development of 
the reasoning faculties, Causality and Comparison, will produce it; a 
deficiency in Friendship or Human Nature will cause it; but 
wherever it is manifested one or more of these deficiencies will be 
found. Want of common honesty and uprightness of intention is 
sometimes the reason that Nature has provided this veil to assist 
the unfortunate possessor in making his way through the world. 
Secretiveness is given to animals to enable them to both avoid 
and prey upon each other. Many persons having this trait are 
often considered very wise, owing to the careful and deliberate 
manner which they use in conversation. It is well that Nature 
has put this check upon their tongues; for if reason, justice, per¬ 
ception, or friendliness did not accompany the utterance of their 
thoughts, they would inevitably he led into more trouble than they 
could easily extricate themselves from; hence this check. Some 
mistake cunning or craft for wisdom. With persons in whom 
Secretiveness predominates the flexor muscles are more active than 
with others, and a constricted state of the bowels and glandular 
system takes place in consequence of the effort made to hold in, 
as it were. This unceasing desire creates a constricted state which 
if too long continued sets up a diseased condition, particularly 
affecting the liver, causing biliousness, jaundice, and other derange¬ 
ments of the liver. 

The physicians of Jay Gould, the great financier, have 
declared, I am informed, that his recent illness was owing to his 
secretiveness, and that his endeavor to keep his plans secret made 
such inroads upon his health as to threaten his life unless he 
relaxed somewhat his accustomed habits in this respect. Many 
very secretive persons are affected with disorders of the liver; so 
also are revengeful characters. These emotions affect this gland, 
as well as the secretions of other organs. I have known very 
undeveloped persons who were accounted very wise in their com¬ 
munity simply by reason of their excessive reserve caused by 
Secretiveness. Not being able to fully comprehend the import of 
questions addressed them, they would refrain from giving satisfac-. 
tory answers, thus concealing their intentions and deluding those 


ANALYSIS OF SECRETIVENESS. 


251 


about them, and conveying the idea that they were uncom¬ 
monly wise. Men who are very able mentally and developed 
morally are able to instantly comprehend and meet with mental 
resource any proposition presented • to them; hence are able to 
answer in a manner suited to the occasion. By using discretion 
and judgment in their conversation, they have no need of undue 
secretiveness. 

Secretiveness in excess always stamps itself unmistakably upon 
the countenance, and the more its possessor endeavors to conceal 
his sentiments and character the more noticeable and prominent 
the signs become. As soon as one discovers uncommon secretive¬ 
ness in a character, let him ask himslf for what is it the compen¬ 
sation! In almost all cases he will find that either the practical 
and observing faculties are deficient, or the reasoning powers lack¬ 
ing, or conscientiousness at a low ebb. Sometimes one or more 
of these traits will be deficient in an individual. I have known 
two persons in whom this was the case, yet both preserved 
great integrity and honesty of character. Another subject pos¬ 
sessed of excessive secretiveness, who came under my observation, 
exhibited extraordinary executive and mechanical abilities, but was 
deficient in the power for abstract reason as well as conscientious¬ 
ness, being sly and untruthful; yet this man passed for a very 
wise man, and his friends often remarked, “Oh! Jones is a very 
bright fellow ; you never hear him talking.” If I am not greatly 
mistaken, it is the “bright” men who disclose their brightness by 
what they say and do rather than by what they don’t say or omit 
doing. Certainly a dumb man could not make his intelligence 
evident if he took every precaution to hide it by never expressing 
his thoughts in any way. 

When very secretive persons are led by any sudden burst of 
emotion to unbosom themselves, as it sometimes happens, their 
revelations are perfectly astounding. They will reveal such things 
as no man of average common sense would speak of, thus evidenc¬ 
ing that a lack of judgment or a lack of principle is the cause of 
this check which Nature has put upon their tongues. 

One peculiarity of secretive people is that they will seldom 
speak of even the most ordinary matters in the presence of several 
others, but sometimes, with a friend or two at most, they will dis¬ 
close their thoughts and plans to those whom they trust; and those 
possessed of conscientiousness trust those whom they have proved, 
but the sly, untruthful, secretive individual seldom trusts any one. 
He judges others by himself and suspects every one about him. 
This is the most hopeless kind of secretiveness. The reader may 
set it down as good, physiognomical Jaw that Secretiveness is 


252 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


intended to conceal something, else it would have no place in the 
human organism. 

Nature always endeavors to establish a balance in the mental 
as in the physical department of man. Equilibrium is the law of 
Nature everywhere, and when an individual comes into existence 
weighted with an undeveloped organism there is always a sort of 
equilibrium attempted, otherwise the machinery of the mind or 
body would not work, and when the equilibrium of mind is 
destroyed, insanity or idiotcy is the result. If the equilibrium of 
the body is destroyed beyond repair, death ensues. 

The facial signs for Secretiveness will be found in the mouth 
and eye, and these two features are evolved from, and are repre¬ 
sentatives of, the glandular and muscular systems. Nature seems 
to be so anxious to assist in revealing her meanings to us, that the 
sign for every function is seated within the system which sustains 
it. And this is yet another method employed by Nature for 
making her meanings known. 


THEORY OF SUSPICION. 

One reason why one suspects the action and speech of others 
is because he does not possess sufficient reason to enable him to 
comprehend motives, or lie does not possess sufficient perception to 
judge of the intentions of others by their acts and language, and 
attributes to them quite different motives than those which have 
really actuated them, and therefore substitutes his suspicions. As 
in the other traits previously mentioned, he may possess so little 
honor or honesty as not to be able to comprehend it in others, 
hence suspects they are moved by motives similar to his own; but 
whatever produces Suspicion, a defect will always be found in the 
organization as the exciting cause. 

Suspicion, like revenge and jealousy, is primarily a defect in 
the physiological elements. Very often a lack of coloring matter 
in the system is the cause of that lack of soundness, of integrity, 
so to speak, of all the senses as well as of the brain, which pre¬ 
vents one from observing accurately and reasoning soundly upon 
what transpires. This trait is, I think, more general among very 
light-eyed persons, particularly those possessing eyes the color of a 
peeled onion, for I cannot describe this peculiar sort of eye more 
accurately. The cause of this deficiency is found in the absence 
of coloring matter in the system, and want of pigmentary substance 
prevents the senses, particularly those of sight, smell, and hearing, 
from being as perfect as where integrity and soundness of all the 
senses are present. This condition is created by a due admixture 
of coloring matter furnished by the fluid system to the glands and 


THEORY OF SUSPICION. 


253 


ducts, whose office it is to carry to the several parts of the system 
the sort of nutriment which is charged with the pigmentary sub¬ 
stance observed in the ganglia of the olfactory, auditory, and 
visual nerves. Not only are these several senses deprived of their 
due proportion ol coloring pigment by this abnormal action, but 
the entire nervous system, including the brain, is relatively weak 
by reason ot absence of that degree of power that normal color 
affords. 

Other parts of the system remote from the senses sympathize 
when deprived of that quality of soundness which color alone can 
give. The kidney system is often enfeebled by this condition, as 
well as the reproductive system. The correlation of color with 
functional strength and weakness is beginning to be understood by 
naturalists. Darwin makes special note of it in his works on 
“The Origin of Species,” and in “The Descent of Man.” 

Reference has been made in the section on Color to the defect¬ 
ive visual, auditory, and gustatory senses of Albinos. This class 
of persons are always weaker in their senses, as well as in their 
intellectual ability, than those who possess average color, and this 
is caused by absence of color. Not only are they deficient in 
coloring pigment in the several ganglia of the senses, but they are 
lacking in color in the arterial system as well, as is evidenced by 
their pallid complexion, pink or light eyes, whitish hair, white 
eyebrows and lashes. Such persons constitute morbid varieties. 
Can any one explain why the absence of color in these people 
affects their mentality, except upon the ground that mind inheres 
in the entire organism, and that mind and body are one and 
indivisible'? The proofs which Nature offers on this point are 
overwhelming, and cannot be explained away. 

Suspicion is not the attribute of noble, intelligent, and highly 
moral people, but belongs to those who are in some way defective 
in some part of their being. A knowledge of physiognomy alone 
will reveal what this defect is and where its evidences are 
situated. 

This analysis of color and suspicion teaches that the produc¬ 
tion of color is a religious duty, a duty which we owe not only to 
ourselves but to our offspring; those who are to inherit our indi¬ 
viduality. When I see women who live in homes with the windows 
constantly shrouded for fear of a stray fly or a faded carpet, and 
whose faces resemble in color a turnip-sprout in a dark cellar, 
I believe them guilty of immorality; for whatever vitiates and 
deforms the physical powers acts directly upon the moral status, 
and if colorless women produce colorless children (as they are 
quite likely to) they depreciate the mental and moral power of 


254 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


their offspring in an intensified form, for inherited weaknesses 
are always intensified and show at an earlier age than where 
they are acquired in other ways. In order, then, to prevent 
imbalanced, suspicious persons from being born, people should 
refrain from intermarrying with those devoid of color in the 
skin, hair, and eyes. Parents must live in accord with divine 
law, and open their homes to the influx of sunlight and fresh 
air, and thus, by coloring the blood properly, the integrity and 
soundness of all the tissues will be enhanced and suspicious 
persons will cease to be perpetuated. 

Noted criminals are usually very suspicious, and the theory 
I propound, of the direct relation between defective moral traits 
and defective physical functions, finds in the criminal classes its 
exemplification and verification. Elsewhere I have given the 
reader the evidence of prison surgeons as well as the experience 
of Dr. Maudsley (whose knowledge of insanity is quite extended), 
as to the lack of physical soundness of the professional criminal 
classes, and this evidence corroborates my theories on the 
correlation of the moral and mental faculties with the physical 
functions. 

The study of the insane reveals the fact that Secretiveness 
is a prominent trait among them as well as of the criminal 
classes. Physical defects observed in the insane give a clue as 
to the cause of their mental degeneracy, and so long as people 
are born unbalanced in their physiological structure, just so long 
shall we have suspicious, criminal, and insane characters per¬ 
petuated. 

We cannot dodge the issue; if we desire to become pure, 
noble, and religious, we must eat, drink, sleep, exercise, and rest 
in accord with hygienic law. If we desire noble, unsuspicious 
offspring we must build them upon improved principles, taking 
natural laws for our guide, and ignoring the animal-like and 
instinctive methods of propagation at present employed in all 
the civilized as well as uncivilized races; and herein is a most 
ludicrous parallel between those who consider themselves highly 
civilized and the lowest Hottentot in existence. They both per¬ 
petuate the race upon the same low plane of animal instinct or 
lust. All the boasted reason, culture, and high development of 
the most civilized seem not to have lifted them in this particular 
one degree above the very lowest. It is only when animal propa¬ 
gation is intended that man uses his boasted reason and culture. 
To improve animals by design and law seems to him the right 
method to apply, but the rearing of his offspring he leaves to 
chance, to lust and ignorance. No wonder, then, we have our 


ANALYSIS OF ANGER, WILL, TEMPER. 


255 


jails, penitentiaries, hospitals, and insane asylums filled to over¬ 
flowing with the results of animal lust, ignorance, and vice. Our 
stables, dairies, poultry-yards, and kennels shine by comparison 
with our homes. Why] Because design, cool reason, education, 
and natural law have contributed in the latter case to the improve¬ 
ment of species, and in the former ignorance, lust, neglect, 
animality, and defiance of law have filled every community with 
criminal, vicious, imbecile, defective, deformed, and sickly beings, 
who stand as frightful examples of man’s utter ignorance of the 
meaning of religion. 

ANALYSIS OF ANGER, WILL, TEMPER 

Let us examine these three phases of a trait which is truly 
a hydra-headed monster, manifold in its motives and action. Most 
phases of anger are detrimental to mental power and destructive 
to health. Only what may be called “righteous indignation”— 
that is to say, the indignation resulting from perceiving an infrac¬ 
tion of the laws of justice or morality—is ennobling to the indi¬ 
vidual and conduces to strengthen both health and moral percep¬ 
tion. This is the legitimate use of anger, and it should be reserved 
for such purposes. To become enraged at animals is at once 
wicked and stupid, and serves to show the superiority of animals 
to man. Nothing indicates the coward more than cruelty to our 
domestic animals, who give us faithful, gentle, uncomplaining 
service, and often die in harness while working lor our benefit. 
The law justly takes cognizance of such treatment. These crea¬ 
tures are of our own flesh and blood, and we are not their equals 
in some things, although we may possess some qualities which 
are superior, but treating them cruelly and inhumanly is not the 
way to prove it. 

Those animals and men who are capable of exhibiting the 
greatest degree of anger or will are those in whom the muscular 
system is dominant. The part of the system which is called 
into action in the expression of most phases of anger is the 
muscular, and in its ultimate effects results in the use of the muscles 
by inflicting blows, and in the use of the muscles of the organs of 
speech in wordy warfare. The classes of animals which are most 
given to the destructive use of their angry passions are the car¬ 
nivorous animals, and in all these the muscular system is para¬ 
mount ; hence we look to that system as the source of anger, will, 
or temper, as it is variously termed. Vegetative animals also give 
way to blind rage. 

Persons in whom the biliary system predominates over the 
thoracic are more given to exhibitions of ungovernable will and 


256 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


temper than lighter-colored persons. Color indicates heat, and 
heat gives power and activity to the organs. A dark man, with 
the muscular system in the ascendency, will show more destructive 
temper than a light man of the same build. Here too much color 
acts as injuriously as too little color, producing undevelopment of 
certain faculties and functions. Self-will is a faculty derived from 
the muscular system, and when this faculty is in excess of 
Conscientiousness and Reason an unbalanced degree of selfish, 
unreasoning desire is present. Here the muscular system, being in 
excess of the osseous, creates a disparity between the will and 
Conscientiousness, and unbridled and often vicious will is the 
result. 

Many criminal faces that I have examined exhibited a defiant, 
scowling expression and the sign for Self-will very large. There 
are many persons who are not ranked with criminals who exhibit 
terrible will-power, and in their intercourse with their family and 
friends create great suffering. Many mothers, in their foolish 
fondness for their children, cultivate in them this faculty to an 
abnormal degree, and often live to regret it. Where this faculty 
exists in childhood in an excessive form, the parents should 
endeavor to level up the other traits of character by appealing to 
the reason, to the sense of justice, and to the affectional nature 
of the child, in order to establish a balance in the several depart¬ 
ments of the mind. Laws of all kinds, both natural, statute, and 
social, should be drilled into such a disposition, and in childhood 
a sense of responsibility of the individual to laws, rules, and regula¬ 
tions should be made most impressive. In this way only can such 
unbalanced dispositions be benefited. 

Like other evil passions, the indulgence of temper leads to 
serious physical disturbances, and I have known of a very willful 
girl who became jaundiced and turned a greenish color in one night 
by giving way to her temper when opposed in her vicious desires. 
Aside from the deleterious effects upon themselves, the possessors 
of ungoverned tempers do great injury to innocent people and often 
make them the victims of this debasing passion. Murder, suicide, 
and madness frequently result from overindulgence in temper, and 
mothers inflict irreparable injury upon unborn offspring by allow¬ 
ing themselves to give way to paroxysms of anger while pregnant. 
Murderers can be bred as well as moralists, by direct act of the 
mother’s mind, as is well known. An instance of this immense 
power which the mother wields over her unborn offspring is noted 
by Mrs. Lucinda B. Chandler in her tract on 44 Motherhood.” She 
observes:— 


ANALYSIS OF ANGER, WILL, TEMPER. 


257 


An instance recorded, only more marked than many that transpire, 
illustrates the effect of strong emotion or passion. A husband so offended 
his wife that she did not speak to him for three months previous to the birth 
of her child. The child could never speak to his father. An attempt to do 
so would cause violent paroxysms, and, though he remained at home and 
carried on business with his parent, he was obliged to turn his back upon 
him and speak as if addressing another person. Now, if by reason of irre¬ 
sistible desires, powerful impressions, or strong emotion, the body can be 
stamped ineffaceably, or mental action determined over which the person 
has no control, can it be a question that upon the moral nature the more 
highly sensitive spiritual tablet impressions as deeply graven and inefface¬ 
able will be recorded? 

The case of Lord Byron, which I have noted elsewhere, is 
corroborative of this power of the mother in molding for good or 
evil her child’s will or want of will, and proves also the intimate 
relation between mental states and physical or functional conditions. 

Tiie excessive indulgence of anger affects the liver, the glands, 
the nervous system, and brain, and causes disturbances of a serious 
nature in these several parts of the body. Excessively nervous 
persons sometimes give way to violence of temper. This is caused 
by an abnormal sensitiveness of the nervous system and insufficient 
use of self-control. This remedy is a most potent factor in all 
mental and moral disturbances. It is impossible to estimate its 
power. It can almost set death at defiance, and certainly changes 
very materially the action of the glands, of the heart, the nerves, 
and brain, as all medical records attest. 

Violent paroxysms of anger often induce paralysis and 
apoplexy. Self-will is the basis of all exhibitions of anger or 
temper, as it is termed. Yet this use of the word should not be 
confounded with the term will, as applied to express decision or a 
choice of methods. Until the jargon of ancient metaphysics is 
eliminated from modern philosophy by scientific analysis, we shall 
find a confusion of terms which will muddle and mystify, rather 
than elucidate, phenomena. There will also have to be changes 
wrought in existing ideas in regard to the locality and nature of 
the mind, for metaphysicians of the old school have treated the 
mind as an entity not dependent upon the body; hence very little 
light has been derived from a most extensive literature on Mental 
Philosophy. Another vast contribution to literature has been made 
by writers on the Nature of the Soul, with about as much practical 
success as the mental philosophers aforesaid. We are living in a 
material world, possessed of material faculties and senses, which 
are in harmony with our environment, entirely suited in every way 
to the present phase of existence. The mind, as exhibited by the 

17 


f 


258 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


various organs of the body as well as by the brain and nervous 
system, is entirely an animal organ, made up of blood and tissues 
as much so as is the brain of a tiger or of a horse. I believe that 
research and experiment on the part of scientists in time to come, 
added to what is known positively of the locale and operation of 
the mind, will give us all that is to be known of this hitherto 
obscure and occult department of our existence. My belief is 
founded on the practical methods at present in use by investigators, 
both in the laboratory and dissecting-room, as well as in the 
philosopher’s study. These problems of life and mind will have 
to be thought out, as well as worked out, by experimental demon¬ 
stration. The sciences of Evolution and Physiognomy combined 
throw a flood of light upon the origin of the human mind. 

The human soul, whatever and wherever that may be, I 
believe is not known to any man, and, inasmuch as it is popularly 
believed to be the part of us which is immortal, the individuality 
which is to take a leading part after death in the next world, it 
strikes me that it would be the most practical way to defer the 
consideration of it until our perfect possession of it is assured and 
our environment in harmony with its highest cultivation. We are 
sure of the body and mind here, and it would seem that the best 
way to enhance the welfare of the soul hereafter would be to pay 
strict attention to the conditions of the mind and body in this life. 
Surely there is great room for improvement in this department, and 
entirely too little known on these subjects. Would it not be far 
better if all would devote more time to the consideration of the 
real and tangible, the possible and the probable; and would it not 
be less confusing if the mind was studied apart from any idea of 
its connection with a soul, and in relation to its connection with a 
body 1 I believe, if such a course were pursued and the knowledge 
thus gained practically applied for one generation only, that there 
would be more perfect bodies and minds, consequently more perfect 
souls, and infinitely better-balanced dispositions. That this method 
will be pursued to a considerable extent in the present and follow¬ 
ing ages I do not for a moment doubt. It is not that the 44 wish is 
father to the thought” in my case, but that I see in the “Signs of 
the Times ” a true renaissance, a new birth, a baptism of science, 
an attempt to return to natural methods. What has brought this 
new departure about] Several circumstances have contributed, 
but the chief factor is the wide-spread knowledge of scientific 
thought and demonstration. Notwithstanding the opposition of 
nearly all religious sects to science, the fact remains that absolute, 
provable, scientific truth is attractive to large numbers of persons, 
and these truths are being rapidly adopted. 


ANALYSIS OP SELFISHNESS. 


259 


The enlightenment whicn the printing-press has shed abroad 
has dissolved the darkness and superstition engendered by mediaeval 
ecclesiasticism, and a more healthful and natural or normal condi¬ 
tion ot the mind is developing under these influences. We are in 
a fair way of knowing in what true religion consists. My concep¬ 
tion of religion is that it is obedience to the laws of God, as 
indicated by the laws of Nature. All religious systems should 
conform to and work in harmony with the fundamental laws of 
our existence, or give up all claim to being “religious.” Certain 
it is that the attempts at “regeneration” never have succeeded in 
making healthful moral bodies and minds out of unhealthful bodies 
and weak or defective minds. In order that the numerous ab¬ 
normal manifestations of mental and moral faculties shall cease to 
be perpetuated, there must be had a practical knowledge of the 
source of each faculty, and the law of self-control taught as para¬ 
mount to all others. When these are taught as zealously and 
applied as conscientiously as have theological conceptions of religion 
in the past, the result will be shown in that equilibrated state of 
mind from which all taint of unbridled will, ungoverned temper, 
and uncontrolled lust and passion have disappeared. 

ANALYSIS OF SELFISHNESS. 

Selfishness is one of the traits of human nature which has 
two entirely distinct and opposite methods of action and purpose— 
one of which may be commended, the other reprehended. Selfish¬ 
ness, like all other faculties, lias its use and purpose in the human 
economy. Its primal and essential use is the preservation of the 
body and to provide for its perpetuation and maintenance. Its 
next legitimate use is for the protection and sustenance of those 
who are dependent upon us. All manifestations of selfishness 
that seek to please self and to acquire by the suffering, misery, and 
unhappiness of others are wrong and should be repressed. Speak¬ 
ing for myself, if I wished to pursue a course with the view of 
gaining the most, I would act the most unselfish and benevolent 
part in order to gain my purpose, for we get in this world very 
much what we give. If we strew our pathway through life with 
love, kindness, sympathy, noble deeds, justice, and gentleness, we 
shall receive back the same with interest; but if, on the contrary, 
we pursue a malevolent career, and deal out hatred, malice, con¬ 
tempt, jealousy, suspicion, secretiveness, and anger, we shall reap a 
harvest of these passions a thousandfold. 

An undue degree of selfishness is indicative of an undeveloped 
nature. This trait is both inherited and acquired, increases by 
use, and in excess causes unhappiness to its possessor. The most 


260 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


selfish people are never the happiest; they cut themselves off from 
the pleasures and enjoyments of the benevolent, and thus limit 
the range of their happiness. They belong to that class which 
Lavater describes thus:— 

Which desires much, but enjoys little, and whoever enjoys little 
gives little. 

I have never studied a character which possessed an excess of 
selfishness that did not have also some serious deficiency in the 
mental or moral construction. Like the other passions treated of 
in this chapter, it shows undevelopment. The dark races are, as a 
rule, more selfish than the light ones. They are less perfect, less 
progressive, generally. 

All Nature attests this truth, that the more refined the person 
the lighter the color; it is the same with animals. The most 
destructive, revengeful, and jealous are the darkest, while the 
white or mixed colors are the most docile, amiable, and teachable. 
This is a general principle. Of course, there are exceptions; some 
undeveloped light persons being more selfish than very highly 
organized dark persons, but this can be discerned by reference 
to the quality of the skin, etc. 

The excessive exercise and indulgence of jealousy, suspicion, 
secretiveness, and anger produce morbid and abnormal conditions 
of health, and herein is another proof of the relation of the physical 
organs to mental conditions. Many infants, even, have been made 
ill with jealousy by the petting and attentions bestowed by the 
mothers or nurses upon another child. Anger indulged in has 
wrecked the health of many. Suspicion often leads to insanity, 
and secretiveness almost to nonentity. Jealousy, the meanest and 
lowest of the passions, tends to murder and suicide, and self-conceit 
in excess to insanity. These excesses should be avoided, not only 
for our own preservation, but for the sake of those who are to 
inherit our individuality. All traits that are cultivated and 
indulged in are transmitted with increasing power, and we have in 
this way the ability to become the benefactors of the race or to 
curse it beyond redemption. 

Hippocrates, the celebrated Greek physician and physiogno¬ 
mist, says of envy:— 

The effects of envy are visible even in children ; they become thin and 
easily fall into consumption. Envy takes away the appetite and sleep, and 
causes feverish motions ; it produces gloom, shortness of breath, impatience, 
restlessness, and a narrow chest. 

The possessor of all these passions is antagonistic not only to 
the health of the possessor, but very much against his interest. 


ANALYSIS OF SELFISHNESS. 


261 


Their action produces misery and unhappiness, both to the subject 
and to the object. These conditions can be partially remedied by 
seeking out the defect and making a constant struggle to correct it. 

Selfishness has its normal scope and action. Unselfishness is 
often so excessive as to work injury to its possessor as well as its 
objects. Yet there is very little danger of the majority suffering 
in this manner. The undue action of selfishness is founded in 
defective organization of some sort. An excess of the vegetative 
system exhibits a lack of sympathy and an incapacity through 
excess of fat to move actively in efforts for the relief of others. 
An excess of muscles also is often accompanied by selfishness 
through lack of sufficient sensitiveness to feel for others, or by 
reason of insufficient intelligence to comprehend the duties and 
rights of others, or by reason of too little sensitiveness of the nervous 
system to enable its possessor to feel for others. The muscles are 
not endowed with a great degree of sensitiveness, and where they 
are well developed, without a due share of sensitiveness such as 
a normal development of the nervous system and brain bestow, the 
mind is apt to exhibit a large degree of selfishness. 

Another form of selfishness is caused by an insufficient develop¬ 
ment of the glandular system. This defect impoverishes the system 
to such a degree as to render one incapable of feeling, hence of 
expressing, sympathy. Many of the celebrated misers exhibit this 
delect. If the glands are normal and supplied with plentiful nutri¬ 
ment the system will be, by reason of the normal supply of the 
body, in a normal condition; hence warmth, sympathy, and the 
active expression of it will be the result. Unless one is well sus¬ 
tained by nutriment and all his own bodily wants supplied, he will 
feel unable to make any very active efforts for others, and with a. 
low grade of development of the active agents—the glands—there 
is an absence of that faculty which proceeds from their activity, viz., 
Sympathy; hence Selfishness results; and in the case of misers the 
sense of what is due to their own bodies and minds is quite weak, 
and they continue a course of semi-starvation of both body and 
mind until they are wholly incapable of judging of the rights of 
self any more than they are of the rights of others. 

When Selfishness gets to this stage it is seldom perpetuated; 
for a law of Nature here steps in and protects the world from the 
propagation of monsters. Misers seldom have children, at least not 
after this idiosyncrasy has become marked. The cause of this in¬ 
capacity to perpetuate lies in the fact that the glands involved in the 
action of the reproductive system are as defective as are the glands 
which produce or evolve warmth and sympathy, and as they are as 
impoverished as the other glands of the system there is little desire 


262 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

to use them, and probably there would be no practical results if 
it were attempted. Then, too, misers lacking warmth of feeling 
or emotion, by reason of the defective action of the glands, rarely 
manifest that degree of love for the opposite sex which those do 
who are normally constituted, hence there arises neither the emotion 
of love nor its accompanying physical desire, thus evidencing the 
vitiated condition of that system upon which not only sound man¬ 
hood but sound morals rest. The hoarding faculty which is the 
peculiar characteristic of the squirrel, rat, and magpie, and similar 
lowly animals, appears in the case of misers to have drawn off the 
strength from all other faculties and concentrated it in acquiring, 
but more particularly in hoarding. 

All persons who exhibit an excess of selfishness are defective 
either in their mental or moral natures. All disproportion and 
inharmony of character denote lack of equilibrium in the physio¬ 
logical elements of the mind. Selfishness is a trait which can be 
greatly modified in youth by judicious training; yet many parents 
cultivate this trait and make it excessive by making idols of chil¬ 
dren who might be easily influenced to become useful and balanced 
members of societv. I do not know of one defect of character 

V 

which is more easily modified than Selfishness, if it be attempted in 
early childhood. There is so much then that is plastic to appeal 
to, and the selfish propensities have not crystallized with years of use. 

I am often asked where the sign for Selfishness is located in 
the face; there is no single sign for this faculty. It will be 
observed as a general quality dependent upon the want of balance 
in an individual. The excessively fat are usually quite selfish, for 
fat is a tissue which is negative in its nature and is not endowed 
with feeling or sensitiveness; besides, where it is excessive in its 
development, its possessor is too busy looking after his own comfort 
to think of others, and too weighty and bulky to move actively in 
those acts of friendship and benevolence which require personal 
effort. Persons in whom the muscular system is dominant and 
who have an inferior development of the brain and nervous system 
are selfish to a degree. This class of persons are noted for round 
heads, not high above the ears, but wide over the ears, with short, 
broad, squat bodies. The cause of their selfishness is twofold. 
One cause is found in the excess of muscle. Now muscle is, in 
itself, unfeeling, not sensitive, like nerve; and muscle, too, is the 
dominant system of the natural commercialist class, which is in its 
last analysis a robber-class, just as are the birds of prey, living off 
the industries of others, without producing anything themselves, 
yet exacting tribute from both consumer and producer on their 
own terms . 


ANALYSIS OF SELF-CONCEIT. 


263 


Another foundation for selfishness is the short stature. Short, 
squat people have never the high and noble aspirations of the 
taller. I do not include in this list the short and finely organized 
persons, but those who are short, round, coarse, muscular, and 
with round, flat heads, full of earthy material; natural commercial- 
ists. This class are never seen heading reformatory movements, 
and in their Forms and lives offer a marked contrast to the tall, 
high head and long, slim face of the Earl of Shaftesbury, who was 
a celebrated English philanthropist. 

Each selfish person presents a different variety and a different 
degree of this trait, and in each case it can be determined by a 
scientific analysis of character; but, whatever its origin, it is one 
of the most universal and active agents in the promotion of sin, 
suffering, and vice. By its cultivation, at the expense of Justice 
and Conscientiousness, entire nations are kept in bondage to a few 
selfish ones. Nothing but enlightened self-interest will break these 
bonds and restore to all their rights in the productions which they 
create by their life-long toil. 

ANALYSIS OF SELF-CONCEIT. 

Self-conceit is, perhaps, the most harmless of this class of 
traits, but at the same time is ever offensive. Like all other facul¬ 
ties, it has its use and purpose. Nature has made nothing in vain, 
and so there would seem to be wisdom even in giving one an 
undue share of this petty trait. Where it is observed to predomi¬ 
nate in an organization, it will be found to proceed from a lack of 
balance, as in the case of the preceding traits mentioned in this 
chapter. It is sometimes caused by merely a want of good taste, 
or a deficiency in ideality, or of sound reason, or want of a 
knowledge of human nature, or by a lack of the perceptive or 
reflective power, or by dense obtuseness of the mental faculties 
generally. There are various other causes which produce it; but, 
whatever the cause, it is designed to make up to its possessor the 
absence of something which, if felt too keenly, would render him 
unhappy; so, Conceit, coming to his relief, puts him “on good 
terms with himself,” and therefore has its use. 

I have sometimes observed this trait very large in persons 
possessing real merit in some directions, but lacking in others. 
Conceit gives a sense of self-satisfaction, which is needed by its 
possessor just as long as he has the deficiency for which this is 
the compensation. If, on learning that he has a defect, and in 
what it consists, he should strive to remedy it by strengthening the 
defective trait or traits, he would soon be able to develop a more 
harmonious condition, and Conceit would diminish or disappear 


264 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


entirely. Dwarfs and deformed persons are invariably conceited; 
the compensatory power of Self-conceit in these cases is well illus¬ 
trated ; in such it is useful, and prevents unhappiness. 

In the case of an idiot, one might ask what compensation he 
could possibly receive for his immense defect. The only compen¬ 
sation possible under such circumstances would be utter ignorance 
of his condition , and this Nature has given, for, were he sensible 
of his condition, it would cause intense suffering; hence,'the only 
compensation would be total ignorance on the subject. 

Egotism, pure and simple, which arises from a surplus of 
Self-esteem, is not to be confounded with that form of Self-conceit 
which results from other deficiencies. Self-conceit is a petty faculty, 
while Egotism carries with it a dignity which is often only a 
“mockery of wisdom,” yet is never quite the small, pert, sharp 
little faculty exhibited by those possessing a large degree of Con¬ 
ceit. Egotism likes to assume dignity, importance, and loftiness, 
while Conceit takes quite a different range of action, using slurs, 
sarcasm, innuendoes, and petty flings and stings for its weapons. 
Very small men and women are quite apt to be conceited. Egotism, 
on the contrary, is more apt to be the vice of larger persons. The 
sublimity of egotism was manifested in Emanuel Swedenborg, who 
thought nothing of talking with angels and visiting both heaven 
and hell. George Francis Train was, perhaps, the most egotistic 
man living, and he was a tall and well-developed man. 

Where the self-feeling is so strongly pronounced it is likely to 
result in insanity. Many inmates of insane asylums exhibit Self¬ 
esteem in an inordinate degree. Where it is strongly manifested in 
childhood, it should receive attention from parents, and means used 
to check it before the character becomes so warped as to render it 
impossible. The theory of Self-conceit is that it is caused by defects 
of some sort, either physical or mental, and is the only compensation 
which this class of imperfect beings could receive in order to create 
a feeling of content or satisfaction with themselves. I think that the 
experience with and analysis of all self-conceited persons will bear 
me out in the assertion that they are defective in a most noticeable 
manner. I have often observed that lisping persons are conceited; 
where this correlation exists, the moral faculty of exact truth-telling 
is likely to be weak. If not this, then the judgment will be of an 
inferior or infantile sort. A different phase of defect will be ex¬ 
hibited in each separate case, and the closest analysis of the 
physiognomy is essential in order to verify the various phenomena 
presented by the several cases which come under investigation. 
This foolish trait can be very greatly modified in childhood by 
judicious training on the part of parents and teachers. 


ANALYSIS OF SCORN AND CONTEMPT. 


265 


All these deficiencies can he remedied in a great degree, and 
sometimes eradicated, by a careful and scientific analysis of char¬ 
acter and a settled determination to improve it. The laws of 
physiognomy, thoroughly comprehended, will be the guide to that 
result; individual determination must do the rest. This improve¬ 
ment must be undertaken in a religious spirit, reflecting that all 
our actions, mentally, morally, and physically, affect not only our¬ 
selves, but go down to posterity, and curse or bless, for ages to 
come, all who inherit our blood even in the remotest degree. 

The man whose life is passed with reference only to himself, 
without regard to children and children’s children, is little better 
than the brute creature; in some respects he is worse, for the brute 
is not characterized by such selfishness as this course would imply. 
There can be no motive more honorable in man than the desire to 
transmit to his offspring great and noble qualities, and this result 
can be obtained only by leading an honorable and noble life. We 
may endow offspring with fortune, but nobility and talent must be 
inherited; they cannot be bought in the market. 

ANALYSIS OF SCORN AND CONTEMPT. 

It is an undeveloped and unbalanced nature indeed which 
expresses contempt for others for any reason except for ignoble 
action or sentiment. Whenever this trait is manifested, look out 
for an inferior, impoverished character. The truly noble or wise 
never exhibit scorn and contempt for anything except what is des¬ 
picable. Whenever a character exhibits these qualities, the ob¬ 
server will be able to instantly detect by the disproportion of the 
facial features that disproportion or want of balance in the mental 
or moral traits of the person thus exhibiting this repulsive charac¬ 
teristic. 

Many persons who possess this peculiarity are lacking in 
Self-esteem, and the action of the character in these cases is to 
cause scorn or contempt for others through want of sufficient self¬ 
esteem to be able to judge of the like faculties in others; hence 
they are unable to show proper respect where it is due. It is not 
at all necessary that the objects of scorn should deserve it in the 
opinion of those who exhibit this trait, for they vent their scorn 
alike upon the deserving and upon the undeserving. This proves 
that the unworthiness is in themselves. 

In some instances the observing faculties are deficient and the 
individuals so unbalanced in this direction that they cannot com¬ 
prehend fully the character, action, and motives of others; hence 
the display of scorn in these cases. Others are deficient in Ven¬ 
eration ; or it may be Conscientiousness is so undeveloped that the 


266 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


individual cannot estimate the worth and value of his associates, 
hence he treats them to a liberal dose of his contempt. The truth 
is that whoever exhibits scorn and contempt has himself some con¬ 
temptible trait of character, otherwise he would not express it to 
those whose actions and conduct did not justify its exhibition. 

One must possess largely in his own character any power or 
faculty which he exhibits outwardly in his life and conduct. A 
painter must be well colored in order to be able to make an intel¬ 
ligent and artistic use of colors. A mechanic must be built upon 
the angular plan in order to illustrate similar form in the construc¬ 
tion of his work, and unless these principles are present in these 
various classes of persons they will be unable to exemplify them in 
their professions. 

It is just the same with all the traits; a lack of Self-esteem 
is felt by the one exhibiting it, and, consciously or unconsciously, 
he betrays sometimes by scornful conduct the absence of true 
Self-esteem which exists in his own character, or the lack of 
Veneration, or of Conscientiousness; or it may be that the reason¬ 
ing faculties are deficient, and thus his mind is incapable of 
reasoning upon cause and effect, and therefore he treats with scorn 
all who come under his displeasure. In each individual case the 
observer must seek out the cause and endeavor to cultivate and 
develop the enfeebled faculty which causes the disgusting exhibition 
of weakness or folly, as exhibited by those who are scornful. 
When scorn proceeds from lack of Self-esteem, the upper lip will 
be found relatively short. When it proceeds from lack of Ven¬ 
eration, the nose , at its middle portion, will be depressed, inclined 
to flatness. If want of Conscientiousness is the cause, a very 
narrow , infantile chin will mark its origin. The most frequent 
cause of this miserable trait is want of Self-esteem. 

The indulgence of this trait reacts fearfully upon its possessor, 
for, as it is exhibited alike to friend and foe, to the worthy as well 
as to the unworthy, a feeling of contempt for such unjust treatment 
is most justly entertained by those who are the objects of its action, 
and either active measures are pursued to retaliate or the subject 
loses the esteem and friendship of those whose friendship it would 
be well to preserve. But whatever may be the cause of undue 
exhibitions of scorn, undevelopment of some faculty is surely at 
the bottom of it. It is with this faculty as with Secretiveness, the 
more it is practiced the stronger its impress is made upon the face, 
and the expression of the muscles about the lips, chin, and nose 
all unfold a tale not at all flattering to the subject of these animal 
or infantile passions. Let one observe the appearance of the 
muscles of the chin, those denominated by anatomy the levatores 


ANALYSIS OF ENTHUSIASM. 


267 


menti and the triangularis oris (a muscle arising from the bone 
of the lower jaw and inserted in the angle of the mouth). The 
combined action of these muscles, where it is habitual, produces a 
well-defined, horizontal wrinkle across the chin at its middle range, 
which becomes a permanent feature when the sentiment of Scorn 
is habitually felt. 

Habitual scorn is petty in its action, so also is excessive self¬ 
esteem when exhibited by small characters; yet it is different in its 
manifestations. A woman once said to another of a man who had 
injured her: “Do you not hate him'?” To which the former 
replied: “ Hate him'? No; I would not expend so much sentiment 
upon him.” This is fine scorn and true self-esteem, supported by 
reason and common sense. 

Contempt and Scorn are two excellent qualities when used in 
their legitimate sphere, viz., in despising what is low, vulgar, 
mean, ignoble, vicious, corrupt, depraved, and immoral; but to use 
it toward the poor, the weak, the ignorant and unfortunate is to 
prove its possessor still lower and more unfortunate. 

ANALYSIS OF ENTHUSIASM. 

The transition from the contemplation of Scorn to the analysis 
of Enthusiasm is like tasting of spice in order to dispel the flavor 
of some bitter pill, and really to the lover of noble character the 
exhibition of any ignoble trait in others is most disagreeable and 
unpalatable. Enthusiasm in young or old is most commendable, 
and is usually allied to noble deeds or noble aspirations. 

It is Enthusiasm that moves the world. It is Enthusiasm that 
leads to great discoveries,—to inventions,—to great moral and 
governmental reforms, and to all the numerous and varied achieve¬ 
ments of art, science, religion, morals, and all lofty and noble aims. 
In every community there are always a few who by superiority of 
organization are able to influence and lead the rest. This proceeds 
as much from their superior quality of enthusiasm as from their 
superior strength of mental faculties. 

In studying the biographies of all those who have led the 
world in thought and action, in government, in war, in science, 
and in art, we shall find that they were capable of arousing in 
others that faculty of which they possessed a superabundance— 
Enthusiasm. Had Columbus not been an enthusiast, America 
might not have been discovered. Had Raphael not been an 
enthusiast, the wonderful painting of the “Crucifixion” and his 
beautiful Madonnas and his numberless other magnificent works 
of art would not have found the light. Had not Martin Luther 
been an enthusiast, religious freedom would not have been given 


268 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


to the world. Analyze the leading and foremost characters of 
History, both male and female, and we shall find that the moving 
and propelling force behind all their other qualities was the attribute 
of Enthusiasm. 

Let it be understood that active enthusiasm is not to be con¬ 
founded with that spirit of torpid devotion which is exhibited by a 
class of the religious, so called, whose mission, it seems, is to 
hang back and criticise the active workers. It is pertinent that I 
should mark the distinction here between these two classes, one 
of which has won freedom, knowledge, wisdom, beauty, comfort, 
and happiness for the world, while the other has contented itself 
with a selfish, torpid, and inactive contemplation, believed by its 
subjects to be the best means by which to attain happiness for 
themselves in a future state of existence. The contrast between 
these two classes of persons is most striking and serves to show 
that a cool, firm, determined purpose to do something for one’s 
own selfish use, although it may be brought about by ignoring 
practical, worldly methods and advantages, is not the highest kind 
of enthusiasm, and, although much admired in the middle ages, 
has quite gone out of fashion now, although there is a feeble 
attempt on the part of our more superstitious people to carry out 
• the teachings of esoteric Buddhism and other occult and undemon¬ 
strative theories; yet these will not succeed to any extent, for it is 
not possible to engraft very strongly upon a bony, practical race 
the theories of a nation of dreamers and unpractical theorists. 
The practical influences surrounding the masses will neutralize 
appreciably all attempts of those most developed in the faculty of 
Credenciveness to foist upon the public of this country such non¬ 
sensical and improvable fables. The scientific spirit and knowledge 
of this age is too well developed to accept these Oriental faiths, 
which are not in harmony with the grade of evolution which the 
people of the northern races have reached. This is not in harmony 
with the present spirit of investigation, nor in the line of modern 
thought, which tends rather toward the strictly practical. The 
enthusiasm of the present age seeks more active outlets; and 
if expeditions to the North Pole do not cool the ardor of those 
engaged in them, the enthusiastic investigations into the proper¬ 
ties of electricity, or the destructive powers of explosives, will- 
keep alive a natural and useful degree of this most exalting 
quality of the human mind which is shared in common with 
the race. 

The muscles assist Art, Enthusiasm, and many great and 
noble efforts; they are also the source of many disorders, very 
many of which can be remedied by self-control and by becoming 


ANALYSES OF LAZINESS, OBSTINACY, CONTRARINESS. 269 


interested in some unselfish undertaking. Thus, by diverting the 
action of the muscles into new channels the primary trouble is 
overcome. 

ANALYSIS OF LAZINESS. 

There are several classes of those who are congenitally lazy, 
but the two most common ones are those who are inert by reason 
either of too much fatty matter or by having too large and too 
heavy bones, or a bony system so much in excess of the muscular 
that it is an effort to rise or to move about actively. 

Others who are congenitally indolent are defectively organized 
in other ways—some lack ambition or self-esteem, or are very 
selfish, or are so mentally defective as to have very few mental 
tastes to gratify; but, by whomsoever laziness is manifested, that 
character is certainly defective in some department of his organism. 
Some are too delicately organized to be actively useful; such 
fragile beings are to be pitied. The remedy for such beings is to 
live much out of doors, to practice light gymnastics, eat food that 
can be easily assimilated, and endeavor to tone up the system by 
hygienic treatment. 


ANALYSIS OF OBSTINACY. 

Obstinacy proceeds from a disproportion between the hones 
and the muscles, whereby the former are too large and heavy for 
the muscles to move. The joints in obstinate subjects are large, 
and resemble tho.se of the ass. Stupidity or mental obtuseness of 
some sort is always manifested by the excessively obstinate. It is 
a defective condition , and shows that it is such by the peculiarities 
of the disposition or by feeble mentality. Many obstinate people 
show in their face the absence of certain traits ; the observing 
faculties in some are relatively feeble; in others, absence of color 
of the eyes; in others, want of good reasoning faculties; in others 
still, Conscientiousness is wanting. Whatever be the cause, the 
face as well as the entire body will reveal the defect. Parents 
should endeavor to ascertain what the defect is and then take 
measures to level up the weak part of the character. If it cannot 
be eradicated it can be modified by judicious training. 

ANALYSIS OF CONTRARINESS. 

Contrariness is often confounded with obstinacy by those not 
accustomed to analyze closely. Their methods of action are quite 
different, and their results also. Obstinacy is a firm, persistent, 
unyielding force. Contrariness is a shifting, changeable, incon¬ 
sistent trait,—now agreeing, again opposing. Such characters are 


270 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


unreliable; one never knows what position they will maintain. 
Generally the last one who converses with a contrary character is 
able to gain and hold his approval of a plan proposed. Contrari¬ 
ness is a peculiarity of the muscular system, and shows by un¬ 
common ease of the joints and too great flexibility of the muscles. 
The peculiarity of structure causes the muscles to shift and change 
rapidly, first in one direction and then in another. Those mani¬ 
festing it often possess crookedness of some of the features of the 
face as well as of the limbs. 

A disproportion between the bones and muscles is the cause 
of this defect. The bones being relatively small and often round, 
and the muscles very flexible, this form of structure creates a 
shifting, changeable, and often brilliant mind in the direction of art 
or literature. The moral sense of this class is relatively feeble: 
Self-esteem wanting; Firmness at zero, and all of the substantial 
traits absent; yet Generosity and Sympathy present, as well as 
Amativeness and Love of Young, while Commercialism, Specula¬ 
tion, and Acquisitiveness are large. 

These analyses of defects serve to show how important is a 
balanced condition of all of the organs and systems of the body. 
Man in all ages has shown his instinctive appreciation of symmetry 
by his love and appreciation of symmetrically-built women; of 
these very few will be produced until the present abnormal 
taste in regard to the female figure is modified. Not until the 
small, wine-glass-shaped waist is known to be a more awful species 
of deformity than any produced by savages, and this changed to 
the normal form, which is just the reverse of the former, shall we 
have the highest type of human symmetry and real thorough-bred 
human beings. 

Practical and scientific physiognomy teaches that all defects 
can be remedied to a large extent; hence, the defectively consti¬ 
tuted need not despair of improvement. Were it not that human 
nature is most malleable there would be no hope for the wicked; 
but this science teaches not only how to improve those who are 
congenitally imperfect, but it also shows how to generate improved 
or superior offspring. Progress is the eternal law of Nature; 
hence, physiognomy does not condemn the unfortunate to endless 
suffering; neither does it lead to fatalism, as do many theologies, 
but bids humanity work for that perfectness which is sure to be 
the reward of those who apply the laws of Nature intelligently. 
That old slander upon science, viz., that “ it leaves man without 
hope for the future,” is entirely disproved by physiognomy, for 
above and beyond all theologies it shows him that absolute bodily 
perfection and eternal happiness is the destiny of all who are 
generated and governed by natural law. 


Part II. 

Practical Physiognomy. 


( 271 ) 



CHAPTER I. 


Practical Physiognomy. 

THE THREE NATURAL AND PRIMITIVE DIVISIONS OF THE FACE CREATED 
BY THE MOUTH, THE NOSE, AND THE EYES. 

HE MOUTH.—Nature lias divided the face into three 
primary and principal divisions, each of these divisions 
having for a centre a feature which is representative of 
a certain organ system within the body. The mouth is 
the centre of the most primitive system of functions, viz., 
that of digestion, and this feature and its surroundings as we find 
them in developed man disclose 
the size, power, and condition 
of the various organs and func¬ 
tions which assist the processes 
of digestion, viz., secretion, ex¬ 
cretion, growth, and reproduc¬ 
tion,—the primitive functions. 

This division is named the 
vegetative system, and is mainly 
chemical in its action. 

The Nose. —The nose is 
the centre of the second nat¬ 
ural division of the face, and 
represents by its form, height, 
and size of the nostrils the 
size and vigor of the lungs, 
heart, liver, and stomach; also 
the activity of the brain, for 
lungs, heart, and brain stand 
in direct relationship with each 
other. The activity of the 
brain is dependent upon the rate of motion of the circulation of 
the blood for its ability to perform rapid, clear, and strong thinking. 
The larger the nostrils, the broader the thorax, and generally the 
middle portion of the face. 

The Eyes. —The eyes form the third natural centre of a group 
of local signs of character. The eyes indicate, primarily, the 

18 ( 273 ) 



Fig. 12.—THE THREE NATURAL AND 
PRIMITIVE DIVISIONS OF THE FACE. 





274 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


ability for receiving sensations and impressions by virtue of the 
connection with and expansion of the optic nerve; and, secondly, 
the capacity for motion by virtue of their muscular formation, 
which exceeds in variety of movement, as well as excessive mus¬ 
cular development, any other portion of the muscular system; 
hence, the eye is properly the facial representative of that system. 

The eye represents by its size the muscular development of 
the entire body. The large, full, convex eye denotes more power¬ 
ful muscles than the small, sunken eye. The large eye is the eye 
of magnitude, the small eye the eye of accuracy.* The degree of 
brightness of the eye reveals the quality of the brain and nervous 
system. 

These three natural divisions of the face are related to and 
exhibit the signs of the five superior systems of the body, viz., the 
vegetative, the thoracic, the muscular, the osseous, and brain and 
nerve systems. The predominance of one of these systems over 
the others creates a distinct mental character and an entirely 
different bodily form. 

The first division (A, Fig. 12 ) indicates the vegetative 
functions. Its development creates and sustains the moral, domes¬ 
tic, and social functions and faculties. The dominance of this 
system is indicated by soft, fatty tissue all over the body; full 
cheeks; large, globular face; wide mouth, full lips; round, fat chin; 
the nose short and broad; small, sleepy eyes; low, narrow forehead; 
small head, large abdomen; short, fat arms, legs, hands, and feet; 
and short, round body. 

The second grand division (B, Fig. 12) exhibits the signs for all 
functions which create and sustain architectural or formative efforts, 
both in the body and externally, in mechanism, art, literature, etc. 
It is very properly denominated “architectural” because it discloses 
the signs for all the constructive powers inherent in the human 
body and mind. The functions which are exhibited by signs in 
this division of the face are mainly mechanical, and are illustrated 
in the mechanism of man’s body. For example, the several lever 
powers in the interaction of the bones and muscled; the pulley in 
one of the muscles of the eye; the hinge-joint in the elbow, ankle, 
and knee; the ball-and-socket joint in the articulation of the thigh- 
joint; the principle of the valve in the heart, pylorus, and veins; 
while the mechanical principles of acoustics, optics, pneumatics, 
magnetism, capillaiy attraction, and gravitation are all included 
in the organs and functions which are represented in this division 
of the face. The mental powers which are exhibited and sustained 
by the action of these several mechanical principles enable one to 


* The mechanical construction, also, must be perfect 


Oi 


in order to produce accuracy of vision. 


.0 





THE THREE NATURAL DIVISIONS OF THE FACE. 


275 


illustrate in his work, whether in architecture, art, or fiction, the 
same formative , constructive principles. 

The thiid natuial division ot the face (C, Fig. 12) represents 
the developed brain and nervous system, and discloses the local 
signs for abstract leason, mathematical ability, and intuition. 

These three grand divisions of primitive man and of childhood 
have in the highly-developed mature human being a superaddition 



Fig. 13.—THE FIVE PRACTICAL SUBDIVISIONS OF THE FACE. 


of faculties which are the result of evolutionary progress and 
refinement, and are not primitive faculties except in their rudiment¬ 
ary state. In infancy, as well as in undeveloped races, many of 
the facial signs of character are not recognizable because the facial 
features are not developed fully—the nose and chin, for example; 
neither are the functions of the several organ systems of the body 
matured in youth. The reproductive system is not functionally 
active, nor are the bones complete in number—the teeth, for ex¬ 
ample. Many of the hones of the body are not completely ossified 
and perfected in childhood. A good physiognomist can readily 










276 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


recognize the latent powers by reference to those parts of the same 
system which are developed. 

The dominance of the thoracic system causes the formation of 
one distinct form, while the preponderance of the osseous system 
produces another quite different formation of body and distinct 
mental powers. The muscular system in the ascendency creates 
another variety of body and mind, while the brain and nervous 
system creates yet another distinct formation of body. As these 
are all described in Chapter III, a minute description of them here 
is unnecessary. 

The Five Practical Subdivisions of the Face. 

THE FACIAL SIGNS OF THE PHYSIOLOGICAL ORGANS AND FUNCTIONS. 

In describing the signs of character in the five subdivisions 
of the face, I have decided to first give the signs for the physical 
functions, and follow with the signs for the mental faculties and 
domestic sentiments, which are created by the development of the 
physical functions. 

Digestion, or Alimentiveness. —The five subdivisions of the 
face not only unfold all of man’s mental character, but at the same 
time disclose all the peculiarities of his physiological and anatomi¬ 
cal structure. The first division reveals, by the size of the mouth, 
the lips, and fullness of the cheeks, that the process of digestion 
or assimilation of nutriment is perfect; but where the mouth is 
narrow, the lips thin, and the cheeks hollow, we find not only poor 
digestive capacity, but corresponding enfeebled mental powers; 
for in the vegetative system, where assimilation of both liquid 
and solid food takes place, size of the apparatus involved counts 
for a good deal, and here size is more indicative of power and 
capacity than in any of the higher divisions; that is to say, this 
department is less dependent upon quality than are the signs for 
mental powers. 

As we ascend the scale of progressive evolution, quality, 
refinement, and intensity of the higher faculties take the place 
of mere size as an active agent in producing high characteristics. 
Yet size of the mouth is one indicator of mental capacity, for 
without good nutritive capacity the mind would become enfeebled 
and decay. 

In order that the reader may comprehend the exact position 
of the facial signs for the visceral organs and other bodily systems, 
I introduce figure on opposite page, upon which are marked the 
positions of the signs of all those great formative visceral organs 


THE FIVE PRACTICAL SUBDIVISIONS OF THE FACE. 


277 


which, when in a normal state, produce beauty and strength both 
of* feature and expression, and in an abnormal condition disclose 
both weakness of function and ugliness of feature and expression. 
Ihese signs form one of my greatest discoveries, and have been said 
by many able physicians to be “ properly a part of medical science.” 
This may be taken for granted, for, when the signs of all the vis¬ 
ceral organs have been discovered and their normal and abnormal 



Fig. 14—LOCATION OF THE SIGNS FOR THE VISCERAL ORGANS. 

The signs for the visceral organs in the face can be discerned by the following 
indications:— 

1. The Kidneys. Width of the bony structure of the chin. 

2. The Intestines. Fullness and redness of the cheeks. 

3. The Glands. Fullness, redness, and moisture of the lower lip. 

4. The Mammary Glands. Downward curving of the corners of the lower lip. 

5. The Reproductive System. F'ullness, redness, and moisture of the centre of the 

upper lip. 

6. The Spinal Column. Length of the upper lip. 

7. The Liver. Downward projection of the septum of the nose near the junction 

with the lip. 

8. The Lungs. Large nostrils and healthy color of the skin. 

9. The Heart. Large nostrils ; also general development of the muscular system. 

10. The Stomach. Height and width of the bridge of the nose. 

11. The Muscular System. The eyes; large, convex eyes denote large development 

of the muscular system. 

12. The Osseous System. * Projection of the superciliary ridges, long and high nose, 

square chin. 

13. The Brain and Nerve System. Broad and high forehead, pyriform-shaped face, 

fine skin and hair, bright eyes, head high above the ears and well forward of 
the ear-openings. 

14. The Sense of Hearing. A well-rounded ear, set out from the head. 


appearances noted, the intelligent physician can make use of this 
knowledge, in the diagnosis and prognosis of a disease, by being 
able to estimate by the development of each visceral sign in the 
face how much resistance or assistance each of these functions 
would be capable of during the progress of the disorder 



278 


" PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


There cannot be the slightest doubt that a well-balanced and 
normal development of the viscera would be better able to withstand 
the ravages of a disorder than an ill-balanced or feeble condition of 
the internal organs. In many subjects there exist very great differ¬ 
ences of degree in the power of each visceral organ. Some, for 
example, have a weak stomach and a strong intestinal system, and, 
vice versa ; others, again, show a weak kidney system and a fair de¬ 
velopment of the lungs ; others, still, exhibit great muscular energy 
and a weak liver. All of these variations of organ and function 
are to be found graven upon the face,—the only suitable locality 
for such registration in the human organism. 

To facilitate the comprehension of these discrepancies I have 
prepared the figure on page 277, and follow it with a description of 
the signs of faculties and functions in the face. They are entirely 
reliable, making allowance, of course, for those transient appear¬ 
ances which do not indicate a congenital form of feature, as, for 
example, hollow cheeks may follow emaciation caused by disease, 
which, upon a return to normal health, become full, but the sign 
in such cases for poor digestion, viz., hollow cheeks, is the indica¬ 
tion only of the temporary suspension of that function. 

The Glands. —We have found that the mouth, the first facial 
feature evolved, discloses by its size, etc., the power and capacity 
of the entire alimentary canal. We shall discover, if we observe 
closely, that the lower lip discloses, by its fullness, redness and 
moisture, the development of the glandular system, which is one 
portion of the digestive tract. The glands are a most powerful 
adjunct to digestion and nutrition, as has been explained elsewhere. 
A thin, dry, and bloodless lower lip discloses the poverty of the 
glandular system as well as the absence of* its associated sentiment, 
Sympathy, Generosity, or Benevolence. 

The Reproductive System. — This system combines in its 
operation several important glands, both in the male and female, 
as well as a number of muscular organs and apparatus of a carti¬ 
laginous nature; hence its facial signs are found both in muscular 
and glandular tissues. The sign for the reproductive system is 
shown by fullness, redness, and moisture of the centre of the upper 
lip. The more decided are these signs, the more decided is the 
vigor and strength of this system. A thin, pale upper lip dis¬ 
closes a relatively weak or defective reproductive system, together 
with a feeble development of its associated sentiment, Ama¬ 
tiveness. 

Lactation. —The sign which adjoins the reproductive system 
on either side of the upper lip is glandular and denominated 44 Love 
of Young.” This sign is shown by a projection downward of the 


THE FIVE PRACTICAL SUBDIVISIONS OF THE FACE. 279 

upper lip on either side of Amativeness; sometimes the lips droop 
to such an extent as to almost overlap the lower lip just as is seen 
in dogs and cows. Redness and moisture of this portion of the 
upper lip is indicative of normal action and development of the 
function of lactation and also of its associated sentiment, Love of 
Offspring. Congenital defect in the development of this function 
and faculty is shown by a thin, pale, dry, and straight-cut appear¬ 
ance at this portion of the upper lip. A good development of this 
portion of the face announces the ability to nourish and sustain 
offspring, by a development of those glands which assist directly 
in the sustentation of infants, viz., the mammary glands. 

The development of the glandular portion of the alimentary 
tract, as indicated by fullness and redness of the lips and cheeks, 
creates and sustains at least nine domestic and social sentiments, 
viz.: Economy, Hospitality, Patriotism, Mirthfulness, Approba- 
tiveness, Friendship, Amativeness, Love of Young, and Benevolence. 

The Kidneys. —Within the first division of the face will be 
found the sign for the kidney system, which is, as we have learned 
in former chapters, a primitive system, and was evolved next after 
the intestinal system. The sign for this system is disclosed by, 
and is located in, the osseous structure. The reason for this is 
explained in full in Part I, Chapter Y. The principal facial sign 
for this system is shown by relative width of the bony structure 
of the chin; not of the lower jaw at its angles, but of the chin 
below the mouth. A large development of fat does not neutralize 
the significance of this sign, provided the osseous structure is 
proportionally broad. It is not essential that the chin should 
present a spare and bony appearance in order to give the sign 
its full significance and weight; yet at the same time, a soft, 
fat, round, double or triple chin, although it may have a good 
breadth of bone underneath, will modify the nature materially of 
the character in which this combination is found. The associated 
faculty of Conscientiousness will not he so severely and sternly 
exercised when accompanied by a large amount of fat. Justice 
will be tempered by mercy in such subjects, yet honesty and 
integrity will characterize the individual thus constructed. 

In the first or primitive portion of the face, there has now 
been shown the signs for the primitive functions of digestion, viz., 
reproduction, secretion (by the glands) and excretion by the kidneys 
and intestines, growth by assimilation of nutriment, and respiration 
or mouth-breathing, which is the primitive mode of inhalation. 
All of these functions depend upon the organs above mentioned 
for their power to act. The sentiments derived from the functional 
action of these systems and organs are primitive or domestic, and 


280 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


relate to the preservation of the individual and the reproduction 
and sustentation of the race. The sentiments derived from them 
are related to the preservation of offspring, the storing of food by 
economy, love of the domicile, whether of hut, cave, tent, or house, 
and love of the country where one’s interests are centred. The 
moral sentiment of conscientiousness or integrity relates not only 
to morality as an ethical sentiment, but in its primitive and physio¬ 
logical aspect, where the kidney or fluid system of the body has 
performed its work perfectly, integrity or soundness'of all the tissues 
and organs is assured. This primitive group of associated physical 
functions and mental faculties is most significant as well as beauti¬ 
ful and harmonious, and no observing person can for one moment 
doubt the accuracy of the philosophy which expounds their action, 
nor the propriety of the localization of their signs in the mouth 
and adjacent parts. 

In the preceding pages there has been given a practical method 
by which to ascertain and locate the signs for all the primitive or 
vegetative functions. The method of localizing the higher develop¬ 
ments, viz., the liver, the lungs, the heart, the muscles, the bones, 
and brain, will now be unfolded. 

The Lungs and Heart. —The lungs and heart in all normally 
constituted bodies must always stand in harmonious relationship 
with each other. If the lungs be large and strong, the heart will 
necessarily be of corresponding size and vigor in order to receive 
the large amount of blood which the lungs oxygenate; and as a 
rule, where the circulation of the blood is strong and rapid, the 
liver in its action partakes of this activity and assists by its secreting 
powers the cleansing and purifying of the blood, which is its func¬ 
tion. Thus, in the next upward progressive step in the evolution 
of the organs, we come to consider the claims of the liver, heart, 
and lungs. 

The nostrils, by their size and form, bear direct relationship 
to the lungs and also to the heart through their mutual relation¬ 
ship and intimate interaction. The size of the nostrils denotes 
the size of the lungs and related size and vigor of the heart. The 
shape of the nostrils announces the shape of the lungs. If the 
nostrils are round, the lungs will partake of the same form. If 
the nostrils are pinched and narrow, forming a knife-blade-like slit, 
the lungs will possess a corresponding formation and a correspond¬ 
ing lack of vigor. 

The Liver. —The color of the skin is an infallible indicator 
of the condition of the liver. If the skin be clear, the liver is in 
good order and acting normally; but the local sign for a well- 
developed, vigorous liver is known by the downward projection of 


THE FIVE PRACTICAL SUBDIVISIONS OF THE FACE. 


281 


the septum or middle partition of the nose, and in the localizing 
of this sign we have another remarkable group of functional signs 
which, in their action within the body, mutually assist and con¬ 
dition each other, and stand in close and intimate relationship. 
Now, upon the vigor and power of these three great organs, the 
heart, the liver, and lungs, man depends for his ability to think 
clearly, strongly, and profoundly. If any one doubt this statement 
let him examine, say, one hundred persons of all ages and sexes, 
whose nostrils are narrow and small and whose nasal septum is 
not developed downward, and compare them with one hundred 
whose nostrils are large and round, or large and long, and whose 
nasal septum is well developed, and he will become convinced of 
the active part which lungs, heart, and liver play in the manifesta¬ 
tion of intellectual power. 

We have now located the signs for the primitive organs, and 
considered three others which assist in shaping and forming the 
outlines of the body; for, as we shall see later, although the pre¬ 
ponderance of the primitive functions creates a sort of globular 
formation of the face, features, and body, yet the vegetative person 
is never so sharply outlined as where there is in combination a 
fine thoracic development; for nose-breathing is a high function, 
and those who can breathe vigorously through the nose present 
more strongly-defined outlines than do those whose thorax is flat 
and depressed. Large lungs and a high, arched chest belong 
together, and here we find the outline which exhibits the greatest 
power in all of Nature’s works. We may set it down as a 
principle in architecture that when a building or a body has 
well-defined arches in its outlines great strength is present. In 
this illustration we find that the lungs contribute to fashion the 
outline of both nose and chest. We shall find, in the course of our 
physiognomical studies in these pages, that not only do the lungs 
create the shape of the chest and nose, but also fashion the out¬ 
lines of the forehead. The heart by its size and action assists in 
forming the shape of the forehead, and a skillful physiognomist 
can as easily describe the shape* of the forehead by observation of 
the formation of the chest as he can by looking at the forehead 
itself, so surely do these great visceral organs create external forms. 
And for this reason I have in my system of physiognomy denomi¬ 
nated the great middle division of the face the “ Architectural,” 
for here are situated the signs for all those great formative organs 
of which the nose and nostrils are the centre and exponent. The 
placing of the sign for the liver in the septum of the nose is most 
significant and highly appropriate, for inasmuch as the liver, heart, 
and lungs bear direct and intimate relations with each other, and 


282 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


as they are placed in the body in such contiguity as to facilitate 
their interaction, so it is logical to infer that their facial signs 
would be placed in such position of intimacy as would reveal their 
locality. Such, indeed, is the case, and it was by this inductive 
process of reasoning that I have been enabled to make many of 
my discoveries, aided by years of research and observation. 

Thus, the signs for. the lungs, heart, and liver form a group 
most closely associated, and point to the intimate relationship of 
the organs of which they stand representative; and when the 
reader takes up the consideration of the grouping of the mental 
signs he will be as much surprised at this felicitous method of 
grouping as he is at the appropriateness of the placing of the 
functional signs in the face. 

The Stomach.— The upper portion of the nose, usually de¬ 
nominated the “bridge,” represents by its width and height above 
the plane of the face the size and vigor of the stomach. The stomach 
is mainly a muscular organ, and hence belongs to the architectural 
division, for muscles assist in creating form and shape. Noses flat 
and depressed at the centre indicate a weak stomach as compared 
to those which are high and broad. Breadth here as elsewhere in 
man’s organization denotes strength. As the body rises to the 
dignity of muscles, muscular organs, and bones, the form becomes 
more defined. We have observed how comparatively shapeless, 
by reason of its soft tissues, is the vegetative system, and through 
lack of solid, firm materials; but the lungs, heart, and stomach, 
being composed of dense and firm fibres, and preserving consider¬ 
able mechanical force and activitv as well as a fixed and distinct 

%> 

formation, contribute greatly to fashion and determine the exterior 
outlines of the body. Not only do they contribute by their own 
formation to define the outlines of the thorax where they are situ¬ 
ated, but their operation decides the outlines of the forehead and 
limbs through the amount of blood created and sent to the distant 
parts of the body by their action. Fluids, it is true, create tissue, 
and those soft tissues as seen in the infant do not assume as decided 
and distinct outlines as do the developed bone and muscle of later 
years; hence, we cannot rank the stomach with the vegetative 
organs, although it is one of the principal portions of the digest¬ 
ive apparatus. The intestines, it will be recalled, were the origi¬ 
nal primitive organs of digestion, and the stomach has evolved 
since and takes rank with the higher muscular organs. Its very 
motion in the process of digestion is mechanical, and is caused by 
contraction of the fibres and muscles of the coats. This motion, 
termed the “ peristaltic motion,” is the main part of its office in 
the process of digestion, the chemical or vegetative part of the act 


THE FIVE PRACTICAL SUBDIVISIONS OF THE FACE. 


283 


being inferior, and, although the gastric juices act upon the nutri¬ 
ment in the stomach, yet the vegetative or chemical part of diges¬ 
tion is performed mainly in the intestines; hence, their character 
and office in the human economy is quite distinct, and the action 
of these two organs produces distinct formations and character¬ 
istics. 

The Muscular or Motive System. —One of the principal 
facial signs of the muscular system is height and width of the 
nose at its junction with the forehead. Where the muscular sys¬ 
tem is well developed all over the body, the muscles at this point 
will, of course, be correspondingly developed. 

The eye is also one of the principal facial signs of the mus¬ 
cular system. A full, convex eye announces a fine development 
of the muscles, while a small, sunken eye indicates an inferior de¬ 
velopment of the muscles. The height observed between the eyes 
(sign for Self-will) where the nose joins the forehead is caused by 
the intermingling of the occipito-frontalis and the corrugator super- 
cilii muscles. Thus, it will be remarked that the facial signs for 
the muscular system are situated in muscular development. These 
two signs, as well as the external ear, which is composed of muscle 
or cartilage, will give the reader all the signs needed for ascer¬ 
taining the amount of muscular development in an individual; 
although, where this system is the dominant one, many other cor¬ 
roborative signs may be found not only in the face but in every 
outline of every part of the head and body; but I am now con¬ 
sidering facial signs alone. 

Motion. —In using the eye as the facial representative of the 
muscular system I do so for the reason that it is composed mainly 
of muscle; that is to say, it derives its form and size from the form 
and size of the muscles involved, and as Nature is harmonious the 
form and size of the muscles of one part of the body will agree in 
development with the muscular development of all the other parts 
of the same body. Hence, it will be observed that as the size of 
the eye denotes the amount of muscular development, it stands 
representative of the function of motion, for those who possess a 
well-developed muscular system love motion and move with more 
ease and rapidity and are more continuous in their movements 
than those with small, sunken eyes and less muscular develop¬ 
ment. Motion is also related to Language by the movements of 
the vocal cord, larynx, tongue, lips, and ear. 

Vision. —If the eye were composed of muscles only it would 
not be an organ of vision ; for this purpose it is supplied with an 
appropriate nervous mechanism which is connected with the brain. 
It is also supplied with a coloring pigment and certain glands 


284 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


which assist its operatons ; but it is the optic nerve which by its 
expansion gives the sense of sight, and in this organ we have 
the sign for the development of the nervous system. The bright¬ 
ness of the eye is one sign of the quality of the nervous system. 
The capacity of the eye to receive instant and accurate impressions 
depends upon the high quality of the nervous system combined 
with a perfect mechanical construction, and brightness of the eye 
is one of the facial signs for high quality. 

Hearing. —The external ear, being mainly of a muscular or 
cartilaginous nature, is an exponent of the muscular system, and 
as the facial signs alone are now being described it is quite appro¬ 
priate to make mention of a feature so nearly related to those 
facial features which stand in direct relationship to the ear. The 
mouth, larynx, and nose are all concerned in the production of 
tone or sound; hence, they stand in close and intimate relation¬ 
ship with the ear—the organ which receives and judges of sound. 
The most muscular ears are round, short, and thick. The ears of 
those in whom the osseous system is supreme are relatively thin¬ 
ner and longer, not so circular, but more angular or elliptical in 
their outlines. The ear of the vegetative person is also round, 
but is thicker than the purely muscular ear, and shows a greater 
development of soft, fatty tissue in harmony with the dominant 
development of the rest of the body. 

A neck thick and straight at the back is another sign of the 
predominance of the muscular system. There are many other dis¬ 
tinguishing signs of this tissue in various parts of the body, which 
will be treated of in their proper place. 

The Osseous System. —An extended description of the bony 
system is not given here for the reason that it has been amplified 
in the third chapter. Suffice it to say that the principal facial sign 
for this system is shown by the development of the bones of the 
lower part of the forehead, denominated “ the superciliary ridges,” 
or, as one might say in simple language, the bones of the eyebrows. 
Where these bones project greatly, the bony system of the 
entire body is correspondingly developed. It is true that other 
parts of the face disclose the predominance of this system, but this 
is the most reliable and also the most prominent bone of the face. 
Where this system has supremacy, the bones of the nose will be 
high and long as compared to a purely muscular nose, for bone 
tends to lengthen and muscle to shorten features as well as 
the trunk and limbs. The chin is relatively long and wide, also 
the upper lip relatively long, the forehead square, and the malar 
or cheek-bones prominent. The general effect produced by the 
predominance of the osseous system is squareness and length, in 



THE FIVE PRACTICAL SUBDIVISIONS OF THE FACE. 285 

contradistinction to the muscular system, for where this system is 
in the ascendency curves and arches appear in every part of the 
face and body. Where the eyebrows are greatly arched, the 
osseous system is not so well developed as where they assume a 
horizontal shape. The reason for this is obvious; bones produce 
straight lines and angles, while muscle creates curves. Character 
can just as well be comprehended by understanding and applying 
these basic principles of Form as by a more elaborate examination, 
for Form comes by design and is based on unchangeable principles, 
hence can be delineated and translated into character . 

The Brain and Nerve System. —A short description of the 
external form of this system, which is divided into four principal 
divisions (but really forming one system), will now be given. Anato¬ 
mists divide the nervous system into four principal parts, viz, the 
brain, the spinal cord, the nerves, and the ganglia. The student 
of physiognomy will do well to study the anatomical and physio¬ 
logical formation of this most important system, for, taken in 
connection with physiognomy, it will be most valuable and 
instructive. 

The prominent facial signs for the 'predominance of this system 
are width and height of the forehead, height of the brain above 
the ears, a pyriform or pear-shaped face, the nose and chin rela¬ 
tively small; bright, clear eyes; fine, thin, sensitive skin; small 
nostrils, fine hair, and thin eyebrows. These signs indicate the 
supremacy of this system over all others. Where the brain system 
is observed in combination with the osseous or muscular systems 
well developed, the features partake of some of the distinguishing 
characteristics of all of these systems. Happily there are very few 
persons in the community who exhibit the brain system in the 
ascendency, for it almost always denotes delicacy and shortness of 
life. Unsupported by a good thoracic development and strong 
digestive powers, a large brain, even of the highest quality, is a 
serious disadvantage, for the unceasing mental activity which is 
characteristic of subjects thus formed will soon wear them out. 
Smallness of the bones and muscles accompany this system and 
show its extreme delicacy of structure. The hands and feet are 
relatively small and thin, the chest flat, and the joints small. 

If we were to depend solely upon dissections of the brain 
to guide us as to its office and purpose in the human economy, 
we should be quite in the dark in regard to its powers. Unlike 
the visceral organs of the body, whose operations can be under¬ 
stood by examining them in the dissecting-room, the brain does 
not disclose its capacity for thought through the experiments of 
anatomists. We are obliged, therefore, to pursue other methods 


286 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


of investigation in order to discover its mode of action and the 
meanings of its external formation. The study by physicians of 
those with disordered or defective minds, together with the investi¬ 
gation of those whose brains have been accidentally injured, has 
given the world the most definite knowledge in regard to the 
method of action of this portion of man’s structure, while the 
observations and comparisons of physiognomists have advanced our 
understanding of the meaning of the forms of the brains observed 
in the various races of man. 

Great attention is now paid to the training of the feeble¬ 
minded and imbecile, as well as to the treatment of the insane, 
and it is here that the most marked advance in mental knowledge 
has been made. While the brain and nervous system is in a nor¬ 
mal condition and acting healthfully, it does not present (strange as 
it may seem) so fruitful a field for investigation as the mind in dis¬ 
order ; on the principle that a man would never think of inquiring 
into the construction of a complete piece of machinery so long as 
all went well with it, but directly it becomes disordered and per¬ 
forms its work poorly, he then investigates and endeavors to remedy 
it by a study of the principles involved in its construction. 

As physiognomists, we are much concerned in the external 
shape and other physical indications of the brain, as well as in the 
laws affecting its internal action. In delineations of character we 
can derive assistance from the observations and research of phy¬ 
sicians to the insane, and of anatomists who make a special study of 
this portion of the human anatomy, while physiognomical obser¬ 
vation can also be of assistance to these classes of investigators. 

The theoretical division of this work has, I opine, given the 
reader the idea that other organs of the body are of equal impor¬ 
tance with the brain. The ancients instinctively comprehended 
this, for Taine tells us that 

The Greeks, having assigned to the bod}^ a dignity of its own, were 
not tempted like the moderns to subordinate it to the head. A chest 
breathing healthily, a trunk resting solidly on the thighs, and a nervous, 
supple leg, impelling the body forward with ease, they did not occupy them¬ 
selves solely with the breadth of a thoughtful forehead, with the frown of 
an irritated brow, or a turn of a sarcastic lip.* 

A large brain of high quality , together with large lungs, good 
digestive and fair muscular and osseous development, will exhibit 
uncommonly great mental power; but a large brain, particularly a 
large front brain, without most of these accessories , will exhibit 
either feebleness and dullness of mind or such feebleness of body as 
to make the brain of little practical benefit. A moderate-sized 

* Philosophy of Art, H. Taine, p. 135. 


THE FIVE PRACTICAL SUBDIVISIONS OF THE FACE. 


287 


brain with large lungs will disclose more mental vigor than a 
merely large front brain, for the largest brains on record have been 
those of idiots. 

Touch. —The entire outer skin-covering is the organ of touch 
through which our impression of temperature and the divers 
qualities of objects come to us. The finer the skin, the more vivid, 
accurate, and powerful will be the capacity for receiving impres¬ 
sions ol surrounding objects and atmospheres, etc. The tips of the 
fingers and the tip of the tongue are the most sensitive to tactile 
impressions. 

MENTAL SIGNS OF CHARACTER IN THE FACE. 

First Subdivision ( 1 ). —By dividing the face into five parts we 
are enabled to make a ready estimate of the relative development 
of these several subdivisions. Where there is great length or great 
relative length and breadth from the nostrils downward, including 
the chin, the domestic, social, and moral faculties are most de¬ 
cidedly exhibited. (See Fig. 15.) These mental faculties are named 
as follows: Conscientiousness, Firmness, Benevolence, Economy, 
Alimentiveness or Digestion, Amativeness, Love of Young, Patriot¬ 
ism or Love of Country, Love of Home, Hospitality, Mirthfulness, 
Friendship, Approbativeness, Self-esteem, and Modesty. 

Second Subdivision (2). —The division of the face lying be¬ 
tween the nostrils and the line drawn across the middle of the 
nose discloses the locality where the facial signs for Imagination, 
Sublimity, Constructiveness, Mental Imitation, and Analysis are 
situated, as well as the signs for Hope and Acquisitiveness. 

The noses most developed in width and height at the lower 
part are seen in the countenances of the most talented artists and 
writers. Here the term “ artist” is used in its most comprehensive 
sense, and includes all kinds of artists, such as actors, poets, paint¬ 
ers, sculptors, elocutionists, orators, writers, and athletes. Rem¬ 
brandt’s nose is an excellent illustration of one type of artist, so 
also is the nose of Dickens. Wilkie Collins’ nose exhibits another 
form of the dramatic writer’s nose. Many persons term these 
large noses “ homely,” perhaps because they are not in accord with 
the ideas of Greek art. Now, art-ideas of the human face are 
formed without any reference as to the real meaning of the outlines 
delineated, hence it is that Art utterly fails as a revelator of char¬ 
acter and physiognomy. Lavater tells us that 

Characters pregnant with strong contending powers generally contain 
in the prominent features of the face somewhat of the severe, violent, and 
perplexed; consequently are very dilferent from what the Grecian artists 
and men of taste name “ beauty.”* 


* Lavater’s Essays, p. 29. 


288 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY 


We are not to be disappointed because Art fails to expound 
the meanings of forms in a scientific manner. Art is intended 
more for sensuous enjoyment and amusement than for instruction, 
and all classes of artists are not noted for the high grade of prac- 



Fig. 15.—LOCAL SIGNS FOR THE MENTAL FACULTIES. 

This table of numbered names refers to the numbers upon the above outline. 
There are several which are omitted from this list, for the reason that they have 
several facial and bodily signs or are general,—Color, for example. Those which are 
omitted are described in their own proper order: these are Color, Sanativeness, 
Force. Time. Order. 


1. Conscientiousness. 

2. Firmness. 

3. Economy. 

4. Love of Home (centre). 

5. Patriotism (side). 

6. Benevolence. 

7. Bibativeness. 

8. Alimentiveness. 

9. Amativeness. 

10. Love of Young. 

11. Mirthfulness. 

12. Approbativeness. 

13. Friendship. 

14. Hospitality. 

15. Pneumativeness. 


16. Self-esteem. 

17. Modesty. 

18. Resistance. 

19. Secretiveness. 

20. Cautiousness. 

21. Hope. 

22. Analysis. 

23. Mental Imitation. 

24. Sublimity. 

25. Ideality. 

26. Human Nature. 

27. Acquisitiveness. 

28. Constructiveness. 

29. Veneration. 

30. Executiveness. 


31. Self-will. 

32. Credenciveness. 

33. Prescience. 

34. Form. 

35. Size. 

36. Observation. 

37. Memory of Events. 

38. Locality. 

39. Weight. 

40. Language. 

41. Music. 

42. Calculation. 

43. Causality. 

44. Comparison. 

45. Intuition. 


ticality and reason which characterizes scientists, whose province is 
to investigate natural laws and expound them, while Art is merely 
imitative, and aims at exciting the emotions mainly; yet both are 
useful to humanity. 







THE FIVE PRACTICAL SUBDIVISIONS OF THE FACE. 


289 


The nose is the most salient feature of the face, and where the 
nose is relatively large, and particularly where it is developed about 
the point and projecting downward below the tip, and where there 
is breadth across the tip,—where the septum or middle partition 
projects well downward below the alee or sides of the nostrils,— 
we may expect a bold, original, ingenious, constructive mind of 
some sort; the form or outline of the nose will decide what direc¬ 
tion the mental powers will take. The reader is referred for illus¬ 
tration of this appearance to the noses of talented artists and 
literates, musical composers, philosophers, and inventors. I dare 
affirm he will never find one good artist with a sharp, gimlet-like, 
pointed nose. The observer is not to confound the thick, bulbous 
nose of the habitual drunkard and glutton with the thick, round, 
and broad constructive nose of the artist or musician, for these are 
quite different, and, once examined, can never be confounded with 
each other. The names of the signs of faculties situated in this 
division are as follow: Hope, Analysis, Mental Imitation, Sub¬ 
limity, Ideality, Human Nature, Acquisitiveness, Constructiveness, 
and Cautiousness. These faculties, it will be observed, include 
nearly all the powers of mind essential to Art, also one branch of 
mechanism, viz., Constructiveness, and most of the literary and 
inventive faculties. 

This part of the face, by its development, discloses the grade 
of intelligence to which a race or individual has reached. The 
entire nose discloses more of the mind—that is to say, the ability 
for thought and action—than any other single feature; hence, it is 
at once an animal and a mental organ. 

Third Subdivision of the Face (3). —The third subdivision 
of the countenance includes the signs for Veneration, Executive¬ 
ness, Self-will, Credenciveness, Prescience, Form, and Size. This 
portion of the nose is most important as an exponent of active 
qualities of mind as well as of those which induce reflection in 
many directions. Of this part of the face Herder remarks.— 

That region of the face which includes the eyes, eyebrows, and nose 
also includes all the chief signs of will or mind in action.* 

To know how completely this remark expresses the truth, one 
has only to observe the faces of those who are deficient in pure 
will-power and compare them with those of strong and active will, as 
exhibited by commanders, leaders in reforms, and superintendents, 
etc. In the former he will observe a sinking in of the nose where 
it joins the forehead. This appearance is indicative of weak-willed 
persons with a lack of Executiveness. This deficiency does not 

* Lavater’s Essays, p. 29. 

19 


290 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


apply to Firmness, for, although Firmness and Will-power repre¬ 
sent two kinds of forces of mind, they are not the same in action, 
nor are they derived from the same source, for Will-power purely is 
derived from the muscular system and Firmness from the osseous 
structure. A defective will does not indicate a weak intellect or 
deficient intelligence unless all purposive will is lacking, as in im¬ 
beciles. The facial evidence of large Self-will is height of the 
nose where it joins the forehead. Among those who are weak in 
intellect there will often be found a small, concave nose, together 
with a lack of development of the bones beneath the eyebrows, 
and the eyebrows will sometimes describe quite a high arch. This 
high arching of the eyebrows indicates the absence of an observing 
mind. 

The most striking proof of intelligence and perspicuity are 
found in the high, broad, and well-developed nose,—one uniformly 
developed the entire length and corresponding breadth. 

The Fourth Subdivision (4). —The fourth subdivision of the 
physiognomy exhibits the most practical portion of the character. 
It is only necessary for a good physiognomist to observe this region 
of the face to instantly decide as to the grade of practical and 
mechanical mentality present. 

It must be apparent to the thoughtful that, as the eyes bring 
into the mind the great bulk of our knowledge of the world, 
the parts adjacent will become developed according to the degree 
of use to which they are subjected. This logic is correct, for we 
find in the faces of the most practical and observant persons, such 
as mechanics, physicians, scientists, naturalists, navigators, etc., a 
great projection of the bones covered by the eyebrows, while the 
eyes are deep-set and the muscles covering the lower part of the 
forehead are greatly developed, where are situated the local signs 
for Observation, Locality, Weight, Form, Size, and Order, all of 
which assist both mechanical and practical efforts. We find 
Charles Darwin’s physiognomy discloses these peculiarities in a 
marked degree, and he was perhaps the most close, accurate, and 
persistent naturalist. 

Of this peculiar formation of the eyebrows Lavater remarks 
as follows:— 

I have seen no man hitherto with sharp, projecting eyebrows who had 
, not great propensity to an acute exercise of the understanding and to wise 
plans.* 

The local signs situated in this division are denominated 
Observation, Memory of Events, Locality, Weight, Color, Lan¬ 
guage, Music, Order, Calculation. 

* Lavater’s Essays, p 38L 


THE FIVE PRACTICAL SUBDIVISIONS OF THE FACE. 


291 


The Fifth Subdivision (5) of the face brings to our knowledge 
the signs for reason and mathematical demonstration as well as 
intuition. The wide and high forehead (where the inherited quality 
is fine) indicates large intuitional powers. A forehead high and 
broad merely does not denote good logical ability; size must be 
accompanied by quality. The shape of the nose is more decisive as 
to one’s ability to reason logically, yet reason is determined more 
by the shape of the forehead than by its size. There are so many 
diverse forms of the forehead that indicate reason that it is im¬ 
possible to describe them all here. Many different forms of the 
forehead will be found described in Part II, Chapter III, hence 
unnecessary here. 

A very erroneous idea is prevalent in regard to the meaning 
of the forehead. Many persons believe that a very high, bulging, 
or rounding forehead is an indication of uncommon intellectual 
powers. To know how fallacious this idea is, we have only to look 
about us and note the great number of commonplace and even 
stupid dullards who exhibit just such foreheads. Great size alone 
is not an indication of anything except it be great stupidity or 
commonplace intellect. Many low, broad foreheads belong to those 
who evince fine intellectual aptitudes. The portrait of Charles 
James Fox exhibits such a forehead, and he was a man of tran¬ 
scendent abilities, an eloquent orator and eminent statesman. 

Many persons with receding foreheads evince fine reasoning 
powers, yet the idea is prevalent that foreheads of this shape are 
indicative of inferior talents. John Locke’s recedes considerably, 
so also do those of the most capable actors, orators, and mecha¬ 
nicians. President Garfield’s forehead also exhibited this out¬ 
line, and his intellect was far above the average, and noted for its 
eminent practicality. 

Where the forehead is wide and high, and the other parts of 
the brain equally developed, and the inherited quality ol a high 
order, and the health good, we may expect in such a combination 
first-class intellect of some sort. 1 he shape oj the nose will decide 
that question. So much can be ascertained by the form and size 
of the nose in regard to the intellectual powers of the individual, 
as well as of the physiological capacities, that I piefei to make use 
of this feature in reading character rather than to scan the foie- 
head and shape of the head. There are many occasions where the 
form of the forehead and head cannot be seen, and the nose, being 
always accessible to one’s scrutiny, is instantly available, and will 
give an accurate understanding ol the internal stiucture of the 
fungs, heart, and stomach, as well as a faithful exposition of the 
kind and power of intellect present. 


292 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


SUMMARY TO THE FIVE PRACTICAL SUBDIVISIONS OF THE FACE. 

The five subdivisions of the human physiognomy illustrate the 
progression or development of the human body and mind as they 
rise from the vegetative up to the thoracic, through the muscular 
to the bone and brain systems. They also illustrate the geological 
progression of the world, also the evolution of the animal organism 
from the first animal organ and feature up to the perfected human 
face and the perfected human being. There is a wonderful beauty 
and harmony attending Nature’s progress, and the careful student 
of natural laws can readily trace this coeval evolution of the sev¬ 
eral departments of Nature’s domain by reference to the sciences of 
physiognomy, geology, and the evolution of man. 

I think that the most wonderful fact in existence is that the 
human face, read scientifically, not only reveals the progressive 
development of man from a mere primitive animal to his present 
. degree of development, but it also corroborates the science of 
geology, or the progressive development of the world. In this 
correspondence of sciences, we observe that harmony and co-ordi¬ 
nation of Nature’s laws without which order in the universe could 
not exist. The remarkable parallelism which exists between the 
evolution of the human species and the evolution of the earth is 
well set forth in the first chapter, vol. ii, of Haeckel’s “Evolu¬ 
tion of Man,” which I recommend the reader to peruse, and if he 
will follow the course of human evolution he will make a most 
useful and instructive comparison between the various departments 
of Nature. Indeed, it seems almost impossible to write a work on 
physiognomy without including all that is known of the kindred 
science of evolution, for the face rightly and completely understood 
reveals and sums up all known sciences; hence it is that in justice 
to my conclusions I am frequently obliged to make reference to 
and copious extracts from various scientific works. 

A thorough study of the five practical divisions of the face 
will enable the student to simplify very materially the analysis of 
character. Many of the local signs, it will be perceived, are caused 
by development of the muscles, as, for example, Constructiveness, 
Ideality, Self-will, etc. It will be found by tracing these signs to 
their origin that they inhere in the muscular system, and derive 
the power to exhibit their action from the system in which their 
facial signs are found, viz., the muscular system. Other facial 
signs of character are caused by the predominance of bone, as, 
for example, Firmness, Conscientiousness, Self-esteem, and Vener¬ 
ation. This class of signs are inherent in the bony system , and 
derive their support from the development of that system, while 


SUMMARY TO THE FIVE PRACTICAL SUBDIVISIONS. 


293 


the social and domestic signs of character are found located in the 
glands of the face or in the fatty tissues of the cheeks. Benevo¬ 
lence, Love of Young, Mirthfulness, Hospitality, Love of Home, 
and Economy, with several others, are all inherent in the glandular 
system, and are sustained by its action. The principal sign for 
Alimentiveness, or digestion, is the size of the mouth and fullness 
of the cheeks, and in this sign we find the best evidence of the 
action of the intestinal system. 

A good, practical physiology is needed by those who wish to 
make a serious and thorough study of physiognomy, in order that 
they may verify the relation between the several organ systems and 
the various mental faculties and social sentiments, and the connec¬ 
tion of these functions with the signs in the face. Physiology and 
anatomy should be well understood by one who wishes to become 
a teacher of this science. A mere mechanical knowledge of the 
location of the signs in the face will not be sufficient. It re¬ 
quires a good thinker to teach physiognomy. The fact that 
the facial signs of intellect are exhibited by development of 
bone, muscle, glands, etc., should of itself be proof of the 
diverse physical sources of the mental faculties, and a teacher must 
understand the action of the organ or function which originates 
each faculty. 

Let the reader bear in mind that the dominant faculties— 
those the signs of which are best developed—will always influence 
the action of the weaker ones; thus, very large Self-will will in¬ 
fluence the action of all the other traits in combination; so, also, 
where Conscientiousness is one of the dominating faculties, it will 
cause one to be thorough and prompt in all his dealings, as well 
as upright and honorable in money matters, and will exercise a 
controlling influence over all the mental faculties. The interaction 
of the faculties will be treated of in the chapter on “Localities and 
Descriptions of Signs in the Face.” 

The three grand divisions are indicative of the three primitive 
functions, viz., those of digestion, respiration, and motion, and these 
are represented by the eyes, nose, and mouth. As evolution ad¬ 
vanced the lower animal organism to greater development and 
perfection, other facial features and mental faculties were evolved, 
and accordingly we find in the most developed races of man a 
perfected chin , forehead , and nose. With the perfection of these 
features we observe the accompanying higher faculties of C onscience, 
of Reason, and ability for Art, Science, and Mechanics; Conscience 
is exhibited most decidedly by the development of the width of 
the bones of the chin; application or capacity for persistent effort, 
by its length downward and forward, without which man would be 


294 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


as unstable as an ape, moving hither and thither without being 
able to dwell long enough at one thing to perfect it. 

The tine development of the nose shows the signs for Art, 
Literature, Science, Invention, and Will. Some of these inhere 
iu and are shown by bone development, while others are found in 
the muscles. The developed forehead is a human feature entirely, 
for the most intelligent and mental animals, such as the elephant, 
the horse and dog, exhibit a forehead which has nothing in com¬ 
mon with the form of the human forehead. Some species of the 
elephant display great sagacity and good reasoning ability, and 
their foreheads are very high and expansive, which gives them a 
majestic appearance; yet their forehead is distinctively animal-like 
in form, while their long, cautious, sagacious nose or proboscis 
reaches to the ground. No animal has a chin or a nose rising 
high and clear above the plane of the face, except the nose-ape 
(Semnopithicus nascius), and this feature in this animal lacks 
entirely the human form, and hence betrays no evidence of its being 
the indicator of superior intelligence in this animal. In the read¬ 
ing of character the nose must always be considered the most im¬ 
portant as a mental feature; the eyes next most important, as de¬ 
noting emotion; and the chin, as indicating the moral sense. 
The forehead, although a later and distinctively human feature, is 
not so well adapted to the exposition of mental traits as the nose. 
It is true the lower part of the forehead, that part surrounding the 
eyes, is a revelator of the practical capacities of man; but the nose 
will reveal that to a large extent, besides disclosing many other 
mental traits; for in this feature we find the signs for Art, Mechan¬ 
ism, Science (in the height and length of the bones), Music, Inventive 
and Analytical capacity, and are also able to discover the grade of 
activity of the brain by the size of the nostril. The nose is, hence, 
the most important feature and stands in a central position, and by 
its relation to the lungs, heart, and brain, exercises a controlling 
and dominating influence upon every part of the mental life. 
Without viewing the upper part of the forehead at all, the good 
physiognomist is able to describe the amount and kipd of reason 
with which one is endowed, for the nose in its perfection sums up 
the higher mental traits of the man. The functions of digestion 
and the faculties of social and domestic life are found best indi¬ 
cated by the mouth and its surroundings, but where we wish to 
comprehend the mental power of a man we can safely rely upon 
the shape and size of his nose for the proof, without regard to 
his eyes, mouth, or forehead. 

It is true that a finely-developed mouth, such for example as 
Goethe’s, is never seen in the physiognomy of a commonplace per* 


SUMMARY TO THE FIVE PRACTICAL SUBDIVISIONS. 295 

son, for such a refined mouth shows general development and re¬ 
finement of mind, which will be naturally accompanied by high 
mental powers. Such mouths are never seen where the vegetative 
system predominates, for, although this system is par excellence 
the purely domestic one, yet where this system is the dominant one 
in a person the signs as well as accompanying traits are in a com¬ 
paratively undeveloped state, hence cannot reveal the most devel¬ 
oped character even in the domestic faculties, for here the traits 
are more purely animal-like or primitive; but with greater perfec¬ 
tion of' the other parts the sentimental and mental phase of the 
domestic faculties will be exhibited, hence greater purity and re¬ 
finement of all the faculties as well as of the faculties of Amative¬ 
ness, Love of Young, etc., will be present. 

One of the indications of the faculty of Intuition is a broad 
and high forehead, but this may be also known by a large, bright 
eye, quite as well as by the size of the brain, for the size of the 
eye shows the expansion of the optic nerve, and this expansion 
denotes the ability to receive vivid impressions. 

Reference to the numbers on the cuts in this chapter will give 
the reader clear and distinct ideas of the precise locality of each 
sign. Later chapters will describe their appearance , so that the 
reader will by observation be able to trace as on a map all of the 
signs for mental as well as physiological traits. 

I think it will be apparent to all who will give attention to 
the subject that the face was intended to be the register of all 
existing bodily and mental conditions, and that the outlines of the 
entire body, as well as the shape of the limbs, hands, fingers, etc., 
are all assistants to character-analysis, and that each part is 
corroborative of all other parts. 

This system of character analysis giving the five principal 
organ systems of the body and the fifty mental signs a facial 
location of the functions, has never been disputed since my first 
book appeared in 1889. 






























■I' 































CHAPTER II. 


Location and Description of Signs of Character in the Face. 

“There are mystically in our faces certain characters which carry in them the 
motto of our souls, wherein he that can read A, B, C can read our natures. The 
finger of God hath left an inscription upon all his works, not graphical or composed 
of letters, but of their several forms, constitutions, parts, and operations, which, 
aptly joined together, do make one word that doth express their natures.”*— Sir 
Thomas Browne, M.D. 

I N numbering and naming the facial signs, I would not have 
it understood that I have given a complete list of the human 
faculties. The human mind has probably more than fifty 
separate and distinct faculties; these will be, from time to 
time, added to and located in the face. All the faculties 
can be educated by cultivation and strengthened considerably; 
they can also be weakened by disuse. Of the educability of the 
faculties, Lavater remarks that 

The stronger the change of mind and the oftener it is repeated, the 
stronger and deeper and the more indelible is the facial sign. Morally de¬ 
formed states of mind have deformed expressions. If incessantly repeated, 
they stamp durable features of deformity. 

This remark is eminently just, yet it requires a knowledge of 
scientific physiognomy to understand many of the expressions of 
the human face. 

The adaptability of the human mind is one of the chief fac¬ 
tors in the evolution and upward progress of the race, making 
possible a very high grade of mental and physical development; in 
short, conducing to human perfection, a condition which I believe 
to be the ultimate destiny of humanity on this planet. An edu¬ 
cated conscience is better able to apprehend and imitate tire 
highest ideal of justice and honor than is the same faculty left to its 
natural mode of action. It is a conscientious sense of duty which 
leads religious fanatics to throw themselves under the wheels of the 
car of Juggernaut; yet the same conscience, educated and trained, 
would abhor the sacrifice of life. Conscience must be balanced by 
reason to make it of the highest efficiency. 

It is just the same with other faculties. Benevolence must be 
balanced by reason and practicality, else wrong ensues and a really 
good faculty becomes an instrument of evil. 

* Religio Medici, Sir Thomas Browne, M.D., p. 167. 

( 291 ) 


298 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC) PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Many of the prevalent Art-ideas in regard to what constitutes 
true beauty are so false and far removed from Nature and normality 
that it is difficult for people to regard as immoral any appearance 
which Art stamps as beautiful. Art does not profess to be a reve- 
lator of Nature and of character, only an imitation of it; hence, we 
are necessarily obliged to resort to science for our interpretation of 
Nature’s phenomena. Art has never given us the key to character, 
for it does not deal with vital interior principles. 

In the description of signs in the face, I will state at the out¬ 
set that the facial signs of character are the same in man as in 
woman, and that man does not possess a greater number of mental 
faculties than woman. Woman is a more perfected creation than 
man and is higher, by reason—first, of quality, or fineness of organ¬ 
ization, and, secondly, because she possesses two more functions than 
man, viz., gestation and lactation. 

The popular idea ascribes to man the possession of a distinct¬ 
ive mental construction, for the reason that he makes greater use 
of a certain set of faculties, viz., the logical, to the exclusion of 
another set,—the emotional. 

Woman has lived so long and so exclusively in her emotional 
nature, in her feelings, sentiments, and affections, and has so long 
and persistently ignored reason and logic, that it has come to be 
generally understood that the female mind does not possess the 
same number or kind of traits which distinguish man’s intellect. 
Because man’s head is larger it is argued that he is superior. Now, 
the idea that his head is larger than woman’s is a fallacy. Man’s 
head, in proportion to his larger body, is not larger than woman’s, 
in proportion to her smaller body; so here a balance is at once 
struck in regard to size. 

Now, in regard to the possession of the same number of 
mental traits. I have never observed a man who possessed a 
single faculty which was not common alike to woman. 

The fact that man has developed his muscles until they are 
enormous in size, and that woman has used hers so little as to be 
in some instances very small indeed, does not prove that woman 
has no muscles, but only that she has neglected to develop them as 
man has. 

It is just the same with the intellect of the two sexes. Man 
has developed his reason, boldness, will, and courage, and woman 
has cultivated her emotions, weakness, timidity, and modesty, and 
has neglected her logical faculties, will, and courage; thus the 
sexes have become unbalanced,—out of harmony, in a great 
measure,—and until woman cultivates her reason, will, physical 
strength, and courage, and man develops more pure affection, 


LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION OF SIGNS OF CHARACTER. 299 

purity, and modesty, this inharmony will be perpetuated in off¬ 
spring, who will hand down the same unbalanced, inharmonious 
conditions to their posterity, and thus thwart Nature instead of 
working in harmony with her laws. Equilibrium is the law of the 
universe. 

A woman with a logical mind is as womanly in her nature as 
a man is manly who has an affectional nature and who exhibits 
love for his wife and children; hence we may conclude that we 
shall find the signs in the face the same in both sexes, both as re¬ 
gards location and number. There are certain general laics of 
form to be applied to the reading of the physiognomy (and here I 
use the term in its general sense, as pertaining to the entire body), 
a knowledge of which will greatly facilitate a true and accurate 
delineation of character. 

In the first place, the examiner must have knowledge as to 
whether certain appearances of the features and body are congeni¬ 
tal or are the result of accident or disease. Many faces present a 
crookedness of the nose, mouth, eyes, or other features which 
were not thus shaped at birth. In this case the subject must be 
credited with the characteristics which would accompany straight¬ 
ness of the features. Then, too, the voice is often greatly changed 
in tone by disease; this must be ascertained before passing judg¬ 
ment upon vocal indications. The subject should speak a few 
sentences in a natural voice in order that the examiner may use 
his knowledge of sound, in order to distinguish those character¬ 
istics which the voice very greatly assists in revealing. 

To an experienced ear much of the mental calibre will be dis¬ 
closed by hearing a single intonation or sentence. Very much of 
the disposition of physical as well as of sexual states can be also 
understood by the tones produced in speech. All desirous of be¬ 
coming expert in this direction should listen attentively and com¬ 
pare voices and intonations with the forms of the face, features, 
and body, and thus cultivate and develop this most important part 
of physiognomy. Sounds cannot be accurately described by 
writing, that is to say, only generally. Individual peculiarities 
and the innumerable fine shades and grades of vocal expression 
must be studied in each individual case. They cannot be described 
by the pen. 

Gestures are most significant in disclosing character, for where 
they are natural they reveal habitual states of mind and feeling. 
The poise of the head and the way in which one puts down his feet 
in walking are indices of one’s individuality, while the play of the 
muscles about the mouth and eyes are among the most conclusive 
evidences of mental, moral, immoral or affectional characteristics. 


300 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


The form of the human body and face is only one of the many 
indications of human character. The attitude, the movement, the 
walk, the gestures, the handwriting and handshaking, are all in¬ 
dices and exponents of mental traits and physical conditions. A 
skillful and observant person can tell much by the hand and foot 
alone; by the eye very many things are indicated; the nose re¬ 
veals much of the mind and interior of the body; in short, each 
feature has in it many meanings. In the pages which immediately 
follow this the way to discern and locate the signs of the various 
faculties will be explained. 

The use, primarily, of all the functions and faculties is for the 
preservation, protection, and perpetuation of the species. Other 
faculties and powers have aggregated by use and attempts in higher 
directions. Practice increases capacity. There is no doubt that 
the human mind is gradually acquiring more faculties by striving 
after higher knowledge. These, undoubtedly, will be evolved in 
the regular order of progress from the lower to the higher. The 
present age is expanding and strengthening the higher powers of 
the mind; reason is more general among the civilized races than 
in any previous era. As a consequence, superstition is giving way 
to positive scientific truth and demonstration, and theories unsus¬ 
tained by reason and fact are impeached and rejected. 

As the powers of the mind expand, we become cognizant of 
facts in Nature which lower developments failed to perceive and 
could not penetrate. We are gradually, but slowly, becoming 
acquainted with the world we live in, and things which have 
seemed to be the work of supernatural powers are now so well 
understood as to come within the comprehension of school-children, 
and can no longer be used to pander to the ambitions, vices, or 
designs of wicked kings, crafty priests, or unscrupulous politicians. 
Among the most important discoveries, I may mention the science 
of physiognomy, which is destined to play an important part in 
the civilization of the world by unveiling what has been so long a 
mystery to man, viz., Man himself. 

“Physiognomical sensation,” as Lavater designated the innate 
and intuitive conception of character, is common to both men and 
animals. A dog will show by his actions that he understands 
character, and will be instinctively attracted to those who love his 
kind. Babes, who are yet in the stage of animal instinct, will 
attach themselves at sight to those who are fond of children. Men, 
in looking at the faces of others, will be drawn in confidence, or 
repelled by something in the countenance which they cannot define 
or locate exactly. They say of one, “He is a good, square man;” 
or, “He is a sneak and a coward—I can tell it by his face;” and 


LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION OF SIGNS OF CHARACTER. 301 


yet, if you ask them to point out the precise places where they 
discover these traits, they cannot tell you where they are to be 
found. 

The possession of this physiognomical instinct is general, and 
shows not only that the face is understood to be for some other 
purpose than to place the eyes, nose, and mouth conveniently, but 
instinct and intuition as well point to it as the natural record of 
the body and mind—of the real Man himself. The nerves of sen¬ 
sation ramify upon the face and front of the organism, while the 
motory nerves are at the back of the brain. This disposition of 
the nerve forces would cause the face not only to exhibit more of 
the character than any other portion of the body, but would prove 
the fact that the greater the development of the features of the 
face, the greater its power for receiving sensation; thus exhibiting 
more gifted characteristics than where the features are small and 
undeveloped. All human nature attests this fact, and shows that 
the more varied are the features,—the more depressions and eleva¬ 
tions there are in the face,—the greater the variety of character 
is exhibited. A smooth, shining, small-featured, unwrinkled lace 
always discloses a small, unemotional, unthinking, and selfish 
character, of very small capacities. A mail’s real character is 
spread all over him. His voice and walk agree with the shape of 
his body, and reveal his mentality to a degree; but the face sums 
up the whole Man. 

As I have before shown that certain powers are derived from 
the predominance of certain conformations of the organism, and 
are always found accompanying them, it is logical to infer that 
determinate portions of the body sustain and are related to certain 
faculties of the mind. Upon investigation, it will be proved that 
the face is the exact register of all mental faculties and bodily 
functions and conditions. A keen analysis and comparison of the 
development of the organs of the body with the action of the 
faculties, emotions, and sentiments will show that the organs of 
the viscera,—the kidneys, the reproductive system, the liver, the 
intestines, the heart and lungs,—as well as the bones and muscles, 
sustain and are directly related to certain mental faculties. All 
mental faculties have their physical bases from which the mind is 
able to produce thought, emotion, or will. This interaction of the 
mental and physical powers will be explained as we proceed. The 
locality of signs in the face will be here given. The rationale of 
the order of their arrangement will he made apparent as the reader 
progresses. 

As preliminary to the investigation of the signs in the face, a 
recapitulation of the more fundamental principles of form will now 


302 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


be given, in order that the student may make a practical and 
intelligent application of them to the forms and features under 
observation. As some of my readers may not be able to read the 
theoretical or first part of this work, or may desire to proceed at 
once to the second or practical part, this recapitulation of basic 
principles will be of service and opportune in this connection. 

Scientifically considered, the straight outline in bone or muscle 
indicates straightforwardness of action. The curved outline in 
bone or muscle denotes less ability for straight action, but more 
capacity for curvilinear motions and methods. The crooked out¬ 
line of bone or muscle denotes inherent tendencies to crooked, 
tricky, or dishonest dealings. Squareness combined with straight¬ 
ness of the bones indicates the highest degree of moral character, 
heroism, and gratitude. See the faces of George Washington 
and Thomas Jefferson, either of which can be made to fit into a 
rectangular frame. 


Straightness of the muscles denotes truthful propensities, and 
is indicated by straightness of the mouth and eyes, and by the 
roundness of the openings or commissures. 

Crookedness of the muscles denotes untruthfulness and tricky 
methods of dealing in business, also licentious desires and lax 
notions of virtue and of the conjugal relation, with small under¬ 
standing of, or belief in, sexual ethics. 

The four classes of bone, the round and the square, the 
straight and the crooked, reveal four distinct types of character; 
so, also, do the four classes of muscle, the round and the thin, the 
straight and the curved; but as all these principles have been 
elaborated elsewhere, they need only a passing notice here. 

The faculty of Conscientiousness will now be examined, for 
all Nature, human nature included, is based on integrity—equi¬ 
librium; hence, a knowledge of underlying or foundation principles 
must first be comprehended before advance can be made. 


THE FACULTY OF CONSCIENTIOUSNESS. 

Definition. —Honor, honesty, integrity, morality, thorough¬ 
ness, the perception of truth, love of justice, sense of duty; grati¬ 
tude, or sense of favors and benefits conferred; moral courage and 
heroism; love of right and hatred of wrong; the sense which 
causes repentance and consciousness of guilt; truthfulness; capacity 
for comprehending the truths of Nature; the basis of science and 
religion. 

An excess of this faculty causes one to be severe and exacting 
toward others, holding them up to a higher and more rigorous 
standard of morality than they are capable of attaining. It gives 


THE FACULTY OF CONSCIENTIOUSNESS. 


303 


harshness to the character, and, unless tempered by benevolence 
or love of young, makes the individual unloveable, and, although 
his word can be always depended upon, he is better liked in busi¬ 
ness than in the family or social circle. 

A deficiency of Conscientiousness is shown by a lack of 
honesty, truthfulness, virtue, moral courage, heroism, and integrity, 
causing the character to be mean, low, sly, sneakish, thievish, 
untruthful, and lacking gratitude. 

Facial and Bodily Signs. —One of the most conspicuous signs 
of rectitude is shown by that width of the chin which is produced 
by the development of the inferior maxillary or lower jaw-bone, 
below the mouth; also, by general straightness and squareness 
of all the bones of the face and body, together with the manner in 
which the eyes are placed in the head, and their shape and the 
shape of the mouth. Eyes which turn too far downward at the 
outer angle are not strictly truthful; yet many very truthful persons 
exhibit eyes which are curved downward at the outer terminus to 
a certain degree. This, in their case, denotes agreeability, plausi¬ 
bility, and persuasiveness, and can be seen in the physiognomies 
of the most celebrated divines, scientists, and mechanicians; but 
where it exceeds a certain degree, accompanied with a low quality , 
it denotes an agreeable manner of telling falsehoods, as in flattery, 
cajoling, persuading in commercial transactions, as observed often 
in horse-jockeys, lawyers, and salesmen. Eyes which are almond- 
shaped, oblique, or cat-like, and turned upward at the outer angle, 
are crafty and deceitful, as seen often in the characters of the 
Mongolian race. In those animals which present a similar form 
of eye the same characteristics are observed. They are noted for 
slyness, trickery, deceit, treachery, cruelty, ingratitude, and general 
falsity. The tiger, the panther, the fox, the cat, the rat, and the 
entire family of rodents disclose this crooked, dishonest formation 
of the eye. A long and narrow shape of the commissure or open¬ 
ing of the eyelids is held by some physiognomists to indicate a 
lack of sexual morality, an unbridled licentiousness, which is incon¬ 
sistent with sexual ethics or a moral use of the reproductive 
system. This form is observed in many Oriental races who practice 
polygamy,—the Turks, for example; also, in many undeveloped 
peoples, as, for example, among the African, Tahitian, and other 
island races. Among all civilized races, also, are many whose eyes 
disclose this peculiar formation, together with the accompanying 
polygamic traits. The centre of the upper lip, if too greatly 
developed, is one sign of excessive amativeness, and, unless accom¬ 
panied with large conscientiousness and other balancing traits, is 
apt to lead its possessor into a disregard of sexual morality . 


304 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


The capacity for truthfulness is revealed by the shape of the 
mouth , as well as by the form of the eye, for the straightness of the 
muscular system is the basis of one essential department of integ¬ 
rity. Straightness of the mouth is a better indication of the truth¬ 
telling capacity than if it be oblique, distorted, or crooked; that is 
to say, if the crookedness be congenital. Many mouths have 
become changed in form by disease or accident. This should be 
known before passing judgment. Some crooked mouths pervert 
or distort the truth; others are open liars, either silly or malicious, 

according to the other traits 
in combination and influ¬ 
enced by color. 

The color of the eyes , 
hair , and complexion is 
an indication of the general 
integrity or soundness of 
the tissues, hence of the 
capacity of the individual 
to recognize truths, to act 
vigorously in the defense 
of truth, — morality, — re¬ 
form, and to perform heroic 
acts. Very light-colored 
eyes, even with square 
bones, would not be so 
capable of exhibiting moral 
heroism as one with darker 
eyes, yet might be noted 
for simple honesty and 
honorable conduct. Color 
gives vigor, and deep color, 
along with a good, square, 
bony form, often leads to 
very great daring in moral 
movements and in acts of personal heroism and courage. The 
influence of color upon traits is fully explained elsewhere. 

The bodily signs of Conscientiousness are straightness of all 
the bones and muscles, square shoulders, squareness and straight¬ 
ness of all the bones of the legs, arms and fingers, large joints, 
hard bones. Secondary or subordinate signs are seen in good 
color of the eyes, hair, and complexion. Albinos are character¬ 
ized by very defective sense of sight, sound, and scent; hence, 
perfect integrity of these functions and their related faculties is 
lacking. 



Fig. 16.—GEORGE WASHINGTON. 

Principal facial sign of Conscientiousness, width of 
the bony structure of the chin. Born in Virginia, 1732. 
The law of the square, straight line, and angle governs 
this face and body. The mathematical outlay of the 
countenance is rectangular. George Washington stood 
erect, over six feet in height, and exhibited a perfectly 
balanced character. The size of the nose discloses great 
mental ability, being long, Avide, and bony its entire 
length. The signs of Conscientiousness, Firmness, 
Reason, Veneration, Executiveness, Self-will, Form 
and Size, Patriotism, Love of Home, Self-esteem, 
Friendship, Benevolence, Economy, Amativeness, and 
Love of Young are all large in this sublime counte¬ 
nance. He was successful as farmer, surveyor, states¬ 
man, general, and president. No public character has 
ever exhibited greater rectitude than he. 




THE FACULTY OF CONSCIENTIOUSNESS. 


305 


Description of Conscientiousness. —The several sources from 
which the general integrity is derived are fully explained in Part I, 
Chapter V, and it is only necessary here to say that the sign for Con¬ 
scientiousness in the chin denotes the kind of integrity which is ex¬ 
hibited by honesty, honor, gratitude, and moral courage, while the 
truth-telling department of integrity is exhibited in the mouth and 
eyes,—in the muscular system. Indeed, any eye off the straight 
line varies in truthful significance, according to the amount of' its 
deflection from a straight line, running all the way from amiability 
through the various degrees of plausibility , duplicity , deception , 
secretiveness, craft, cunning, 
lying, and cruelty, all of 
which are shown by the shape 
of the eye which deviates 
from a straight line, either 
above or below the line. 

Where the outer corners of 
the eye turn upward , the in¬ 
dications are like those of the 
same shape in the lion, tiger, 
and fox, and like traits will 
he exhibited,—cruelty and 
craft, deceit and cunning; 
but where the outer corner 
curves downward slightly, 
agreeability of speech is al¬ 
ways found. Still farther 
turned downward, they are 
plausible and persuasive, and 
make good salesmen and poli¬ 
ticians. Still farther down¬ 
ward, they indicate untruth¬ 
ful propensities in a great 
degree. Benjamin F. Butler’s 

eyes are more marked in this respect than the eyes of any cele¬ 
brated man that has come under my observation. With a coarse 
quality of structure this form denotes untruthfulness. 

As Conscientiousness gives moral courage, it is the base of 
many heroic acts, and will often lead even delicate women to 
deeds of daring for principle’s sake, and to protect the helpless. 
Joan of Arc and Charlotte Corday are examples of this sort of 

courage. . .. 

Conscientiousness in excess leads to severity and exaction m 

moral conduct and life; it also tends to moial courage. The 

20 



Fig. 17.—CHARLOTTE CUSHMAN. 

The law of the square and straight line is the 
governing principle of this face and character. This 
celebrated American actress was noted for her 
honorable and upright character as well as tor the 
fidelity of her impersonations. Large Conscientious- 
ness gave thoroughness to all she undertook. She 
excelled in tragedy. In her face the dramatic jaw 
is well developed. Ideality, Human Nature, Sub¬ 
limity, Constructiveness, Analysis, Veneration, Self- 
will Memory of Events, Form and Size, Language, 
Approbativeness, Mirthfulness, Friendship, and 
Firmness are all large and her Quality of a high 
grade. 




306 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


pioneers in all departments of advanced thought, in governmental 
and moral reforms, have possessed this faculty largely. The faces 
of Franklin, Jefferson, Jackson, Washington, Paine, John Bright, 
Cobden, William Cobbett, William Lloyd Garrison, Abby Kelly 
Foster, Frances Wright, Lucretia Mott, and all who have dared to 
demand the abolition of unjust laws, and who have contended for 
the establishment of new forms of goverment based on human 
lights, evidence by their physiognomies that Conscientiousness filled 
a large part of their natures. 

Conscientiousness is found most largely developed where the 
bony system predominates, and, as liquids do not affinitize so well 
with this system as with the vegetative and the muscular, there is 
consequently less drunkenness among persons with the bony struc¬ 
ture predominant. Many leaders of the temperance movement 
will be found to possess the bony system in excess. Those who 
have been great drunkards and have reformed, like Gough, and 
Murphy, the leader of the “ Murphy movement,” are men of mus¬ 
cular build, and are held to their pledges through their religious 
associations, and do not depend upon pure Conscientiousness, which 
is found most active with persons of the bony system. 

Conscientiousness is in the domestic group, and does not be¬ 
long to the religious group of faculties. It antedates them in the 
evolution of organs , functions, and faculties , and is of far more 
importance in the human organism, being primarily for the pro¬ 
tection of the purity of the entire body. Conscientiousness is 
related to the kidney system, which both secretes and excretes the 
fluid waste and impurities of the entire body. As 75 per cent, of 
the organism is water, the physiological importance of the organ 
must be apparent at first glance; its moral importance follows as a 
matter of logical sequence. The relation of the various organs of 
the body to the moral and social faculties is explained fully in the 
chapter on “ The Rationale of Physical Functions and their Signs 
in the Face.” 

An excessive development of Conscientiousness makes the 
character harsh, hard, and exacting in moral conduct toward others. 
Those who possess a large share of this trait do not seem to con¬ 
sider how difficult it is for those who are deficient in this respect to 
keep their obligations, live up to their promises, and meet their 
appointments. As well ask a man destitute of the musical sense 
to sing a tune as to expect a boneless, gelatinous individual to be¬ 
come a moral hero. Conscientiousness can be cultivated—in youth, 
particularly—by constant inculcation of the moral sentiments. 
Example speaks louder than words. Let children see that their 
parents are always strict and exact in settling bills, meeting obliga- 


THE FACULTY OF CONSCIENTIOUSNESS. 


307 


tions, and keeping their promises, and they will be inclined to 
follow their example. Children should be taught that they can 
make no compromise with their conscience ; that taking a few nuts 
or an apple from a store or orchard is stealing, just the same as 
if they had taken dollars instead of fruit. Never use the term 
“nipping” for stealing. Such expressions which children and 
parents use to express crime only serve to soften the moral sense 
and disguise the enormity of the act. Had all parents been exact 
in their teachings and example in regard to honesty the peni¬ 
tentiaries would not now be so crowded. Criminals are often born 
criminal as well as trained to evil-doing. God never made any 
man dishonest, but laws not comprehended have been broken, and 
children have been propagated by parents who were unsuited, 
morally and mentally, to mate, and have thus ignorantly pro¬ 
duced unbalanced, dishonest offspring. Ignorance of physiological 
laws is the cause of many wretchedly-constructed children. Had 
right generation been preached as long as has regeneration , I 
believe we should have no need of the latter doctrine. 

Many mock-modest persons think that these subjects are not 
suitable for general discussion, and consider them “vulgar” and 
“filthy.” As God has originally constructed our bodies according 
to law, and evidently expects us to seek and apply these laws, this 
class of persons must hence accuse the Almighty of vulgarity in 
having created a subject which is governed by laws too indecent to 
be spoken of. 

To inculcate honesty for its own sale, and for pure love of it, 
is a high motive, yet all are not capable of comprehending con¬ 
duct based on so altruistic a sentiment, and thus it is that tear of 
punishment and hope of reward are held out in order to induce 
people, both old and young, to conform to one general standard of 
morality. 

Enlightened self-interest goes far toward making people honest, 
for, when reason has begun to work, men find that to be true and 
just in their dealings with each other conduces to the safety and 
happiness of all. As civilized society is now constructed, our lives 
and comfort consist in being sure of the possession of our own 
goods and property, and, unless the sentiment of honesty is general 
and strongly impressed upon all the members of the community, 
man has no guarantee that his earnings and savings will be pro¬ 
jected from plunderers and robbers. 

I have shown formerly that differences of structure and differ¬ 
ences in the proportions of the several tissues in man conduce to 
the several kinds of honor, honesty, truthfulness, and virtue, and 
that speech is produced by the use of the muscular system. We 


308 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


must look to the integrity of that system for its illustration. As 
the reproductive system is mainly within the muscular system, 
we must look to the integrity of that portion of the anatomy 
for the signs for physical purity, virtue, and fidelity to virtuous 
sentiments. 

A fine, square, and straight construction of the bones shows that 
honesty, integrity, sense of justice, and moral courage are present, 
but if with this same structure of bones the muscles are lacking 
in integrity, that is, in strength, and particularly in straightness of 
the mouth and eye , the character for truth-telling will not be as 
strong as where the muscles are also straight. Yet the individual 
thus endowed may be strictly honest in his dealings and pay his 
just dues promptly, that department of his honor being well de¬ 
veloped; but the other,—the muscular or truth-telling depart¬ 
ment,—being crooked or perverted from the normal standard, the 
character suffers accordingly, hence does not exhibit that entire 
and complete integrity which would result if the muscular system 
were inherently as sound as the bony system. Each trait must be 
closely scrutinized and analyzed, and every fine shade and grade 
observed and understood before passing judgment. Great care 
must always be taken to ascertain if the crooked appearances of 
the mouth and eye are congenital, or whether they have been pro¬ 
duced by accident or illness, as is often the case; otherwise, great 
injustice and erroneous reading of character will result. 

Where the muscles about the mouth have caused that feature 
to assume a crooked or one-sided appearance, the truth-telling pro¬ 
pensity is feeble as compared to those in whom these features are 
perfectly straight , and where the eyes are set true in their orbits, 
and where the commissures are perfectly round. 

One mode of discerning the grade of sexual morality in an 
individual is to observe whether the muscles of the legs are straight 
or crooked. Where the legs are crooked f rom the knee downward 
and bent outioard , the character is licentious, with but feeble ideas 
of virtue or very little principle in sexual matters. (The sign for 
Amativeness will in these subjects be correspondingly large.) In 
fact, the meaning of sexual ethics is not understood by such people, 
who will seek to gratify the sexual instinct whenever and wherever 
possible, without scruple. 

The bow-legged individual must not be confounded with the 
former, for in the case of bow-legs the curvation is from the thigh 
downward and outward the entire length of the leg, and has been 
caused by want of lime in the bones, or from having stood before 
the bones were sufficiently matured. 

Square bones and straight features of the face, together with 


THE FACULTY OF CONSCIENTIOUSNESS. 


309 


straightness of all the limbs, denote all kinds of integrity, that is 
to say, truthfulness, honesty, honor, principle, and monogamic love, 
or inclination to love one at a time, and to be true to the marital 
obligations. 

In expounding Conscientiousness, the consideration of many 
systems and principles must come before us. The circumstance 
of color has its weight in deciding upon the power or weakness of 
the moral sentiments. Given an individual in whom the sign for 
Conscientiousness in the chin is most decided and the eyes very 
light , the character will not possess the high grade of honesty and 
honor that it would were the eyes blue or black and the com¬ 
plexion well colored, for color gives power and soundness to every 
tissue, as I have repeatedly remarked. The lack of color denotes 
relative feebleness of the tissues, hence of their power to exhibit 
the highest degree of principle and conduct. All these principles 
must be weighed and their due effect upon character comprehended, 
else a very one-sided or partial delineation will be given and thus 
prove very unsatisfactory and erroneous. 

These several and diverse bases of moral conduct have never 
been put forward in any work on metaphysics, theology, or phre¬ 
nology. The capacity for truthfulness, honor, and honesty have 
all been ascribed to one mental faculty , located in the brain. If 
this faculty had but one base, then those who were honest and 
paid their debts would be also equally scrupulous in speaking the 
truth and would be also virtuous and pure in sexual matters, but 
that this is not the case every man’s experience assures him. 
Many persons who lead immoral, licentious lives are strictly honest 
in paying their debts, and often from principle in that direction. 
Many merchants like to have the patronage of lewd women be¬ 
cause they say they can depend upon them for payment of obliga¬ 
tions. This principle is acted upon by many without going into 
the philosophy of it, for in a court of justice the word of the 
most licentious men will be taken and receive as much credence 
as the word of the most virtuous matron or maid. 

The more we investigate Nature’s laws the more we shall be¬ 
come convinced that all her indications are self-revealing, and need 
only to be observed to be understood. Straight outlines reveal 
straight character ; crooked outlines , crooked characters ; square 
outlines reveal squareness of conduct, and this labelling of all 
creatures in the world saves us a deal of trouble when once we 
become conversant with Nature’s laws and methods. 

Many persons who have not thought nor observed much on 
the subject of physiognomy hold the opinion that a knave and 
trickster can easily conceal his real character by arranging his 


310 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

features in such manner as to imitate and appear like an honest, 
truthful person. How impossible this is when viewed by the 
light of science the following extract from Lavater will show. He 
observes:— 

One of the most usual and strong objections against physiognomy is 
the universality and excess of dissimulation among mankind. These, it is 
said, make all possible efforts to appear wiser, better, and honester than in 
reality they are. They affect the behavior, the voice, the appearance of the 
most rigorous virtue. This is a part of their art, and I declare that as it is 
art and not Nature they could not sustain the role consecutively, for there 
would be times when they would be off their guard and expose their real 
character, even if the natural contours and outlines did not expose them. 

Also:— 

They study to deceive till the}?- are able to remove every doubt, de¬ 
stroy every suspicion, that is entertained of their worth. Men of the most 
acute penetration, the greatest understanding, and even those who have ap¬ 
plied themselves to the study of physiognomy, daily are and still continue 
to be deceived by their arts. How, therefore, may physiognomy be reduced 
to a true and certain science ? I am ready to grant it is possible to carry 
the art of dissimulation to an astonishing degree of excess, and by this art 
the most discerning man may be amazingly deceived. But, although I most 
freely grant all this, I still hold this objection against the certainty of 
physiognomy to be infinitely less important than some believe, and this, 
principally, for the two following reasons :— 

1. There are many features or parts of the body which are not sus¬ 
ceptible of dissimulation. 

2. Because dissimulation has itself certain and sensible tokens, thouofh 
they may not be definable by lines or words. What man, for example, how¬ 
ever subtle, would be able to alter the conformation of his bones according 
to his pleasure ? Can any man give himself, instead of a flat, a bold and 
arched forehead, or a sharp, indented forehead, when Nature has given him 
one arched and round ? Who can change the color and position of his eye¬ 
brows ? Can any man bestow on himself thick, bushy eyebrows when they 
are either thin or wholly deficient of hair ? Can any fashion the flat and 
short into the well-proportioned and beautiful nose ? Who can make his lips 
thin or his lips thick ? Who can change a round into a pointed or a pointed 
into a round chin ? Who can alter the color of his eyes, or give them at 
his pleasure more or less lustre ? Where is the art, where the dissimulation, 
that can make the blue eye brown, the gray one black, or, if it be flat, give 
it rotundity? 

An irascible man, however mild, however calm or placid a mien he 
may assume, cannot alter the color and lowering of his eye, the nature and 
curling of his hair, or the situation of his teeth. 

It will still be objected that enough remains of the exterior parts of 
man which are capable of dissimulation in a very high degree. Granted; 
but we cannot grant that it is impossible to detect such dissimulation, for 
I believe that there is no kind of dissimulation but has its certain and sensible 
tokens , though they may not be definable by lines and words. 

The fault is not in the object but in the observer.* 


* Lavater’s Essays, pp. 83, 84, 85. 


THE FACULTY OF CONSCIENTIOUSNESS. 811 

The last sentence of Lavater explains a great deal. If as 
much observation were put into the study of the human face 
as is given to a score of useless, fashionable accomplishments, it 
would be no longer the profound mystery that it is, and rogues 
and villains would stand unmasked before the gaze of all, and in 
order to associate with honest citizens would be obliged to amend 
their lives or be shunned as are vicious beasts and venomous ser¬ 
pents, whose physiognomy is understood and consequently serves 
as a warning to people to u stand off” or be bitten. Children even 
are governed by the appearance of the physiognomy in their deal¬ 
ings with animals. As proof I offer the following: A little girl 
living in the Santa Cruz Mountains once told me that when she 
saw a snake with a head pointed like an earth-worm she was not 
afraid of it, but when she met one with a broad, flat head she took 
a stick and killed it, for that sort were poisonous. If people were 
as much on their guard against the low, broad, flat-headed human 
serpents whom they meet, they would not be so often stung by 
them, for form here, as elsewhere in Nature, carries the same 
meaning that it does in the snake, viz., secretiveness, destructive¬ 
ness, revenge, low instincts, bad temper, and very little, if any, 
Conscien tiousness. 

Where Conscientiousness is large it will influence all the other 
faculties, and will assist in producing thoroughness in all that one 
undertakes. It gives a great deal of force and courage in moral 
movements, and to the unskilled reader of character seems often to 
be combativeness or egotism, so earnest and forcible are its mani¬ 
festations. Many delicate women, without a particle of true com¬ 
bative force, will push forward a great moral movement, such, for 
example, as the temperance cause or labor reform, with a vigor 
and boldness which resembles combativeness, but which is the 
effect of large Conscientiousness. When associated with Credenc- 
iveness and Veneration it will lead the infirm even to deeds which 
endanger life. 

Each faculty, when largely developed, exhibits great power, 
and Self-will, when very large, throws out a force which is as 
palpable and tangible to the sensitive as is the presence of any 
material object. Large Conscientiousness makes itself felt in 
every company and community, and villains stand rebuked in the 
presence of those who are endowed with a large share of moral 
force and courage. 

Integrity, rectitude, and moral sense are exhibited in varying 
degrees in many of the higher animals. The horse and dog are 
notable examples of its action. Indeed, some of these creatures 
have exhibited a higher grade of morality than many savage tribes, 


312 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


and would put to blush many human beings who have had the ad¬ 
vantage of church and school education. Monuments have been 
erected in various cities in memory of the fidelity to a trust or 
faithful attachment of dogs to their masters. The most honor and 
honesty among animals is exhibited by those whose bony sys¬ 
tems predominate , and among these classes the square-boned 
ones are the most honorable. Compare, for example, a square¬ 
boned mastiff with the round-boned fox, and you will have a fair 
understanding of the relative degree of honesty revealed by these 
two diverse forms and structures. 

THE FACULTY OF FIRMNESS. 

“Come one, come all. this rock shall fly 
From its firm base as soon as I.” 

Definition. —Stability, perseverance, resolution, pertinacity, 
fixed methods; steady, persistent action; decision, endurance, 
courage, fortitude. 

Excess of Firmness results in stubbornness and unreasoning 
dogmatism, and produces a hard, obdurate, unlovely character. 

Deficiency of Firmness creates a vacillating, shifting, change¬ 
able disposition, without perseverance or capacity to carry plans 
and works to a finality. It makes one seem cowardly, and the 
lack of a developed chin has always something in it suggestive of 
inferiority, for no animal has a chin, and when the human being 
is greatly lacking in this respect he possesses the unstable character 
of an inferior animal. 

Facial and Bodily Signs. —The most decisive facial sign of 
Firmness is the length downward and forward of the chin. Other 
facial signs are projecting cheek-bones and a square, bony forehead. 
A predominance of the bony system affords the best illustration 
of this faculty, and the bodily signs are shown by large bones and 
joints, long and square-boned hands and fingers, prominent 
knuckles, and flat, bony feet. 

The sign in the chin is the most reliable facial evidence of 
perseverance and steadfastness. A receding chin shows a decided 
lack of this faculty. 

Description of Firmness. —As this faculty is caused by a fine 
development of the bony system, we shall find its principal sign in 
the length downward and forward of the lower jaw-bone. Where 
the bones of the lower jaw are long and broad, we may be sure 
that the osseous system is one of the chief systems of the body; 
hence, the capacity for firm, unyielding, persistent action will be 
present. The force evolved from the action of this trait represents 


THE FACULTY OF FIRMNESS. 


313 


a certain kind of will-power or determination, yet is not pure 
Self-will. This faculty is derived from the muscular system, and 
will be described hereafter. Firmness must not be confounded 
with the former, for its methods of action, as well as its origin, are 
quite different, and after analyzing the two one would never con¬ 
found them. 

Firmness is a quiet, persistent force which carries, measures, 
and pursues plans in a calm, patient, and continuous manner, with¬ 
out noisy demonstration. It gives to the character the power to 
follow a purpose or plan with fidelity until it is accomplished, and 
those possessing it largely will keep the mind fixed upon a plan 
for years, and carry it out successfully to the end; even if great 
and innumerable obstacles intervene in the meantime, they will 
again and again return to the plan or purpose, and are never 
satisfied until the object is achieved. The faces of all persons who 
have made their mark in the world in any great enterprise disclose 
this sign in the face. 

The bull-dog among animals is an excellent illustration of ' 
this trait, and exhibits in his physiognomy and bony build the 
unfailing signs for persistency. The ass and mule are examples 
of the perversion of this faculty. In these creatures we find an 
excessive development of bone , hence an excess or perversion of 
firmness, which results in obstinacy, contrariness, mulishness, per¬ 
versity, dogged obstinacy, and unreasonableness. In contrast to 
these animals, both in character and formation, we find the several 
deer tribes, as, for example, the red deer, the fallow deer, the 
wapiti, and the roebuck. These animals have relatively less 
muscle than bone, and present in the contour of their jaws a most 
decided difference from that of the ass and bull-dog, the fox, and 
sheep. These animals are possessed of little firmness or persistency, 
and present entirely different characteristics and bodily formation 
from the first-mentioned animals. 

Those persons whose lower jaws exhibit an excess of bone 
are like the mule and bull-dog in character, and, like these creatures, 
always show a desire to hold back and dissent from views and 
plans which would benefit them, if adopted, but which are opposed 
spontaneously and without cause by those who possess this excess 
of bone and obstinacy. When questioned as to the reason for 
this opposition, they reply, 44 Oh, I just felt that way.” They have 
no reason to offer, and this answer reveals the natural and instinctive 
action of the perversion of this most useful and moral faculty. 

Firmness assists all other traits, whether of the intellect or 
moral nature; so, also, does it assist the rogue in his wickedness, 
but, as the osseous system is not conducive to immorality, we shall 


314 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


rarely find any very hardened villains with this system dominant. 
Many rogues become such through lack of bone and chin, for, 
not possessing sufficient stable and firm material in their physiques 
to enable them to persevere in any steady course, they drift into 
crime; and herein is another proof ol the moral nature of bone, 
for many professional pickpockets and shoplifters are destitute of a 
good, square , bony organization , and are long and slim, sleek and 
sinuous, like the dishonest classes of prowling animals, such as the 
coon, the fox, the opossum, the rat, and cat. These sneakish rogues 
are destitute in most cases of a real chin, or, at most, have a very 
narrow or receding one. The reader is not to understand that a 

receding chin is the sign of 
a roguish nature; it indi¬ 
cates the lack of firmness, 
and firmness is’ the founda¬ 
tion of reliable , stable 
character. Many amiable, 
generous, and truthful 
people lack chin develop¬ 
ment, but where it is both 
receding and narrow the 
character has no foundation 
in integrity and persever¬ 
ance, without which no one 
can be said to be truly 
honest or honorable. A 
rogue, such as is spoken 
of above, exhibits the signs 
of his knavish character 
all over him, and lack of 
firmness or chin is only 
one of the many signals 
of warning which he holds 
out in order that we may avoid his neighborhood. The location 
of the local sign of Firmness in the face is highly significant, and 
announces its importance to the entire mental and bodily organi¬ 
zation. Its nearest neighbor is Conscientiousness (shown by 
width of the bony structure of the chin). It is also adjoining 
Economy, Benevolence, Love of Home and Country, and forms 
the foundation of the face, and assists in creating outlines of 
strength and beauty. No one can be considered beautiful who 
lacks chin development, no matter how perfect in form and 
rich in color the countenance may be; a defect here neutralizes all 
other appearances. 



Fig. 18.—ANNA DICKINSON. 

Principal facial sign, Firmness. This lady, by her 
indomitable perseverance, rose from a humble position 
to that of the first female orator of the world. Her face 
expresses Firmness, Conscientiousness, Force, Courage, 
Self-esteem, Approbativeness, Language, Memory of 
Events, Friendship, Hope, Analysis. Her quality is fine, 
and the color of .her eyes and hair shows intensity of 
feelings and dramatic fervor. Her literary style is 
clear, decided, and energetic. She is a radical reformer, 
fearless and honorable. 



THE FACULTY OF FIRMNESS. 


315 


All undeveloped, immature persons, such as infants and imbe¬ 
ciles, are lacking in firmness, hence, of chin. All undeveloped 
races, such as the Negro, Mongolian, etc., disclose a lack of chin 
development, as well as of stability and perseverance. Many 
animals—the ape tribes, for example—possess no sign for firmness, 
neither in their physiognomies nor in their general formation; for 
they are similar to the natural sneak and pickpocket, slim and 
sinuous, without any bones that are perceptible, and they are thus 
enabled by virtue of their build to be mischievous and tricky; 
unlike the horse and dog, 
whose bones project from 
every portion of their 
bodies, and who are rela¬ 
tively honest, reliable, and 
steady. 

Firmness is an attri¬ 
bute only of developed 
races and individuals. Man 
is the only being endowed 
with a chin. The length 
of the chin is one of the 
facial indications of the 
bony structure, and in com¬ 
bination with Conscien¬ 
tiousness (width of chin) is 
the base of the heroic. 

Indeed, Conscientiousness 
is the primal cause of moral 
action ; true heroism could 
spring from no other mo¬ 
tive. Firmness gives the 
power for fidelity to 'prin¬ 
ciple, truth, and justice. 

Conscientiousness needs the 
aid of this trait to give it 

persistent and consistent action. The chin is the seat of heroic 
character, which depends upon the firm and substantial nature of 
bone for its support. 

A certain writer on physiognomy—Redfield—has given the 
chin as the locality for the signs of Amativeness. He certainly 
could not have considered the nature of bone in this connection. 
We do not love rvitli our bones. Love signs are found predomi¬ 
nating in those who are the most emotional and impressible, and 
bony persons are just the opposite of this. Muscle and fat 



Fig. 19. 

Principal facial sign, Firmness, shown by length 
and forward projection of tlie chin. This fine profile of 
George Washington illustrates well the faculty of Firm¬ 
ness. It was owing to his undaunted perseverance, firm 
and honorable conduct that the United States became 
an independent government. With less chin he could 
not have succeeded as he did. The profile exhib ts his 
Firmness, Executiveness, Veneration, Self-will, and 
practical slope of the forehead to good advantage. 
He was noted more for honorable, firm conduct and 
general practicality than for brilliancy of intellect. 
Although he possessed an excellent mental endowment, 
it Avas more in the direction of practical affairs than 
literature, yet his style of writing was terse, clear, 
strong, and direct. The splendor of his character was 
not tarnished by any weakness. 


are 


316 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


more easily acted upon than bone, and the physiognomical sign 
of love will be found in the muscles of the face, just as love is found 
more largely developed in emotional, muscular people. Muscular , 
dimpled chins , it is true, disclose love signs. They also show rela¬ 
tively less firmness. A dimpled chin tells us that the muscular 
system is in the ascendency, or that it is one of the principal sys¬ 
tems in the persons exhibiting it; while prominent and broad, 
bony chins announce the dominance of the osseous system, together 
with the accompanying traits of Firmness and Conscientiousness. 
Bone shows more of integrity and endurance ; muscle, more of the 
will, of art capacities, and affectional nature. Length of chin indi¬ 
cates perseverance and calm, firm, persistent action, rather than 
what is termed “ will-power.” This exhibits itself in sudden out¬ 
bursts of violent temper, and as suddenly subsides. The long, 
broad and fleshy, vegetative chin must not be confounded with the 
former. Its indications are quite different, for the latter usually 
denotes commonplace or stupid minds. This distinction must be 
thoroughly understood. The nature of bone, like that of rock, 
offers a steady resistance and pressure, and large firmness is the 
result of a large development of the bony system. Muscle has a 
reactive property, and Will-power is based on and exhibited by 
muscular movements purely, just the same as are most of the other 
emotions. 

Firmness is one of the most sustaining powers of the mental 
as well as physical organization. In long-continued illness, as well 
as in the severe crises of disease, no faculty, not even Hope, so 
sustains and upholds the patient. Anomalous as it may seem, it 
conquers by submitting and enduring. It gives the power for self- 
control and self-denial, which are so essential in every enterprise 
where success is desired; and Self-control is almost an omniscient 
faculty. Use it as we will, whether to stem the course of a disease 
and oppose steadily by firm and reliant will, or whether in a battle 
for human rights in the great reforms which shake the world to its 
centre, or whether used in pushing forward great, material enter¬ 
prises, this faculty is the one of all others most needed. 

The world is plentifully supplied with geniuses without 
Firmness, who, through lack of this faculty, will never be heard 
of as such. Examine the faces of all men and women who have 
led the world in great moral or material movements, and we shall 
find in every instance a full development of Firmness. A person 
must be possessed of the most transcendent genius to achieve 
a name and success without a fair share of this characteristic. 
There may be such, but I have never observed a physiognomy 
of any one who has by personal merit achieved great success 


THE FACULTY OF FIRMNESS. 


317 


in life who was greatly deficient in this strong and enduring trait. 
Great and powerful as this trait is, it must be balanced by reason 
and conscience to make it most effective, else it degenerates into 
obstinacy, which is allied to stupidity,as in the ass and mule; or 
savage ferocity, as in the bull-dog. All faculties need balance to 
make them of the highest efficiency, and all well-balanced char¬ 
acters require sufficient stability and continuity of purpose to make 
them harmonious and beautiful. 

The signs for Firmness may be seen all over the individual in 
whom the osseous system is supreme. Yet one of the most reliable 
facial signs is the one given in the length of the chin or lower jaw¬ 
bone. A good physiognomist may tell, by the enlarged joints of 
the fingers and by the projection of the wrist-joints, or by the bony 
ankle, projecting heel, or long, narrow, and flat foot, that Firmness 
is present, for these are all signs of the supremacy of the bony 
system, and this trait is one of its chief attributes. 

The faculty of Firmness is exhibited in all of Nature’s works ; 
in the unyielding positions of the rocks and trees; in the steady, 
persistent action and movement of the heavenly bodies, as well as 
in the fixedness of the laws rgulating the seasons and the tides; 
and all the constantly recurring natural phenomena tell us that 
Firmness is in harmony with those natural and eternal principles 
which have their foundations in the very nature of the universe. 

There are varying degrees of Firmness observable in different 
characters. Some faces exhibit very little of the power to stick to 
anything, while others disclose a force in this direction most extra¬ 
ordinary. Where this trait is well developed, in combination with 
“ Self-will,” the character will be most unyielding, obdurate, and 
impossible to change, and unless accompanied with other controll¬ 
ing and modifying traits, such as Benevolence, Conscientiousness, 
or a strong affectional nature, the character will be irremediably 
hard and tyrannical. Fortunately, we rarely find this combination. 

Those undertaking a serious study of physiognomy must learn 
to calculate the degree of control which each development of this 
trait will have upon other faculties in combination in every case 
observed. A good, broad, and long, bony chin may be covered by 
and surrounded with fat, and, in this case, Firmness will be tem¬ 
pered by the softer feelings, and, if the individual is very fat, the 
quality of Firmness will be modified; the activity of this faculty 
will not be so great as where there is much less fatty tissue, for a 
great mass of fat impedes and puts obstacles in the way of persist¬ 
ent, plodding methods. All these various differences in com¬ 
bination must be observed and summed up in the reading of a 
character before a true and just verdict can be rendered. 


318 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


THE FACULTY OF ECONOMY. 



Definition. —Frugality; saving, prudent, and common-sense 
use of materials, strength, and time ; judicious expenditure of 
money; wise plans for managing the household or business in 
such a manner as to live within one’s means ; opposed in its nature 
and action to both parsimony and extravagance. 

The physiological action ot Economy is shown by a well- 
nourished body, which contains a sufficient store ol vital materials 

to meet any uncommon 
demands upon it, as in 
protracted labor, long-con¬ 
tinued sickness, or old age. 

An excessive develop¬ 
ment of Economy creates 
a spirit of littleness, mean¬ 
ness, parsimony, niggard¬ 
liness, and miserliness. The 
pinched face, thin lips, and 
shriveled aspect of noted 
misers reveal the utter 
poverty of their bodies, as 
well as the lack of a bal¬ 
anced and sound judg- 

Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, N. Y. ^ e 111 


Fig. 20.— JOSEPH H. CHOATE. (Ambassador, 
Lawyer, Lecturer.) 

Principal facial sign of Economy, development of 
adipose tissue under the chin and lower cheeks. 
The law of the straight line and square governs this 
face. This modest and intellectual face discloses the 
faculty of Economy. Conscientiousness led him to 
value time, opportunity, talent, friends and money, 
and to carefully use it. Patriotism is also highly 
developed. Conscientiousness, Firmness, Friendship, 
Language, Veneration, Executiveness, Reason, and 
Benevolence are all well defined. His style of argu¬ 
ment in speaking was clear, logical and persuasive. 
His addresses on “Abraham Lincoln,’’ “Education in 
America,” “Admiral Farragut,” and others, are in¬ 
teresting, instructive and entertaining as well. 


A deficiency of Econ¬ 
omy tends to prodigality, 
dissipation, injudicious use 
of money, time, and oppor¬ 
tunities, and a want of 
appreciation of all the 
conservative forces of life, 
such as friends, home, and 
health; for he who has 
not sufficient 'wisdom to 
conserve his means usually lacks ability to protect his health, or 
to value friends and worldly opportunities. 

Facial and Bodily Signs .—The physiological base of Econ¬ 
omy is found in the action of the glandular system, which stores 
up adipose tissue for any unusual demand which may be made 
upon it; hence, the most decisive signs are shown by the develop¬ 
ment of that tissue in close contiguity to the mouth and chin. 
One very noticeable sign is the “ dew-lap,” a peculiar fold of fat 
and muscle under the chin, so called from its resemblance to the 


THE FACULTY OF ECONOMY. 


319 


neck of the cow and ox, whose well-stored bodies show the saving , 
storing principle of physical economy. Other facial signs of the 
saving disposition are known by fullness of the cheeks below the 
signs for Alimentiveness. These signs point to the physical phase 
merely of this faculty. One very conspicuous mental sign is seen 
in a slight projection forward of the chin, also in width of its bony 
structure. A well-nourished and well-balanced body is a secondary 
sign, while a thin, impoverished body, with a shriveled, pinched, 
wrinkled and juiceless-looking face, denote a lack of this most 
useful trait. The physiognomies of many great misers present this 
appearance. The lack of sustaining power in the bodily functions 
deprives them of good, 
sound judgment in regard 
to the care and use of their 
bodies; hence, they starve 
themselves under the mis¬ 
taken notion that they are 
saving something. 

Another facial evi¬ 
dence of the presence of 
the saving faculty is shown 
by a small, narrow mouth, 
with the upper canine 
teeth overlapping, as seen 
in the rat, the squirrel, and 
other rodents. This form 
of feature denotes both the 
acquisitive and saving pro¬ 
pensities. It discloses the 
desire to gain by littles, 
sometimes dishonestly or 
by begging or hinting, etc., 
as well as by the love of 
hoarding up all sorts of 
things, each individual showing a special liking for one class of 
objects, yet all evincing a desire to hoard, apparently for the mere 
love of possession. Hoarding up materials without having any 
design of using them is the perversion of Economy. . Using them 
with sense and judgment is the normal action of this faculty and 
function. 

Description of Economy. —We often hear the expression, “ the 
wonderful economy of Nature,” as if Nature were obliged to be 
niggardly of her forces and materials in order that every require¬ 
ment of the world and of the human family should be met. 



Fig. 21.—BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. 

Principal facial sign, Economy. The law of the 
square, straight line, and true curve governs this face. 
Benjamin Franklin was noted for his large Conscien¬ 
tiousness, Reason, and Patriotism. His balanced intel¬ 
lect led him to be a great economist both in small and 
great matters. His signs for Economy, Love of Home 
and of Young are well defined. Friendship, Self-es¬ 
teem, Language, Mirthfulness, Executiveness, Self-will, 
Analysis, Reason, and Constructiveness are very large. 
He was an inventor, a good mechanic, a discoverer, a 
fine statesman and writer, a patriot, and philanthropist. 


320 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Although Nature is most bountifully generous in her gifts to all, 
she is so by reason of not allowing anything to go to waste; all 
her productions are of use. A wise, prudent, and well-balanced 
man imitates Nature by saving that he may be generous, for it is 
only by thus doing that he is enabled to have anything to use in 
time of great need, or to give to those less able to save. Now, this 
principle of Nature is wonderfully manifested in man’s organism, 
as are indeed all of the fundamental principles of the universe, and 
all fundamental laws of man’s mind have a physical base, that is, 
are related directly to some bodily function from which their 
ability is derived. The primitive principles of man’s organism 
manifest themselves in primitive tissues; accordingly, we should 
expect to find a storing-up function and faculty most developed or 
primarily receiving its impulse and power from that source which 
originates and manufactures, so to speak, the blood and tissues of 
the entire human organism, viz., from the glandular system. 

This system is usually most active in childhood, and all healthy 
infants exhibit many of the physical , facial signs of economy in a 
very marked manner, not only about the mouth, cheeks and neck, 
but all over the entire body, thus showing by this development of 
the softer tissues that Nature has stored away sufficient vital 
material to meet the exacting demands of teething, and all the 
numerous ailments to which children in civilized life are subject. 
Old age also furnishes another striking example of the conserving 
power of Nature, for, as men and women approach the grand 
climacteric of fifty years of age, Nature again commences the 
storing up process, and both men and women, almost universally, 
have stored up sufficient extra tissue to enable them to keep up 
the normal standard of temperature, and also to aid them in 
meeting any demands which may be made upon their .organism 
by disease or by the increased feebleness and infirmities of old 
age. It is thus that Nature provides mankind with the necessary 
materials with which to meet all the usual crises and emergencies 
of life from the cradle to the grave. A wonderful manifestation 
of her marvellous powers of economy, conservation, bounty, and 
generosity! 

Now, having elaborated the idea of the physical base of what 
might seem a purely mental trait (as the mind is usually conceived 
of by the masses), I shall now proceed to show how the best-nour¬ 
ished and best-balanced bodies produce the wisest and most prudent 
plans for the economical use, disbursement, and distribution of 
materials. 

It is a fact, patent to all observers, that all ill-proportioned 
persons, whether they be distinguished by grossness or an over- 


THE FACULTY OF ECONOMY. 


321 


development of adipose tissue, on tlie one hand, or whether they 
lack a normal supply of this element, or if they he characterized 
by great angularity (caused by over-development of bone and a 
disproportion of the softer elements, such as fat and muscle), on 
the other hand, do not occupy positions where the wise and 
judicious use of means on a large scale is demanded, for the 
reason that their minds, like their bodies, are out of proportion; 
hence, the highest talent in the direction of laying out money or 
using material resources is lacking in these classes. Men of broad 
and sound judgment are never characterized by disproportioned 
bodies, but, like Benjamin Franklin and George Peabody, and other 
noted conservators, are noted for a certain degree of symmetry or 
harmony in their physical and mental structures. Now, unless 
Nature has in the first place endowed one with the possibilities of 
a well-proportioned body, it is not to be expected that he will 
develop such symmetry of body and mind as will enable him to be 
eminent in the management of material or mental resources. The 
bodies and faces of misers reveal the inharmony, disproportion, and 
angularity or one-sidedness of their make-up, and this one-sidedness 
is shown by the smallness of their ideas, the narrowness of their 
lives, their utter lack of influence upon their friends and in their 
community, and by their illiberality in every thought and deed. 
Most of them are narrow-minded, and all lack the social feelings 
which are so pronounced in men of breadth; the domestic nature 
is deficient, and although some of them have, at certain periods 
of their lives, exhibited considerable mental ability, yet the manner 
of their living, by denying themselves the most ordinary comforts, 
and living without the practice of the social and domestic virtues 
and obligations, proves the poverty and inharmony of their 
minds. 

As a normal or balanced degree of Economy discloses a normal 
or balanced condition of mind, so an excessive amount of this trait 
announces a deficiency of other traits for which this is in some sort a 
compensation. The sign shown by a slight elongation of the bone of 
the chin I have observed in many worthy characters. Where this is 
conspicuous, it is caused by a combination of Conscientiousness 
and Firmness, and arises from a conscientious desire on the part 
of the subject to preserve from destruction any thing ol any value 
whatsoever, while Firmness gives continuity. Now, most persons 
who present this sign have generally some difficulty in acquiring, 
for which this trait is the compensation. One may be slow in his 
movements, hence not able to compete successfully with the more 
capable. Another may have fewer tastes to gratify, hence has 

less mental energy to put forth in acquiring, and Nature gives as 

21 


322 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


a substitute the faculty of holding on to and storing up little by 
little small gains, thus preserving this class from want and destitu¬ 
tion. I have observed characters, in whom the saving principle 
was most decided, who were able to earn little as compared with 
many others, and yet, by reason of their more simple tastes and 
habits, had more means laid up at the year’s end than those who 
earned many times as much. 

True Economy is not meanness nor parsimony. It is only by 
practicing it that we are able to be generous or benevolent. Spend¬ 
thrifts are never able to give for the reason that they have nothing 
laid up for emergencies. Prodigals of health have never any 
strength to impart to others. It is only the prudent conservator 
of both means and health who is able to benefit and bless mankind 
by his strength and resources. 

Acquisitiveness is not Economy. It is a distinct faculty pro¬ 
ceeding from a distinct base, viz., from the muscular system. 
One may have great power to acquire and very little ability to save 
his acquisitions. This is so well understood that we often hear 
business men say, “ Oh, it’s all very easy to get money, but it’s 
not so easy to keep it.” Economy, in its mental aspect, is an or¬ 
dinance of Nature, impelling us to store up for the future, for old 
age, for sickness, and all the emergencies of life. Acquisitiveness 
is never satisfied, while Economy derives constant gratification 
from every act which tends to save, by self-denial of luxuries, etc. 

The primitive facial and bodily signs of Economy are most 
conspicuous in childhood, and are observed in the soft tissues. 
The mental signs, particularly the sign in the chin, are not so promi¬ 
nent in youth, for the reason that the mind, the intelligence, has 
not been put into operation, hence has made no impression upon the 
features; neither has the osseous structure of the chin reached its 
ultimate form and development. After a long course of years spent 
in petty cares and small savings an impression is made upon the 
face, and shows by very fine wrinkles lying in every direction. A 
well-balanced mind is able to use all its resources with prudence 
and judgment; this is a high phase of Economy, for true Econ¬ 
omy wisely conserves health, and is thus enabled to bend all the 
energies of the mind to useful and benevolent endeavor. 

Common sense in the management of one’s means and oppor¬ 
tunities is a part of true Economy, and proceeds from a develop¬ 
ment of this part of the mental equipment. Misers, and those 
who possess an excess of Economy, starve the body and thus 
weaken the mental powers, under the mistaken notion that they are 
saving something. A true economist provides good, nourishing 
food, knowing that by this course he will create mental and 


THE FACULTY OF ECONOMY. 


323 


bodily vigor,—the source of all wealth. Good living is the best 
economy. 

Real economists have always something to give, and love to 
give to those who will make a sensible use of their gifts. 

Economy, large in combination with literary tastes, leads to 
collecting and saving books and other literary matters; with 
Ideality and Color large, Art objects will be the aim of the indi¬ 
vidual ; with Hospitality large, foods and drinks will be gathered 
and stored; and, with large Caution, an almost morbid fear will 
lead to extra exertions in laying up supplies for future needs. The 
saving traits of some animals, insects, and birds are remarkable. 
Ants store away under ground, in most ingeniously constructed 
dwellings, large supplies of food for winter use. The dog buries 
his surplus bones, but does not make such elaborate preparations 
for preserving his food as many animals, for the reason that he has 
greater abilities and better opportunities to procure food as he 
needs it. The entire family of rodents, viz., the rat, the mouse, 
the beaver, the hare, the gerboa, the chinchilla, the springhass, 
the dormouse, the several species of squirrels, the mole, the prairie- 
dog, the marmot, the lemming, and hamster are noted economists; 
the latter is, perhaps, the greatest “economist” of all, for his hoard¬ 
ing propensities are so great that as many as sixty pounds of corn 
have been found in the home of one of these creatures and one 
hundred pounds of beans in that of another (J. G. Wood). All 
of these creatures exhibit the sign by the narrow form of the 
mouth and the overlapping of the teeth. 

The same providence is manifested by various birds, notably by 
the magpie and owl, which in their predatory excursions seize upon 
and bring to their nest anything of an edible nature which they 
can carry in their beaks, while in the nest of the magpie stores of 
many curious articles have been found which were quite beyond 
the requirements of the bird. 

The black bear furnishes an example of the economy of Na¬ 
ture, who, by a singular provision of stored-up tissues, enables the 
beast to hibernate five months of the year without a particle of 
food, and yet it will come forth from its long lethargy fat and in 
good condition. The stored-up vitality of this hardy creature is, 
of course, the source from whence it derives its sustenance. The 
broad form of the bear well illustrates the principle upon which 
Economy is based, for the same form is characteristic of those wise 
and prudent men who administer economically the affairs of large 
enterprises, that is to say, with wisdom and prudence. 

A well-proportioned face and body, one neither too broad nor 
too narrow, neither too tall nor too short, if of fine quality, is the 


324 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


structure which will manifest the most economy. A fair develop¬ 
ment of the muscles, with a good degree of the vegetative system 
in combination, is essential, and these by their action and develop¬ 
ment produce a form and faculty suited to the exercise of the fine 
virtue of saving and using wisely. As the highest degree of 
reason depends upon a well-nourished body for the strength and 
vigor essential to protracted and profound cogitation, so Economy 
in its highest aspect depends also upon the power which is derived 
from a well-proportioned and vigorous physique. 

When we arrive at the analysis of the mental aspect of “ men¬ 
tal” traits, we have to investigate the body, and we shall find that 
the highest mental traits, viz., the Will, the Reason, the Memory, 
the Conscience, and the Imagination, are all created and sustained 
by the action and development of the various organs and systems 
within the body. 


LOVE OF HOME. 

Definition. —Attachment to one’s domicile or residence; love 
of the place where one was born or reared; desire to live always 
in the same locality. 

An excessive development of this trait is shown by those who 
are of mediocre talents and abilities, rather than by the enter¬ 
prising, for ambition leads one far from home and over many lands; 
although many great-minded people retain an ardent affection for 
their birthplace and home of their childhood. Nostalgia, or home¬ 
sickness, a species of melancholy, results from an excessive love 
of one’s home, while forced to be absent from it. 

The French are particularly distinguished by the development 
of the love of home and country, and if forced to reside away from 
it many of them suffer with longing to return. The English are 
noted for their love of home, yet are quite cosmopolitan in their 
ramblings and in the desire to acquire by conquest the homes of 
others in all parts of the ivorld. The Americans are also cosmo¬ 
politan, yet content themselves with travelling to other lands when 
they tire of their own. 

A deficiency of this faculty leads one to travel and roam from 
place to place. Such characters find a home in every hotel and 
can be happy under any roof and sometimes without one. Dis¬ 
coverers and adventurers are lacking in Love of Home and regard 
the world at large as their home. 

Facial and Bodily Signs. —Fullness at the sides of the under 
lip, just below the sign for Benevolence, and adjoining the facial 
sign for Patriotism. 

Description of Love of Home.—L ove of Home is a purely 


LOVE OF HOME. 


325 


domestic trait and is found in varying grades of development in 
every individual and in all races. Islanders, as a rule, are more 
locative in their attachments than those who inhabit continents 
and can roam at will over vast expanses. The English afford a 
good illustration of insular attachment to home, many thousands 
of them never having left their native country, while many more, 
though possessed of ample means, have never seen their metropo¬ 
lis,—London,—while Americans, in the same financial condition, 
would have visited every part of Europe and thought it no more 
than a holiday trip. 

Many races of men seem to be entirely destitute of all loca¬ 
tive affection. The Bedouin finds his home wherever he erects his 
tent, and there are many persons among civilized races where Love 
of Home is on a level with the Bedouin. The love of home is 
founded in a desire for “creature comforts,”—love of eating, a 
comfortable place to sleep, and a domicile which affords ease,— 
hence its primary need points to the digestive function as its 
source and origin. Long-continued observation on my part led 
me to observe its sign to be a fullness of the lower lip, just under 
the sign for the glandular system (fullness of the under lip), 
and, considering the domestic nature of this trait, I found that it 
was indebted to the functional action of the glands for the base of 
supply. 

The logic which proceeds from a consideration of the location 
of the visceral organs and their mutual interdependence upon each 
other leads irresistibly to the belief that the signs in the face of 
each group of faculties, as, for example, the domestic, the artistic, 
the literary, the practical, etc., are all so placed in the face in such 
manner as to mutually assist in pointing out their physiologi¬ 
cal origin and mental meanings. Time and observation on my 
part decided definitely the locating of all the domestic traits in and 
about the mouth, for the primary requirement of Love of Home is 
that a full share of food shall be easily obtained, without roaming 
abroad for it. One would soon weary of a home in which there was 
lacking that first essential of life. The wild beast forsakes his 
lair when his food-supply is exhausted, and only returns to it when 
he has acquired a sufficiency of prey to bring back to share with 
his young, and thus provide the first requisite for a home , viz., 
Food. 

Love of Home in its higher and more refined aspects—as 
seen in the civilized races—is one of the most solid and enduring 
traits, and serves to ennoble and purify any race or nation in which 
it is paramount. The Hebrew race, although without a country 
of their own, and withal having been exposed to the most bitter 


326 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


persecutions for ages, still preserve a more ardent and intense love 
of home and family ties of any race in existence, and this one trait, 
I am convinced, is the very base and firm foundation of their 
material prosperity. Their constitutional vigor, the result of their 
strong digestive capacity, points to the glandular system as the 
origin of this vigorous home attachment. 

It is a fine piece of worldly foresight and economy on the part 
of any man to make the foundation of his home sure. The father of 
a family should never, under any pretext or pressure whatever, 
sell the roof from over the head of his wife and children. He 

should stop at the threshold 
and never invade those 
sacred precincts for any 
purpose, except to build up 
and beautify them. The 
birds and beasts teach man 
a lesson in this direction, 
and tiny father-birds help 
to build a home for the 
family before they presume 
to rear one; and then, 
having built it, they keep 
it inviolate until the birdlets 
are reared and have flown 
from it Some birds, like 
some people, change their 

Fig. 22.—MAD. OCTAVIA WALTON LE VERT. i i k • & o 

An American writer and traveller, born in Georgia, abode t\\ ICC a ^ ear. Some 

1820. Principal facial sign, Love of Home, shown by nprml^ elmno-p nffpmGV vrof 
fullness of the centre of the lower lip. The law of the pcupic tnaugc uiiciici, 

curve governs this face. This distinguished lady was copm In liqvp q lrwp» fnv tVio 
as widely known for her unbounded hospitality as for c ** AUVC 

her writings. All of the social virtues shone forth in pAmfnrfc nf* q nrLon 

this friendly face. Amativeness, Love of Young, Mirth- LUiiiiuilo UI d HUIHC VVlltrll 

fulness, Approbativeness, Hospitality, and Friendship ODP 

form a beautiful basis upon which rest her literary iAi 

faculties. Among them are Constructiveness, Human T'lip lnvp fnv nnrl of 

Nature, Language, Form, Size, Color, Locality, Memory -Lilt: 1U \ c lUl ctliu. dt- 

of Events. These traits were her most decided charac- fqr*hmpnf In nnn’Q nlnr*n 

teristics and ennobled her life and adorned her writings. tdLli ill Gill- IU UIIC S pictCt; 

of residence depend upon 
the degree of continuity and stability one possesses in combina¬ 
tion with Love of Home. Muscular people, although fond of 
motion, are yet capable of strong local attachments. Those 
possessed of a great share of firmness like to remain in one place, 
by reason of their persevering nature. Vegetative persons will, 
like the vegetative animals, go where food is plenty, yet are in¬ 
clined by reason of their size and indolence to remain stationary, 
and are often credited with the possession of true domesticity, 
whereas it may be only disinclination to move or make much 
physical effort. I have known many women who were falsely 



LOVE OF HOME. 


327 


judged to be of a domestic nature, simply because, cat-like, they 
remained at home where they could enjoy ease and comforts with¬ 
out exertion. In such cases it is not local attachment which holds 
them stationary, but a love of self and selfish ease and enjoyment. 

here the sign lor Self-will is large (known by fullness of 
the muscle between the eyes), together with the sign for Love of 
Home, the character will possess most ardent attachment for and 
desire to have a permanent dwelling-place. A person with this 
combination will experience great unhappiness at being obliged to 
leave home, even for a 
night or a short journey, 
and in youth will suffer 
seriously from homesick¬ 
ness if obliged to leave 
home. I have known 
many adults, also, both 
male and female, to be¬ 
come ill through being 
obliged to leave the home 
of their childhood or other 
long - occupied residence. 

In these days of facilities 
for travel, we see little of 
this disease, except among 
young children who are 
sent away from home and 
parents. The Bedouin of 
the desert regards his shift¬ 
ing home among the sands 
with much pure affection 
and thinks it a most delight¬ 
ful abode, and, although he 
has no exact spot upon 
which to pitch his tent, he 
is happy anywhere within 

its boundaries; but when obliged to live temporarily in a town he 
becomes dissatisfied and longs most earnestly for his nomadic life. 
Emerson tells us of the English, that 44 they are a people scattered 
by their ways and affairs over the face of the whole earth, yet 
homesick to a man.”* 

The love of home is so universal and ingrained, both in man, 
beast, bird, and insect (in varying degrees and shown by many 
diverse manifestations), as to warrant us in considering it one of 

* English Traits, R. W. Emerson, p. 56. 



Fig. 23.—JAMES FENIMORE COOPER. 

An American novelist, born 1789. Principal facial 
sign, Love of Home, shown by fullness of the centre of 
the lower lip. The law of the straight line, square, and 
curve governs this physiognomy. This distinguished 
writer was original, vivid, and humorous, and displayed 
great knowledge of human nature in his writings, which 
were “instinct with the spirit of nationality.’’ His 
face discloses Love of Home and Patriotism in a marked 
manner, while the signs of all of the domestic and social 
faculties — Benevolence, Amativeness, Mirthfulness, 
Love of Young, Hospitality, Economy, Approbative- 
ness, Conscientiousness, Firmness, and Friendship—are 
all very pronounced. The signs for Ideality, Construct¬ 
iveness, Sublimity, Mental Imitation, Human Nature, 
Analysis, Veneration, Executiveness, Self-will, Lan¬ 
guage, Form, Size, Order, Color, Locality, and Memory 
of Events are most decided. His nose is broad on the 
back the entire length. 


328 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


the primitive faculties, and hence its local sign in the face is found 
in the lower or vegetative domain, and in the domestic group; it 
is near to the local sign for Conscientiousness and Firmness, both 
of which assist it in preserving the integrity and permanency of 
the family institution. Conscientiousness, it will thus be seen, is 
the grand faculty which enables character to weld together not 
only the domestic faculties (where it is greatly needed), but it 
binds the individual to love of country, to offspring, and to conjugal 
companions. 

Children who are reared in a permanent home have usually 
more stable attachment for home than those who make frequent 
changes. The love for the land, the trees, and flowers about one’s 
early home is never lost, and in old age is fondly and regretfully 
remembered. 

In order to cultivate this most important trait of character, 
parents should strive to make home the most attractive place on 
earth to their children. Good, bright lights at night is one feature 
which should never be neglected. I have observed in many farm 
homes, particularly, a single, dim light, which served only to make 
the darkness visible through the long winter evenings. No wonder 
that the sons and daughters in such a home found it irksome, and 
desired to go anywhere rather than stay in such a dim, forbidding 
place. A good, bright light induces cheerfulness and contentment. 
Next to this, a bright fire in cold or chilly weather is a prime 
essential to making the home what it should be. Children love 
light and warmth, and these two comforts will compensate them 
for the absence of many luxuries. 

The study of home accomplishments , as well as the practice of 
home duties, assist materially in developing Love of Home. Boys 
as well as girls should, if they have taste or talent for music, be 
encouraged to practice it, for it will lead them more into home 
associations, and into the society of their sisters and other girls, 
and such associations are far safer for a boy than the corner 
grocery, the stable, and saloon,—places which boys and young 
men often visit by reason of their ignorance of any accomplish¬ 
ment which would draw them into domestic associations, either in 
their own home or in the homes of others. Music, drawing, paint¬ 
ing, designing patterns, wood-carving, modelling, and floriculture 
are equally desirable for boys as for girls, and all promote refine¬ 
ment and habits of industry, as well as Love of Home. Books, both 
solid and amusing, should be purchased. It always makes me sad 
to enter a home where books are scarce, for I know that one grand 
element of character-building is absent. 

No child can be truly happy in its home, no matter whether 


PATRIOTISM. 


329 


it be a hut or a palace, unless it be reared in habits of industry 
and order. Chaos is as distressing to most children as it is to most 
adults. Spoiled and indulged children are never happy, and con¬ 
sequently cannot be transformed into good and useful men and 
women. Order, industry, exercise, and amusement should be the 
ruling and guiding principles in all well-regulated homes. Chil¬ 
dren trained up in these principles are never unhappy, and always 
love their home. Even in play children love system and order. 
Witness the eagerness with which the little kindergartners assist 
in their plays and games, which are carried on by rule and method. 

True domestic character is as much the result of cultivation 
as is art, music, or science, and the home is its school. All domestic 
ties should be cultivated and strengthened by keeping anniversaries 
of births, marriages, deaths, and other important family affairs. 
Little feasts and excursions for the benefit of the 44 wee ones” 
should be made, and each child should be made to feel its impor¬ 
tance as a member of the family; not only this, but it should be 
trained to certain duties, no matter how slight, and these should 
commence almost in infancy. Certainly at three years of age duties 
of some sort should be placed upon every child, even if no more 
than placing its father’s slippers and newspaper regularly. The 
up-building of character—of domestic character particularly— 
must be strengthened in the early years of childhood, for then, the 
child being malleable, its character can be formed and fashioned in 
such manner as to outlast all subsequent influences and impres¬ 
sions. Mothers who desire to make their children true home- 
lovers and true domestic companions must build early and wisely 
to make the love of home paramount, for this trait is the very 
corner-stone and foundation of all that is good and great in man¬ 
kind. 

PATRIOTISM. 

“My country, ’tis of thee, 

Sweet land of liberty, 

Of tliee I sing.” 

Definition .—Love of one’s country, its people, scenery, laws, 
and institutions; regard for its glory and prosperity. 

An excess of Patriotism is not a very common complaint in 
these days of rapid transit; yet many races, notably the English 
and French, are quite enthusiastic in their praises of their own 
land. The Irish, also, refer to the land of their birth and miseries 
with great fervor, but with a strange inconsistency leave it in large 
numbers. Their excessive love of country makes them clannish 
and prevents them from assimilating with other races equally good. 
Intense love of country creates boastfulness, offensive egotism, and 


330 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

assumption of superior qualities on account of being born in a 
certain latitude. To remedy the latter defect one should endeavor 
to cultivate a more cosmopolitan spirit, a wider comprehension of 
the “fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man.” Reflection 
will teach us that no nation or race has a monopoly of virtues, but 
that the best traits of human nature are about equally divided, and 
that if one nation does not advance as fast as another it is through 
want of liberty,—the only hindrance to elevation and advancement. 

A deficiency of Patriotism makes one unmindful of one’s 

country, and may arise from 
one of two causes,—from 
narrowness and petty self¬ 
ishness, or from a broad 
and philanthropic humani- 
tarianism, which leads one 
to look upon all the world 
as one’s country and its 
inhabitants as one’s own 
people. The latter class 
recognize no racial divis¬ 
ions, but regard as brothers 
all mankind. 

Minds which have any 
claim to greatness are capable 
of divesting themselves of self¬ 
ish considerations; they feel 
that they belong to the whole 
human race, and their views 
are directed to posterity alone. 
—Mad. Roland. 


shown by fullness of that 
portion of the chin below 
and adjoining Benevolence, 
while Love of Home lies just forward of it, toward the inner part 
of the chin. It is exhibited by glandular development. 

Description of Patriotism.— The love of one’s own country 
is a sentiment which finds a response in the hearts of all races and 
conditions of men, yet -it is distinct from Love of Home in its 
action. A man may be a zealous patriot,—loving ardently the 
land of his birth,—yet not having a strong local attachment to 
any particular spot or place within its boundaries. Many wander¬ 
ing tribes among uncivilized races illustrate this peculiarity, yet in 


Facial and Bodily 
Signs . — Patriotism is 



fig. 24.—mad. MARIE JEANNE phillipon 
ROLAND. 

Celebrated French writer and patriot, born in Paris, 
1754. Principal facial sign, Patriotism, shown by full¬ 
ness of the centre of the lower lip. The law governing 
this countenance is that of the straight line and curve. 
This beautiful face represents a character at once lofty 
and self-sacrificing; her writings now extant breathe a 
spirit of patriotic heroism rarely excelled ; she was guil¬ 
lotined for her devotion to her country, and expired ex¬ 
claiming, “ O Liberty, what crimes are committed in thy 
name !” The signs for Firmness, Love of Young, Mirth¬ 
fulness, Patriotism, Benevolence, Hospitality, Friend¬ 
ship, and Approbativeness are most marked in this 
countenance. The mental signs in the nose—Analysis, 
Mental Imitation, Sublimity, Ideality, Constructiveness, 
Veneration, and Hope—are very large. The neck is 
straight and statuesque, and denotes strong Self-will; 
the wavy hair indicates agreeability. Altogether a noble 
countenance. 



PATRIOTISM. 


331 


t 


civilized communities the two domestic sentiments of Love of 
Home and Love of Country are usually found united in varying 
degrees; some exhibiting more of one than of the other trait. 

Love of Home is a faculty which is strengthened and de¬ 
veloped by every-day life, while Patriotism is a trait which de¬ 
velops best under the excitement and stimulus of great crises in a 
nation's existence rather than by its daily, habitual exercise. To 
become a patriot of a high 
order, such as Washington, 

Jackson, Jefferson, and 
Paine were, there must 
necessarily be a combina¬ 
tion of high and lofty 
faculties, together with 
great intellectual power; 
but the Love of Country, 
pure and simple, may glow 
as brightly in the breast of 
the humblest citizen or 
common soldier as it does 
under the uniform of a 
general. 

The scope of this fac¬ 
ulty is very wide, and de¬ 
mands exercise in different 
ways in different peoples. 

It looks to governments 
as a means of protecting 
the citizen within and to 
repel invasion from with¬ 
out. Men institute govern¬ 
ments which in their quality 
are the exact expression of 
their grade of development 
as human beings. The 
savage seeks and erects an 
absolute despotism; some of the European nations are under 
constitutional governments,—England, for example; and in this 
country the people are more generally intelligent, hence more 
capable of self-government. In our country, America, every 
man is a sovereign, and equally responsible with every other 
man for the stability, integrity, and perpetuity of the government; 
and, according as the laws are administered and justice meted 
out, just so far does the existing condition of affairs represent 



Fig. 25.—THOMAS STARR KING. (Okator. 
Divine, Writer, Poet.) 


Born in New York, 1824. Principal facial sign, Pa¬ 
triotism, shown by fullness of. the centre of the lower lip. 
The law of the straight line, square, and curve governs 
this countenance. This wonderfully illuminated face 
and speaking eyes reveal the lire of patriotism which 
burned within. Thomas Starr King stood in the first 
rank as an orator, preacher, poet, and writer. His 
patriotism kept alive the Union sentiment of Cali¬ 
fornia during the late Civil War ; Ins style of oratory 
was logical, rhetorical, and magnetic. Under the ex¬ 
citement of his emotions when speaking of the Union 
and the old flag his eyes fairly blazed with patriotic 
excitement. The facial signs for Love of Home, of 
Country, Love of Young, Friendship, Benevolence, 
Amativeness, Conscientiousness, Approbativeness,Ven¬ 
eration, Sublimity, Analysis, Mental Imitation, Con¬ 
structiveness, Ideality, Form, Size, Language, Order, 
Memory of Events, and Reason are most decided. The 
dense color which shone in his eyes, hair, and com¬ 
plexion gave force, intensity, and dramatic fervor to 
his utterances. 



332 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


the grade of development to which we have attained, morally 
and mentally. 

In respect to our grade of the moral sense or sense of justice 
we have need to take a great step forward and rise to the height 
of perfect justice, and give to our women citizens the right of 
suffrage, in order that their moral and purifying influence may 
assist in elevating to grander heights of justice and nobility our 
otherwise unsurpassed government and country. England has set 
us a worthy example in this respect, and now all her women citi¬ 
zens are clothed with the franchise,—provided they have the neces¬ 
sary property qualification. 

Love of Country combined with Friendship leads men to 
unite for the common good; with large Veneration, obedience to 
law and order results; with Force and Resistance large, will de¬ 
fend the honor and interests of country; and with Order in com¬ 
bination, will seek to frame laws for the maintenance of its institu¬ 
tions. 

Patriotism, like all other faculties, can be cultivated under 
the proper stimulus, and one of the best methods is to teach chil¬ 
dren to memorize the speeches and poems of our greatest patriots, 
as well as to familiarize them with the grand actions and utterances 
of the patriots of all nations. No better or more patriotic address 
than Webster’s reply to Hayne, delivered in the Senate of the 
United States in 1830, was ever heard. Perhaps his oration at the 
dedication of Bunker-Hill Monument comes nearest to it in grandeur 
and patriotic feeling, and these two monuments of his greatness 
and power have come down to us Americans and should be con¬ 
sidered a precious legacy, which ought to be engraved upon the 
heart and mind of every American citizen, without regard to sex. 

This faculty is a primal and universal one, and is adapted to 
the requirements of all lands and races; hence, the situation of 
its local sign is in the primitive group of faculties, and its physical 
support is derived from the action of that primitive function,—the 
intestinal system,—and from its glandular division. 

No mental faculty presents a more lofty aspect than Patriot¬ 
ism when allied to Sublimity, Language, Reason, Friendship, and 
large Love of Home and of Children. This combination gave the 
power which inspired the speeches of Webster, Clay, Adams, 
Calhoun, Wirt, Pitt, Madame Roland, Fox, Sheridan, Emmet, 
and Gambetta, in our times, and the eloquent and impassioned 
arguments of Cicero and Demosthenes in former ages. 

One patriot like Thomas Paine can change for the better the 
destinies of millions, for it was his patriotic and fearless senti¬ 
ments in the cause of liberty which more than any other shaped 



PATRIOTISM. 


333 


and molded public opinion in such manner as to bring about the 
Declaration of Independence and the freedom we now enjoy. 

Love of Country is one of the most unselfish traits of human 
nature. It ranks with gratitude and moral courage in the gran¬ 
deur of its purposes, which are entirely altruistic. The patriot 
seeks not only the good of his fellow-countrymen by whom lie is 
surrounded, but endeavors to perpetuate such laws and institutions 
as shall shield and protect the interests of multitudes yet unborn,— 
those who are to come after him. Every patriot cannot be an orator 
nor a general, yet every man and woman possessed of ordinary 
intelligence and patriotism can comprehend the principles of gov¬ 
ernment, and assist in carrying them out. All true citizens should 
investigate principles and leave politics to the tricksters and po¬ 
litical shysters who disgrace our national governmental affairs. 
Principles , not politics , should be the study of all true lovers of 
their country. I know of no term which expresses so much that 
is low, vile, and degraded as the word “politics.” It has become 
degraded by its uses and associations, and the sooner we expunge 
it and its operation from governmental matters, the better for all 
true patriots. There is nothing elevating in the study of politics. 
Men, knowing this, are doubtless right in their opposition to 
women “dabbling in the filthy pool of politics;” and until this 
filthy pool is cleaned by substituting the discussion of principles of 
justice, truth, and purity, it is no place for woman. The various 
organizations, in this and other countries, which are conducted by 
women in the interests of humanity, such, for example, as the 
“Woman’s Christian Temperance Union,” Woman Suffrage 
societies, and the various “Labor” associations, which discuss and 
promulgate personal rights, moral integrity, and the higher laws 
of justice, are fast educating the masses of both men and women 
to a comprehension of such principles as will lead to a govern¬ 
ment in which woman’s influence will be needed, lor to divorce the 
higher moral sense of woman from participation in the govern¬ 
ment is like excluding the sunlight from the earth; and just so 
long as this course is persisted in, just so long will the vile weeds 
of intemperance, immorality, and injustice thrive and flourish, and 
our homes continue insecure and unsafe abodes for women and 
children. In order to make the home inviolable, that larger 
home—the nation—must be correspondingly pure, just, and safe; 
and the upholding of those principles which tend to make it so and 
the opposing of whatever would impair the perfection of the national 
ideal is pre-eminently womanly work. How can the home be a 
secure and safe place for pure women and tender babes, while the 
demon of intemperance is given full liberty by legal enactment to 



334 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


make widows and orphans; to rob, murder and destroy all people 
without regard to age, sex, or condition \ Some of our States, 
after over one hundred years of experiment, realizing the man¬ 
made government has not succeeded in protecting the home and 
in making the country a safe place for our children, decided it 
would be good policy to let the most moral and home-loving of our 
citizens assist in the work of reconstruction. Woman Suffrage has 
already passed in several of our States. 

The liquor interests are awake to the fact that women with 
the vote means local option, or abolition entirely of intemperance. 
The Politician: that the government in all its branches must be 
operated in the interest of the whole people and not, as now, in 
the interest of the bosses and contractors. This country is enter¬ 
ing upon an era of preparedness which will make the heart of the 
patriot glow with pride and gratitude as he enjoys the fruits of his 
labors, home and children protected by government compensation 
and health insurance in accident and in sickness and the removal 
of man’s greatest temptor—Drink. The poet’s theme will become 
an actual reality and with him we will sing:— 

“Our country ! ’tis a glorious land, 

With broad arms stretched from shore to shore. 

The proud Pacific chafes her strand; 

He hears tlie dark Atlantic roar ; 

And nurtured on her ample breast, 

How many a goodly prospect lies, 

In Nature’s wildest grandeur drest, 

Enameled with her loveliest dyes. 
»••••• 

“Great God ! we thank Thee for this home, 

This bounteous birth-land of the free. 

Where wanderers from afar may come 
And breathe the air of liberty. 

Still may her flowers untrampled spring, 

Her harvests wave, her cities rise, 

And yet till Time shall fold his wing 
Remain Earth’s loveliest paradise.” —W. J. Palodie. 

Patriotism is a virtue which often demands the greatest tests 
of sincerity and exacts the highest sacrifice which men can make, 
for many of its grandest representatives have given up life, fortune, 
and family for the benefit of their race and country. Yet, in these 
sacrifices there is to patriots a joy and satisfaction uncomprehended 
by ordinary mortals. It is a law of human nature that the exer¬ 
cise of the dominant faculties is productive of the highest enjoy¬ 
ment, and doubtless many of the patriotic victims who have died 
upon the field of battle, or who have suffered upon the scaffold, 
could have said with Madame Poland:— 

Truth! Friendship! My country! Sacred objects! Sentiments 
dear to my heart, accept my last sacrifice. My life was devoted to you, 
and will render my death easy and glorious. 


BENEVOLENCE. 


335 


BENEVOLENCE. 

Definition .—Sympathy, generosity, philanthropy; the love 
of doing for and giving to others; the desire to relieve and 
ameliorate the wrongs and sufferings of one’s fellows; good-will, 
kindness, charitableness, love of mankind. 

An excess of Sympathy makes one liable to imposition by 
unworthy objects, or leads to the neglect of one’s own nearer 
duties in the endeavor to assist others. Excessive generosity tends 
to impoverishment and to the injury of those who have claims 
upon us. 

Deficient Sympathy and charitableness creates hardness of 
heart, a churlish, indifferent or inhuman nature. It makes one 
selfish and regardless of the sufferings of others. 

Facial and Bodily Signs. —A full, rolling, red and moist 
under-lip is an unfailing indication of a sympathetic, generous, or 
benevolent disposition. In combination with large reasoning 
faculties and constructiveness we find the philanthropic phase of 
this many-sided trait. This endowment is very marked in the 
physiognomies of Wilberforce, Thomas Paine, George Washington, 
Peter Cooper, and other eminent philanthropists. As a rule, the 
grossly fat individual is less sympathetic than those who have 
a more active body; too much fatty material makes one think 
mainly of one’s own comfort, while excessive weight of flesh 
incapacitates one for those activities of mind or body which are 
essential to the duties appertaining to true benevolence. 

The best organism for the exercise of benevolence is one in 
which there is a good development of the nutritive system, without 
too great a deposition of fat. The horse is, perhaps, the best type 
of a benevolent animal, and he exhibits a long, thin face, with a 
well-nourished and a strong, capacious body, neither too fat nor 
too lean. 

Description of Benevolence. —Benevolence is a faculty of 
large powers, and manifests many diverse modes of action; hence 
it is that one single word fails to convey a clear and precise statement 
of its scope and meaning. The fullest expression of physiognomy 
demands a new coinage of language. Lavater felt this want and 
often referred to it. All other sciences have coined words to meet 
new knowledge: Chemistry, for example, and other sciences, have 
found ordinary words wholly inadequate to express newly-found 
laws, substances, qualities, and conditions, and the physiognomist 
finds such innumerable and diverse manifestations of Benevolence, 
as well as of all the other faculties, that he is often at a loss to 
properly designate each one of its several phases. 



336 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Some individuals exhibit the sympathetic phase of Benevolence 
by spontaneous and practical assistance. Others disclose their 
form of sympathy by listening to recitals of woe, and exhibit in¬ 
tense feelings of sorrow, and by weeping in concert with the suf¬ 
fering assuage their grief by exhibiting more grief. Others display 
the generous aspect of Benevolence and instantly put the hand 
into the pocket and say to the bystander, as did the Quaker, “ I 
am sorry five dollars, friend; how sorry art thou'?” Yet this class 
of persons would never think of offering personal service , such as 
nursing the sick or assisting in any labor requiring personal effort. 

Others, again, evince their 
benevolent feeling by al¬ 
ways stepping in to fill the 
want of laborers in times 
of sickness or great public 
disasters and calamities. 

Those with large rea¬ 
soning powers, construct¬ 
iveness and practical traits 
—like John Howard, Wil- 
berforce, Peabody, and 
Godin—lay broad and wise 
plans for the amelioration 
of large numbers of suffer¬ 
ing human beings. This 
is the philanthropic phase 
of Benevolence, and in its 
scope and intent is directly 
opposite to the act of the 
sympathetic women who 
are always at the back door 
to deal out cold victuals 
and old clothes to every 
comer, without regard to 
the worthiness of the applicant. The latter expresses Benevo¬ 
lence without reason, while the former shows the very height 
of this noble and unselfish trait. Each form of sympathy is 
required for the world’s necessities; hence, the one who feeds 
the wandering beggar and he who plans wisely for the uplifting 
of masses of the downtrodden and helpless expresses each in his 
own way the action of Benevolence. Wherever we find all forms 
of this trait lacking, there we shall find one whose physical, moral, 
or mental nature is sadly deficient. Certainly an impoverished 
condition lies at the root, for he is poor, indeed, who has nothing 



Fig. 26.—LADY ANGELA GEORGINA BURDETT- 
COUTTS BARTLETT-COUTTS. 

Born in England, 1814; noted philanthropist. Prin¬ 
cipal facial and bodily sign, Benevolence, shown by 
fullness, redness, and moisture of the lower lip; long, 
slim face and body. The law of the straight line and 
angle governs this countenance. This truly sympathetic 
face reveals a benevolent and noble character. The 
munificent charities of this generous woman in every 
part of the globe rank her with the world’s greatest 
benefactors. The signs for Modesty, Love of Young, 
Love of Home, Patriotism, Conscientiousness, Venera¬ 
tion, Ideality, Cautiousness, Executiveness, and Reason 
are all well defined. The world is greatly indebted to 
this elevated, pure-minded, and generous iady. 




BENEVOLENCE. 


337 


to give, and whose nature never prompts him to an act of kindness 
or a word of sympathy and encouragement. It is not essential 
that one should be constantly giving money or material to demon¬ 
strate the presence of Benevolence. This may be shown in a hun¬ 
dred ways, by kindness in speech, especially to the poor and 
unfortunate, to one’s servants, and to the aged, as well as to chil¬ 
dren and animals. 

One ol the most unselfish characters I have ever met seldom 
gave money or property, but was constantly assisting others to help 
themselves by procuring 
employment for them, by 
working in charitable so¬ 
cieties, and by influencing 
others to deeds of charity 
and benevolence. 

Among the most gener¬ 
ous men I have met was 
one who had a thorough 
dislike to visiting the sick, 
going so far as to refrain 
from caring personally for 
his family and friends in 
sickness, yet would give 
lavishly of his money and 
goods, and at the same time 
would avoid performing 
any labor among those suf¬ 
fering from illness. This 
gentleman was lacking in 
Friendship, hence Nature 
compensated him with an 
increased capacity for gen¬ 
erosity, freehandedness, and 
lavishness. 

Thus, it will be ob¬ 
served that the faculties in 
combination modify and color this trait. Benevolence and Reason 
in combination make the philanthropist, while Practicality added 
assists him in framing wise plans for the elevation of humanity; 
with Friendship large, he will be enabled to co-operate with others 
in schemes for the relief of the suffering. One who possesses the 
sympathetic phase of Benevolence, but small reasoning faculties, 
will work indiscriminately for all who seek sympathy and aid ; with 
large Credenciveness, will be inclined to assist those who approach 



Fig. 27.— HENRY BERGH. (Philanthropist.) 

Principal facial and bodily signs : full, red under-lip; 
long, thin face and body. The law of the straight line 
and angle governs this organism. Henry Bergh was the 
founder and first president of the New York Society for 
the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. This sympathy 
was exercised in a most self-sacrificing manner for the 
protection of the most helpless class among us—our 
animal relatives. The long, slim face and body assures 
us that he lias not expended his means and time in social 
convivial enjoyments, hence he has not packed upon his 
frame a large quantity of soft, fat tissue. This gentleman 
endeavored to humanize humanity by teaching them 
how to treat the beasts of the field according to their 
nature and deserts,—a truly religious mission. The sign 
for Benevolence in the lip is somewhat changed by age 
and the moustache, but the facial and bodily build tells 
us it is or was as described, viz., full, red,"and moist. 
The signs for Conscientiousness, Firmness, Self-will, 
Self-esteem, Order, Acquisitiveness, Veneration, Ex¬ 
ecutiveness, and Reason are large. 


22 


338 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


with a wonderful or romantic tale rather than those who have only 
a commonplace basis for their demands; with large Conscientious¬ 
ness, will inquire into the motives of those seeking aid, and, with 
Practicality added, will like to give only to those who will make a 
right and worthy use of assistance rendered; with large Love of 
Young, will seek out and aid unfortunate children and injured or 
outcast animals. 

It is thus shown that this faculty must be read in conjunction 
zoith others found in combination in order to comprehend the direc¬ 
tion which it will take in each individual case. After once master¬ 
ing the basilar principles of physiognomy this can be readily done. 
Great care must be taken to distinguish the acts of pure Benevo¬ 
lence from those of Friendship, and a close analysis is here necessary 
to make this discrimination; for, although Friendship prompts to acts 
of kindness and gives and does for friends, yet Benevolence gives 
and does for those who are wholly unknown, as, for example, in 
sending means and relief to sufferers by fire and flood; in erecting 
comfortable homes for the poor, as George Peabody and Lady 
Burdett-Coutts Bartlett-Coutts have done, and in manifesting lively 
and practical sympathy for those distressed strangers which chance 
throws in the way of the benevolent. 

Benevolence is the most unselfish trait of the human character, 
and finds in the animal kingdom its best illustration in the horse , 
which works patiently and uncomplainingly his whole life long for 
friend or stranger and dies at last in harness, toiling for others who 
often cruelly hurt and misuse him,—an act which our legislators 
have justly made a criminal offense. The shape of the horse co¬ 
incides exactly with the form of the most sympathetic persons, 
disclosing the long, thin face and well-nourished, large body, thus 
evidencing the superior action of the glandular system, which scien¬ 
tific physiognomy declares to be the base of supply of this noble 
faculty. The proof of this glandular origin may be verified by 
examination of the lower lip of noted misers and of those who are 
notoriously close-fisted and stingy. They will be found dry, pale, 
and often thin, and will exhibit one or more of these characteristics. 
A full, moist, red lower-lip is a sure indication of either sympathy, 
generosity, or benevolence of some sort. I think I may safely state 
this to be one of the infallible signs of character. 

I am often confronted with the question, “ Are there not a 
great many exceptions to these signs,—exceptions which disprove 
their infallibility 1 ” To this I answer that scientific physiognomy 
gives ample information in regard to the just interpretation of 
facial signs. There are many circumstances which modify and 
influence the meaning put forth by mere size of a facial sign. 


BIBATIVENESS. 


339 


Color, for example, greatly modifies power. A very pale color of 
the skin, hair, and eyes would be proof positive of less vigor of all 
the signs of character than where a good red complexion and deep- 
blue or brown color of eyes and hair were indicated, for color gives 
power ; lack of color, feebleness. Then, too, as above stated, other 
faculties in combination modify and influence traits as explained 
previously. 

A good lesson in the difference existing between the facial 
expressions exhibited by Benevolence and Friendship may be had 
by contrasting the physiognomies of a number of well-known phi¬ 
lanthropists and sympathetic persons with those more remarkable 
for their friendly and social qualities, for friendship and sociality 
are synonymous terms. Sociality is the food upon which friendship 
feeds, and this is hence a more selfish trait than Benevolence. It 
demands something in return for what it gives, viz., companionship, 
a tribute which Benevolence does not exact, and herein is the most 
striking proof of their dissimilar method of action. It is true, one 
may be both friendly and benevolent, and many combine a large 
degree of both traits. In this case we find a truly noble character 
in the direction of humane and sympathetic conduct. Yet a close 
analysis of these two traits points to diverse physiological origin 
and to a separate facial sign for each, and the signification of the 
position of each of these signs is as remarkable as it is beautiful. 
The sign for Benevolence is opposite the local sign for Love of the 
Opposite Sex and Love of Young, and, when we kiss, we kiss with 
Benevolence , Amativeness , and Love of Young combined; that is 
to say, these signs being localized in the lips, they meet and respond 
in the salute of Amativeness, or conjugal love, or of pure, dis¬ 
interested Benevolence, or pure affection, and also in the paternal 
and maternal seal of love upon the rosy mouth of infancy and 
childhood. How wonderfully harmonious is this natural mani¬ 
festation of the entire range of love and affection ! No convention 
has founded the universal institution of kissing. A power greatei 
than civilized conventions has made the meeting of the lips a spon- 
taneous expression of maternal love, of sex love, and of the love 
of purest friendship; for here are the proofs of the facial locality 
of all of the various sorts of love comprised within the human 
character, and scientific physiognomy points to this natural, im¬ 
pulsive, and spontaneous act performed by the lips as corroborative 
evidence of the appropriate localizing of these several love-signs 
about the mouth. 

BIBATIVENESS. 

Definition. —Love of liquids; capacity for the assimilation of 
water, soups, gravies, sauces, lemonade, fruit-juices, etc.; natural 


340 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

adaptation to swimming, bathing, sailing, washing, and scrubbing. 
Mentally, it creates a taste for marine scenery, both natural and 
pictured; it imparts love of ease, and assists in building up the 
domestic and social traits. 

An excess causes obesity, softness of the tissues, indolence of 
both body and mind, and leads to perversion of the fluid system 
of the body, which causes dropsy and other disorders. 

Perverted, this function creates an overweening fondness for 
liquid stimulants, and ends in drunkenness and disorders of the 

kidney system and other 
organs. Excessive use of 
liquids produces 44 fat, 
sleek-headed men and such 
as sleep o’ nights,”—useless 
members of society, such 
as loafers and criminals. 

A deficiency of the 
love of drinking is scarcely 
ever met with, for this 
function is primitive, and 
the use of liquid solvents, 
in Nature, precedes the 
formation of even the dry 
land. Man lives in and 
upon liquids during his 
prenatal life and almost 
entirely upon them for one 
year after birth; hence, 
the desire for liquids is 
normal, and nearly all per¬ 
sons demand and use the 
amount of water or liquid 
food which their organism 
requires. If the avoidance 
of water and liquids is 
carried to an abnormal extent, very great dryness of the tissues 
will result, and the physical functions, as well as social qualities 
soon become impoverished. 

Facial and Bodily Signs .—Fullness of the cheeks about one 
inch outward from the corners of the mouth is the primitive and 
most pronounced facial sign for Bibativeness. Other signs are: 
general fullness and softness of all the tissues of the body, with a 
good degree of soft fat, causing dimples in the hands, cheeks, back, 
and other parts of the body, as seen in fat infants. The hands 



Fig. 28.—ALEXANDRE DUMAS. (Novelist and 

Dramatist.) 

Born in France, 1803. Principal facial sign, Bibative¬ 
ness, shown by fullness of the cheeks about one inch 
outward from the corners of the mouth, and by soft 
tissue all over the face and body. The law of the square, 
curve, and sphere governs this face and body. This 
gentleman was almost as celebrated for his eating and 
drinking qualities as for his writings, which were nu¬ 
merous. A great store of vitality enabled him to per¬ 
form herculean mental labors. His square forehead 
shows that Order and Thoroughness were his strongest 
characteristics. The signs for Alimentiveness are most 
pronounced. Mental Imitation, Human Nature, Con¬ 
structiveness, Ideality, Friendship. Benevolence, Appro- 
bativeness, Self-esteem, Self-will, Form, Size, Locality, 
Order, Language, and Memory of Events are among his 
strongest traits. 




BIBATIVENESS. 


341 


will be full, fat, soft, and puffy; the knuckles dimpled, and the 
fingers thick, soft, and weak* The abdomen is large, soft, and 
globular. W here a healthful, rosy color accompanies these signs 
a normal condition of health is present, but when the skin presents 
a u waxy,” ashen, or pallid color, some form of disease of the 
circulatory system is to be inferred, such as dropsy or other 
disorders. 

Description of Bibatiyeness. —If we wish to become intelli¬ 
gent as to Nature’s methods of procedure, and to understand her 
orderly progress in regard 
to the life and mind of man, 
we must take cognizance 
of the successive steps in 
man’s unfoldment from the 
time of his conception to his 
birth, and thence onward 
until he arrives at maturity. 

From the time the 
human being is conceived, 
until the embryo is per¬ 
fected, it exists in a fluid 
habitation; it lies floating 
in a sea of liquid. The 
human embryo, physiology 
teaches us, is composed of 
90 per cent, of water and 
only 10 per cent, of mineral 
matters. Every organ, 
member, and tissue of the 
material human being is 
composed largely of the 
same material. Says Mr. 

Lewes:— 

Not only is water an es¬ 
sential part of the body, it 
might be called the most essen¬ 
tial, if pre-eminence could be given where all are pre-eminent. In quan¬ 
tity, water has an enormous preponderance over all other constituents. 
It forms 10 per cent, of its whole weight. There is not a single tissue 
in the body,—not even that of the bone,—not even the enamel of the 

teeth,_into the composition of which water does not enter as a necessary 

ingredient. In some of the tissues, and those the most active , it forms the 
chYef ingredient. In the nervous tissues 800 parts out of every 1000 are 
of water 5 ; in the lungs, 830; in the pancreas, 871; in the retina, no less 
than 927. Commensurate with this anatomical preponderance is the physi¬ 
ological importance of water. It is the carrier of the food, the vehicle of 







Fig. 29.—MONSIEUR D’AUBRAY. (French 
Gentleman.) 

Principal facial sign, Bibativeness. The law of the 
curve and sphere governs this face. This gentleman’s 
history is unknown to me, but his face gives a pretty 
good account of him, and I take him on his facial record. 
Bon vivant is written all over this countenance. To his 
intimates “he is a jolly good fellow;” can tell and enact 
a story; loves “wine, women, and song.” This face 
shows original refinement, hut a life devoted to social 
and sensual enjoyments has alteied the features for the 
worse. The signs for Benevolence, Amativeness, Mirth¬ 
fulness, Alimentiveness, Approbativeness, Music, 
Friendship, Constructiveness, Human Nature, Anal- 
sis, Self-will, Form and Size, and Memory of Events are 
arge. The modifying effect of Modesty was needed by 
such a combination to restrain its degrading tendency, 
hence the sign for Modesty is very decided. This char¬ 
acter has all the requisites for a first-class comic actor, 
and may be one. 


T 

Is 




342 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


waste. It holds gases in solution, dissolves solids, helps to give every 
tissue its physical character, and is the indispensable condition of that 
ceaseless change of composition and decomposition on which the continu¬ 
ance of life depends.* 

The important part which water plays in the human economy 
is thus shown; add to this the fact that the human infant exists 
upon fluid food entirely for the first year of its life and mainly for 
its first three years, and we shall comprehend the importance of 
the function and faculty of Bibativeness. 

The first functional act of man’s life is to inhale air; the 
second is to receive and assimilate liquid food: hence the first 
most important function is that of breathing; the second next 
important function, the digestion of fluid food. We have seen 
formerly that the human embryo is composed mainly of water; 
also that his first habitat is of a fluid nature; his first food, a liquid 
containing a large percentage of water. Now, this preponderating 
influence of a single element in the human system would naturally 
make its presence known in the face, which is, as I have demon¬ 
strated, the registering dial of the entire body. Not Only would 
the sign for fluid digestion be well defined in the face, but it would 
be (by reason of its preponderance in youth) one of the most con - 
spicuous facial signs in infancy. Accordingly, we observe in all 
healthy infants an uncommonly full and puffy appearance about 
the corners of the mouth, adjoining the signs for Mirthfulness and 
Digestion. 

This sign of Bibativeness decreases as age advances, and the 
facial sign for solid digestion, or Alimentiveness, becomes more pro¬ 
nounced and apparent. Where the love of liquids is a peculiarly 
strong trait, this facial record remains throughout life and develops 
even greater fullness than that observed in infancy. Many persons 
retain through life the peculiar puffy fullness and dimpled appear¬ 
ance of infancy. Such persons have an uncommon fondness for 
liquid foods, and, like the infant, show great mirthfulness and taste 
for fun, games, and amusements. The entire body in this case also 
retains its infantile rotundity , and the abdomen enlarges, the limbs 
increase in size and softness, the cheeks are greatly puffed, and the 
chin becomes double and sometimes triple in appearance; or, on 
the other hand, if this trait is inherited in combination with a well- 
developed osseous and muscular system, the body will present all 
these signs in a modified form, and the cheeks and abdomen will 
be the best indicators of this faculty and function. Of course there 
are many grades of strength of the bibative function; but the facial 
and bodily signs will indicate these differences of development, 

* Physiology of Common Life, G. H. Lewes, p. 25. 


BIBATIVENESS5. 


343 


and this function will be influenced and modified by the other 
systems in combination. 

The situation of the principal facial sign of the love of liquids 
is most suggestive, as it adjoins the mouth,—the principal sign for 
Alimentiveness,—and is also in the neighborhood of all the signs 
which denote glandular or fluid action, viz., the signs for 
Benevolence, Mirthfulness, Hospitality, Love of Young, Amative¬ 
ness, Friendship, etc. O. S. Fowler has observed this sign in the 
cheek, and dubs it the facial “pole” for the function of Bibative- 
ness, and states that “its sign is often found in the faces of the 
descendants of inebriates.” All the soft tissues of the face, as well 
as of the body, exhibit the action of the fluid system in a very 
marked manner. All of the signs for glandular action are situated 
mainly about the region of the mouth, and this arrangement is in 
accordance with the laws of physiological harmony, for, as we have 
formerly seen that all of the visceral organs of the body that 
mutually assist each other are grouped in such proximity as to aid 
each other, so in the face the signs for all the organs which are in 
close proximity in the body are also grouped together, and thus 
the physiognomist finds a most wonderful register and record of 
corroborative signs of function and faculty, and this record is self- 
revealing by virtue of its situation; and thus form and locality 
taken together are evidences of internal physiological operations 
and of their resultant mental tastes and proclivities. 

The fluid system is, as I have shown elsewhere, the most 
important system of the body; not only of the embryonic and 
infantile organisms, but of tlie matured being as well. The 
system of lacteals and absorbents within the body and the system 
of sweat-glands and tubes upon the surface, together with the 
kidneys and bladder, excrete the fluid waste of the body and thus 
preserve the functional purity of the entire organism. The impor¬ 
tance of the fluid system of the body cannot be overestimated, for, 
as we have seen, the body depends upon fluid for its primitive 
construction, and later it depends upon fluid for the processes of 
growth and repair. Water is the origin of all vegetable and 
animal life. The first animal bodies were aquatic. Man is in his 
prenatal life an aquatic animal , semi-aquatic in infancy, and 
always dependent upon fluids for life and health. In order that 
his system shall be the most perfect, pure water, like pure air, is 
most essential. Man can exist and thrive upon a small quantity 
of very poor food if he have a plentiful supply of pure water and 
pure air; hence the fluid and gaseous elements of the body are 
most essential to life, growth, and normal being. 

The peculiarities of those in whom Bibativeness is large are 



344 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY, 


similar to the traits which are exhibited by the vegetative individual. 
When fluid forms a large part of the human organism the emotions 
predominate, and when the combination includes a fair share of 
bone and muscle all of the traits arising from these constituents 
are greatly modified by the presence of the soft tissues. Where 
the fluid elements of the body are greatly lacking, the tissues are 
dry and inactive and the mind unsocial and contracted. The 
physiognomies of many noted misers and recluses show them to be 
deficient in the fluids of the system ; hence their faces are dry, 
shriveled, and wrinkled, and their habits correspondingly unsocial. 
A normal supply of fluids in the system gives softness and round¬ 
ness to the cheeks, the lips, throat, limbs, and body, and freshness, 
moisture, and elasticity to the skin. Deficiency in the fluids pro¬ 
duces opposite appearances and distinct mental effects. Very great 
lack of the fluids produces serious defects of the mental and social 
traits and other unbalanced conditions; while, on the other hand, 
an excess of fluids in the organism induces other abnormal states 
of body and mind. What should be aimed at is a balanced or 
normal condition. This can be measurably attained by an intelli¬ 
gent use of liquid foods and by exercise or rest as the case requires, 
bathing, the use or non-use of carbonaceous foods, and other 
hygienic precautions. 

The laws of evolution teach us that the fluid system or primi¬ 
tive kidney-duct was the first system evolved after the intestinal in 
the primitive animal. It must, hence, be deemed as of great 
importance; for all primitive functions, such as fluid digestion , 
excretion of the fluid waste , breathing, etc., are the most essential 
to animal life; and the tastes and habits derived from these 
functions in the perfected human being are the strongest and most 
lasting. 

A love for liquids exerts a dominating influence upon us, for, 
whereas almost every one can deny himself any favorite article of 
food, not one in thousands can as easily forego a favorite tipple, 
such as tea, coffee, chocolate, lemonade, soups, sauces, etc.; while 
all know of the uncontrollable appetite which, strong drink pro¬ 
duces. We are taught that eating was the original sin; judging 
from the present dietetic habits and tastes, one could readily believe 
that drinking was the basis of “total depravity.” 

Every species of food taken into the stomach contains water 
in varying degrees. The air, too, has its hydrogen or moist ele¬ 
ment, which is present in a vaporous form, and which assists in 
giving freshness, moisture, and elasticity to the skin and tissues, 
and strength to the lungs. 

The sense of thirst , which is our second most important 


BIBATIVENESS. 


345 


sensation, is never of a pleasurable nature; while the sense of 
hunger or appetite is essential to our enjoyment of food. Different 
degrees of temperature of liquids produce various grades of thirst. 
Tepid or hot drinks allay thirst much better than very cold water. 
It is said that “the bodies of those who have perished from thirst 
show a general dryness of all the tissues, a thickening of the 
humors, a certain degree of coagulation of the blood, numberless 
indications of inflammation, and sometimes gangrene of the 
viscera.”* 

If the bibative function is normal it will regulate the quantity 
of fluids which the system requires, but if there is a predisposition 
to imbibe more fluid nutriment than is necessary for the healthful 
action of the body the disproportion of fluids in the system is soon 
apparent; the individual becomes corpulent, indolent, disinclined 
to either mental or manual labor, and if this condition becomes 
still further perverted disorders of the circulatory system are 
engendered and life becomes a burden and all usefulness is at an 
end. When we reflect that nearly three-fourths of the weight of 
the human body consists of water, we can readily comprehend why 
an abnormal disproportion in the direction of the fluid elements 
would produce serious disorders of the kidneys and other organs. 

As we have seen to what extent water enters into the human 
system as a principal constituent, we must hence infer that our 
water-supply should be ample and as pure as possible; indeed, 
after air, water is the next most important factor of being. 

The reason why tea, coffee, beer, and soup quench the thirst 
is due to the quantity of water which they contain. Mountain 
spring-water is undoubtedly the purest water that can be obtained, 
yet even this should be filtered, and the icater-filter should be 
considered the most important article of household furniture. No 
family should be without one. In the water supplied to most 
large towns and cities there are always more or less impurities 
which are very detrimental to life and health. And yet, while the 
majority of housekeepers make the most strenuous efforts to pro¬ 
cure good, well-cooked food, the water which forms the larger 
part of the human body is too often of the most impure quality. 

The best solvent for our food is water and fruit and vegetable 
juices. A host of artificial drinks have been compounded by man, 
but are all more or less injurious in their effects upon the system. 
Alcoholic drinks take first rank as the most deadly and destructive; 
following these, tea and coffee, which induce different forms of 
nervous, liver, and kidney complaints, and at the same time they 
have a most decided and disastrous effect upon the mental powers 


*The Physiology of Common Life, G. H. Lewes, p. 34. 


346 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


and disposition. 1 have known cases where the happiness of 
entire families has been wrecked by the tea and coffee tippling of 
the parents. This form of tippling produces nervous irritation, 
irritability of the disposition, sleeplessness, and consequent ex¬ 
haustion, and, carried to excess, other diseases supervene and lead 
to insanity and death. 

What is an excessive use of tea \ Whenever the exhilaration 
produced by tea is quite perceptible to the drinker, the use is 
excessive; for the nervous system will react and become lowered 
and enfeebled in proportion to the exhilaration produced. Stolid, 
vegetative persons can drink several cups of tea at a meal without 
being so stimulated as a nervous or mental person would by drink¬ 
ing one cup. Coffee acts as a poison, and is such to those whose 
liver or nerves are affected by its action. When coffee induces 
tremulousness or wakefulness, it is highly deleterious and should 
be avoided. Tea and coffee are less injurious to those who perform 
hard, manual labor, especially if they work out of doors. Sedentary 
persons who live mainly indoors do not have the neutralizing 
benefit of perspiration and fresh air, hence retain all the deleterious 
principles of tea and coffee in the system, and are accordingly 
more injured by their use. 

The best drinks are those which are the most simple and 
natural; lemonade, and fruit-juices pressed from berries, such as 
currants, raspberries, etc., sweetened and cooled by setting them 
upon ice in warm weather, are most wholesome and refreshing. In 
the matter of quantity each one should be guided by his own 
individual needs. In hot climates, where perspiration is engen¬ 
dered freely, or by working in foundries and in the kitchen, a 
larger supply is required than in cooler places. Excessive indul¬ 
gence in water or other liquids induces obesity. 

Salt in the system, combining with the water, creates chemical 
activity, which eliminates the uttermost amount of carbonaceous 
matter from the food, and thus fat is stored away about the large 
visceral organs and under the skin all over the body, as is seen in 
infants, who exist entirely upon fluid foods. When this taste is 
indulged in to excess, it is transmitted to offspring in an intensified 
form and leaves its sign in the face in a most decided manner. 
Hereditary love of liquids does not always induce a love for alco¬ 
holic stimulants, but is liable to do so if opportunity offers, and 
social customs influence the character. The offspring of inebriates 
often carry this facial record of their parents’ vice, and thus physi¬ 
ognomy not only discloses one’s propensities, but also discloses what 
vices have cursed the parents. 

All signs about the region of the mouth denote in some 


BIBATIVENESS. 


347 


degree the condition of the fluid circulation. The sign for the 
kidneys is situated in the chin, and the descendants of inebriates 
disclose by the smallness and narrowness of the chin the moral 
degradation which has resulted as a consequence of vitiated physical 
organs. 

A great deal of the condition of the fluid circulation may be 
known by the color of the complexion and eyes. Very pale or 
ashen-colored skin indicates an impoverished, ansemic state of the 
blood; waxy-looking skin, a dropsical condition of the fluid system; 
while a delicate or fresh and rosy hue of the skin discloses a 
healthful, normal state of the fluids of the body. Very light eyes 
announce a weakness of the kidney system, or defective action of 
the reproductive system, one or both. Physiology teaches us that 
nine hundred and twenty-seven parts of the retina of the eye is 
composed of water. Now, if the fluids of the body are greatly in 
excess of the normal requirements, the eye would also partake of 
this excess, and by the weakness of its color would reveal this 
deficiency of coloring pigment and strength of the humors of the 
eye. The eyes of Albinos are proof of this theory, and very 
light-eyed people do not possess the same degree of visual power 
as do those who exhibit a normal supply of coloring pigment in 
the eyes. 

The primitive animals were aquatic; later, they evolved an 
amphibious nature, and still later took up their abode entirely 
upon land. Among men we find representatives of these several 
classes of animals. The natives of the islands of the Pacific 
Ocean almost live in the water, and from their infancy are accus¬ 
tomed to pass a great share of their lives in and upon the water. 
Among civilized races, we observe every variety of the bibative 
individual. We see those who are built like the hippopotamus, 
and who possess many of* its characteristics. This class of people 
are semi-aquatic in nature, and live mainly upon liquid foods and 
love bathing and swimming. Like the hippopotamus, they are 
always looking for food, and are indolent and mild except when 
enraged, and then are terrible in their exhibitions of wrath. 

All persons with the sign for Bibativeness large are very fond 
of bathing, swimming, and all aquatic exercises. Women with 
this sign large like scrubbing and washing and any pursuits 
which require the use of water. Natural bathers are known by 
fullness of the lower cheek, together with a healthy color of the 
complexion. Thin or hollow-cheeked persons do not exhibit a 
taste for bathing, and if they are pale as well as hollow-cheeked 
should never indulge in full baths, but make use of the sponge- 
bath quickly applied, as their circulatory power is comparatively 


348 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


feeble and a full bath would take so much of the natural heat of 
the body as to prevent in many subjects a healthy reaction. 

Water is thus shown to be indispensable to every stage of 
life. It also enters more largely into primitive life and infantile 
conditions; hence it is that those human organisms which possess 
a disproportionate quantity of water or fluid are relatively more 
immature or childlike in their mentality than those who possess a 
normal quantity. The differences observed between a vegetative 
adult and a bony or muscular one will afford a good illustration 
of the influence which water has upon the human body and mind. 

ALIMENTIVENESS, . DIGESTION. 

Definition. —Hunger, love of eating, large digestive capacity, 
healthy and normal assimilation of solid and liquid foods. Epi¬ 
cureanism is a refined phase of this faculty and function. Gluttony 
and gormandizing are perverted states of this faculty. 

An excess of the love of eating and drinking leads to gluttony, 
gross size, dullness of intellect, and numerous diseases, among 
which are apoplexy, indigestion, dropsical conditions, inflamma¬ 
tions, and rheumatism. 

A defective digestive capacity causes lack of bodily and mental 
vigor, nervousness, consumption, dyspepsia, and numerous other 
ills. Defective digestion is indicated by a narrow mouth, thin 
cheeks; thin, pale, and dry lips; a shrunken appearance of the 
parotid gland; colorless or pallid complexion ; long, high, and thin 
nose, or a nose flat at the middle portion ; long, slim neck; narrow 
shoulders, flat abdomen; long, thin, or transparent hands, fingers, 
and ears; feeble, hesitating gait. 

Facial and Bodily Signs. —A wide mouth ; full, red, and moist 
lips; full, red cheeks, with a plentiful supply of the soft tissues about 
the chin, are the primary facial signs of good digestive capacity; 
also, fullness of the parotid gland just in front of the ear-opening. 
The bodily signs are shown by a well-nourished body, full abdo¬ 
men, full breast; short, thick, wrinkled neck, and plenty of soft 
tissue over all parts of the body; hands and fingers well supplied 
with flesh. Gluttony in some pushes the eyeball up and forward, 
leaving a good portion of the “ white ” of the eye exposed below 
the retina; where this appearance is noted, it is accompanied in¬ 
variably by intense periodical headaches, owing to an inordinate or 
uncontrolled appetite. 

Description of Alimentiveness. —The majority of people 
understand that the fullness of the lower part of the cheeks denotes 
good digestive powers, but, with a singular lack of logic, fail to 
reason that if Nature has placed the sign of one function or faculty 


ALIMENTIVENESS. 


349 


in the face there may be others there also, and hence look no far¬ 
ther for signs for the liver, the lungs, the kidneys, the heart, the 
muscles, etc. 

In infancy the diet. is entirely of a liquid nature, hence we 
should naturally infer that the signs for infantile digestion would 
be different from those exhibited by adults. This reasoning is 
correct, for infants while in the liquid stage exhibit the sign for 
digestion by a peculiar fullness of the cheek about half an inch 
backward from the corners of the mouth, externally to and on a 
line with the mouth. Observation of any well-nourished infant 
will locate this cushion-like protuberance. After the infant ex¬ 
changes its fluid diet for a more solid one this cushion of soft, 
dimpled fat disappears and the fullness moves farther hack to the 
outer sides of the lower part of the cheeks, unless there is an un¬ 
common love of liquids, such as soups, milk, lemonade, soda, 
gravies, sauces, etc.; in this case the fullness of infancy is retained 
to adult life, and is one of Nature’s unfailing facial hieroglyphs 
which denotes love of liquid foods. This fullness is not due to mus¬ 
cular development, for in infancy the muscles have not been used 
for mastication, but is due solely to glandular development, which 
is a vegetative process purely and operated with but trifling mus¬ 
cular action. The juices created by the imbibition of liquid foods 
assist in building up the cheeks to sometimes an enormous fullness, 
which present a globular appearance, and in this stage of nutrition 
the infant or adult looks like a puff-ball and exhibits globular 
foi *ms all over the soft parts of the body. Veteran beer-drinkers 
often present this formation of face and body, which proves that 
this function derives its support from a liquid or vegetative base. 

The width of the nostrils, as well as the height and width of 
the nose at this junction with the forehead, is one excellent indica¬ 
tion of one part of the process of digestion, for this formation shows 
that the sense of scent is powerfully developed, and the capacity 
for scenting flavors, odors, etc., bears direct relationship to the 
function of digestion. The olfactory ganglia are located here, and 
if the external nose were removed the sense of scent, of smell, 
would still remain in a great degree. A long, slim nose is not as 
active in distinguishing odors as a broad nose; neither are persons 
possessing this formation characterized by as great a love for food 
as those with a very broad nose, for the sign for the stomach is 
situated at the bridge of the nose and its strength is indicated by 
width at this place. A remarkable illustration and verification of 
this principle may be observed in the animal kingdom. Compare, 
for example, the facial peculiarities and structure of the lion and 
greyhound. The lion has a wide mouth, broad nostrils, and a 


350 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


nose broad its entire length ; it is also wide between the eyes where 
the olfactory ganglia are situated; while the greyhound is just the 
reverse in structure, in digestive power, and capacity for scenting. 
Of this peculiar deficiency of this species of dog, we are told by 
natural history that “the narrow head and sharp nose of the grey¬ 
hound, useful as they are for aiding the progress of the animal by 
removing every impediment to its passage through the atmosphere, 
yet deprive it of a most valuable faculty,—that of chasing by scent. 
The muzzle is so narrow in proportion to its length that the nasal 

nerves have no room for 
proper development, and 
hence the animal is very 
deficient in its power of 
scent .”* In striking con¬ 
trast to the greyhound are 
the bull-dog and the blood¬ 
hound, the pointer, re¬ 
triever, and reindeer, which 
are as conspicuous for their 
keenness of scent as they 
are for the width of the 
nose and nostrils. 

The function of diges¬ 
tion amply illustrates the 
theory of the association of 

tal faculty. Alimentive- 
ness is the mental aspect 
of the love, taste, and desire 
for food, while digestion is 
the physical aspect of this 
bodily function. Large di¬ 
gestive capacity is always 
attended with great love of 
eating. It depends upon 
the inherited quality of the individual, whether the taste for food 
shall be a coarse or a fine one. A fine-grained person, exhibiting 
large digestive powers, would naturally incline to epicureanism, 
while one of coarse quality would care more for quantity—more 
for a gross plenty—than for fine quality of food and drink; he 
would be apt to express himself as did a veteran toper, who, 
when chided for going into low groggeries for his liquor, replied, 
“ I know there’s a difference in whisky, but its all good.” Those 

* Wood’s New Illustrated Natural History, Rev. J. G. Wood, p. 51. 


physical function with men- 



Fig. 30.—SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. (Naval Officer, 
Navigator, and Arctic Discoverer.) 

Born in England, 1796. Principal facial sign, Ali- 
mentiveness, shown by wide mouth, full cheeks, full and 
moist lips. The law governing this face is the straight 
line, curve, and sphere. The immense vital powers of 
Sir John Franklin enabled him to perform herculean 
mental labors and endure all the rigors of the Arctic 
climate. In his face are the signs of Firmness, Conscien¬ 
tiousness, Patriotism, Amativeness, Love of Home 
and of the Young; Benevolence, Modesty, Mirthful¬ 
ness, Economy, Friendship, Approbativeness, and Sana¬ 
tiveness very large. The mental signs for Caution, 
Analysis, Sublimity, Human Nature, Constructiveness, 
Acquisitiveness, Veneration, Executiveness, Self-will, 
Locality, Order, Language, and Reason are of the first 
order, and the student of physiognomy will have a fine 
field for the study of grand character in this resolute, 
capable countenance. 





ALIMENTIYENESS. 


351 


with small digestive capacity care too little for food, and are 
usually poor judges of flavors, odors, etc.; they make poor 
caterers, and I have known some mothers so deficient in Ali- 
mentiveness as to be unable to provide properly for the wants of 
their children in this direction. This class of persons should 
never keep a boarding-house or hotel, for they would be most 
unsatisfactory hosts. 

The mouth being the entrance to that chemical laboratory, 
the stomach, large size of this feature with full lips would natu¬ 
rally disclose great appetite and power for digestion. As the 
large size of the nostrils 
indicates the size of the 
lungs, so large size of the 
mouth tells us that the en¬ 
tire digestive apparatus is 
on a corresponding scale. 

Fullness of the lower part 
of the cheek, particularly, 
is an unfailing sign of di¬ 
gestive power, for if the food 
assimilate with the juices 
of the stomach, pancreas, 
and liver, the lower part of 
the cheek will indicate this 
condition. Large develop¬ 
ment of the parotid gland 
just in front of the ears is 
another proof of assimila¬ 
tive power. When this 
gland is well developed, a 
soft cushion-like protuber¬ 
ance will be observed 
directly in front of and 
below the opening of the 
ear. It is usually large in outdoor laborers, seamen, farmers, and 
all who eat heartily and digest well. It is small and weak in 
those who are deficient in digestive power and are poor feeders. 
Eating and absorbing solids and liquids was the first or primitive 
function; from this starting-point all the functions and faculties 
have developed by differentiation and evolution. The mouth is 
not only the register of the function of digestion, but it is also the 
principal organ of speech, and is therefore by its size and shape 
indicative both of the quantity, volume, and quality of language. 
Its size and form, color and texture combined, indicate the grade 



Fig. 31.—A. A. LOW. (Distinguished 
Merchant.) 

Born in Massachusetts, 1811. Conspicuous facial sign, 
Alimentiveness. The law of the straight line, curve, 
and sphere governs this physiognomy. This subject 
was formerly president of the New York Chamber of 
Commerce and has exhibited administrative ability of 
a high order. In his countenance one sees the signs 
for Alimentiveness, Hospitality, Friendship, Appro- 
bativeness, Self-esteem, Conscientiousness, Love of 
Home, of Country, and of Young all very pronounced. 
His mental powers are shown by the signs for Ven¬ 
eration, Executiveness, Self-will, Order, Form, Size, 
Memory of Events, and Reason. 



352 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


of development or refinement of character, not only of the social 
and domestic traits of which it is primarily representative, but it 
is decisive of the general grade of the refinement of the individual 
in his entirety. This fact is patent to all good observers. 

The mouth does not denote the mental faculties in so precise 
a manner as the nose, yet it does by its size, form, color, etc., give 
the general tone or grade of the individual; most especially while in 
motion the play of the muscles will serve to reveal more of the char¬ 
acter than when in repose; yet both must be taken together. The 
good examiner will cause the subject to converse, smile, and laugh, 
in order to get as many expressions of the mouth and its adjacent 
parts as possible, for all movements are significant; nothing is too 
small to be valueless. I have made quite a different estimate of 
character after observing the play of the muscles of the mouth 
than I had previously formed. 

The mouth is furnished with an exceedingly muscular tongue 
and numerous glands which secrete and excrete a variety of juices, 
which, mingling with the food, assist the process of digestion. 

The use of the mouth as an active agent in digestion will not 
be fully understood unless the reader makes himself thoroughly 
acquainted with the mechanism and anatomy of the mouth; then 
the eating and speaking capacities of this feature will be understood 
and its full importance as a revelator of character comprehended. 
In writing upon physiognomy it seems necessary that the physi¬ 
ology and anatomy of every feature should be described, along 
with the exterior and mental descriptions, but the limits of my 
work render this impossible, and I can only recommend the student 
to make use of a good work on these subjects, in connection with 
this one, otherwise he will have only a surface knowledge of 
character, for mentality is a question of physiology, and impossible 
to be comprehended without a fair understanding of its laws. 

Appetite is the normal expression of this function, yet, as the 
stomach is often perverted by excesses or improper food, it cannot 
be always relied upon as a guide. Reason and observation must 
come in to assist the appetite in its demands, and only such foods 
as experience has demonstrated as nutritious should be partaken 
of. No function is more abused than the function of digestion. 
Most people eat entirely too much , and this leads to many and 
serious disorders. 

Each individual stomach is so entirely different from every 
other, that no one in particular is a guide for any other; for the 
articles of food which nourish some act as poisons upon other 
systems. In this regard, each must be a “law unto himself.” 
Many persons have a decided liking for certain articles of diet 


ALIMENTIVENESS, 


353 


which seriously disagree with them, and this furnishes the best 
proof of the statement that observation, reason, and self-control 
should be the guide of appetite. Mothers should always supervise 
the diet of their children and compel them to refrain from eating 
things unsuited to them, or at improper hours, and in immoderate 
quantities. 

Nature has brought forth many youthful geniuses in music, 
art, and mathematics,—children, who, like Mozart, could compose 
music at four years of age; orators at ten, like Harry Shannon; 
mathematicians at three, like George Bidder; but Nature has never 
yet produced a child with a genius for selecting proper food for 
itself, nor a genius for bringing itself up properly. Think of this, 
mothers, when you are inclined to allow your children to select 
dainties and leave the substantial untouched, because they say 
they “can’t relish them,” and “soft-headed” mothers believe this, 
and keep up the supply of cake, pie, sweetmeats, etc., until Nature 
puts a stop to it by disease or death. 

I have seen many children who have hoodwinked their 
parents in this manner for years, yet when taken to where there 
were no dainties to be had ate as heartily as other children. Such 
children should be compelled to eat wholesome food by withhold¬ 
ing sweets, etc., from the table, and very soon a normal appetite 
would be discovered. Yet mothers should study children’s peculi¬ 
arities with a view of providing suitable foods; for black-eyed 
children cannot always relish the same foods which blue-eyed 
children desire. Dark-eyed, bilious persons often find milk wholly 
indigestible. Sweets, also, are not so suitable for them as for the 
lighter colored. The reason for this lies in the fact that the liver 
is not usually so active in dark people as in the light skinned. 
The heart is relatively stronger than the liver in the former, and 
this accounts for many seeming inconsistencies and idiosyncrasies 
in diet. Certain diseases affect different-colored persons in differ¬ 
ent manner. So well is this understood by one school of medicine, 
at least, the “Homoeopathic,” that it gives different medicines for 
the same disease to those of diverse color of complexion and eyes; 
and this accords with the teachings of scientific physiognomy, for 
physiology is at the base of the science, and nothing, however 
minute, is regarded as unimportant in this study. The most 
minute differences are not unimportant but highly significant, and 
explain all sorts of dissimilar characteristics. This diversity 
extends not only to the question of food, sleep, etc., but must be 
observed in the manner of instructing children of dissimilar colors ; 
for children who are light, with bright red-colored complexion, 
made so by large lung development, learn everything “ on the 

23 


354 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

wing,” as it were, and can never be made to plod like the darker- 
skinned children, who are more capable of enduring continuous, 
monotonous habits; for where the lungs predominate over the 
heart unceasing activity is the law of being. Physiognomy comes 
with all these new ideas to mothers and teachers to bless their 
labors by giving them an intelligent method of instructing and 
interesting youth, based upon law and science. It is as palpably 
absurd to compel children of the most diverse conditions of body 
to feed alike, as it would be a palpable violation of good taste to 
compel all children of both dark and light complexions to wear 
precisely the same colors, for every one possessed of taste knows 
that bright, vivid, rich colors harmonize best with the brunette 
complexion and dark eyes, and that light blue and white look 
best upon blonde or fair persons. There are laws regulating the 
fitness of food as there are laws regulating the appropriateness of 
colors. It should be the duty of every one to seek out for himself 
the law of his stomach and digestive apparatus, and then make a 
serious and religious effort to abide by it. If* religious principle is 
required more in one direction than in another, it is in reference 
to habits of eating and in the propagation of the race. We are 
taught in the Bible that eating was the first or primal sin. It is 
plain to be seen that all of Eve’s descendants have received 
through the laws of heredity this propensity in an aggravated and 
intensified form. The sin of overeating is universal and as preva¬ 
lent among the most religious and civilized races as it is among 
the uncivilized heathen. Hygienic law in eating should be 
observed,—not individual preference, nor will; nor perverted, 
vitiated appetites and passions; but law sanctified by reason , self- 
control, self-denial , and moral 'principle. For this reason God has 
placed Conscientiousness among the domestic faculties, where it is 
most needed to check and rule them. He did not wait until He 
had built the whole edifice of man and then put conscience on top 
like a steeple on a church. Evolution teaches us that Conscien¬ 
tiousness—that is to say, speaking physiologically, the fluid or kidney 
system—was created soon after the primitive function of Digestion 
appeared. Its appearance at this time in the creation of functions 
shows its importance to the system, for it was evolved long before 
the heart, the liver, the lungs, the blood-vessel system, or even 
before the sexual system appeared; hence its high significance and 
value to all the rest of the bodily functions and mental faculties. 
Religion and Conscientiousness are not subjects for church worship 
alone, but should be incorporated into our daily life, into our 
habits of eating, drinking, sleeping, rest, exercise, labor, and, above 
all, their highest principles should be applied to the generating 


AMATIVENESS. 355 

of better bodies and minds. Until these principles are thus 
applied, no one can be said to be truly religious or moral. 

AMATIVENESS. 

Definition. —Love of the opposite sex, procreative energy, 
physical passion, conjugality, manliness and womanliness, sexual 
perfection, energetic individuality, fecundity, base of mentality. 

An excess of Amativeness tends to immodesty, unchastity, 
and to unbridled licentiousness, lust, prostitution, obscene language, 
and slight regard for sexual ethics. 

Deficient Amativeness makes the character narrow, unsocial, 
and unlovable, with no power to attract the opposite sex. It also 
si lows lack of creative ability in art, etc. Those deficient in love 
of the opposite sex are wanting in magnetism, and often exhibit 
a morbid, shrewish, suspicious manner, and angularity of body. 
Hermits and misers are usually very much lacking in this faculty 
and function. 

Facial and Bodily Signs. —Fullness, redness, and moisture 
of the centre of the upper lip; large, convex eyes; rounding, mus¬ 
cular body; round limbs, and muscular hands and fingers. The 
full lip by its size, color, and moisture indicates vigor and develop¬ 
ment of the reproductive system, and is a primary sign. The eyes 
by their size disclose the degree of the sentiment of love of the 
opposite sex, while their shape and position show the kind of love 
present. Small mouths and a thin upper lip denote very little 
Amativeness; very small, sunken eyes also show a relative deficiency 
of this faculty and associated function. Muscular persons and 
races are more prolific than those who are bony or angular, and 
exhibit a more demonstrative sentimental and affectionate disposi¬ 
tion. A face which exhibits a small, narrow mouth, with thin 
lips and narrowness between the eyes, is indicative of narrowness 
of the pelvis, with weakness of the uterine glands; and this forma¬ 
tion of the body is unsuited to successful parturition. 

Rounding out of the lower part of the hack of the head dis¬ 
closes Amativeness by virtue of its being one of the signs of the 
dmimance of the muscidar system, which rounds and curves 
every part of the body. All muscular persons and animals exhibit 
this formation. This is, however, a secondary sign. Phrenology 
gives it a cerebral and primary one, although rounding of the body 
and limbs are also bodily signs of Amativeness and procreative 
energy. 

Description of Amativeness. —Love and hunger are the two 
most important of human functions and faculties. Nutrition and 
reproduction stand in direct relationship to each other. The strife 


356 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


for a living—the means of subsistence—and the desire for love are 
the two most powerful motives which prompt man to action. It is 
fair to conclude that the signs for these most important functions 
and sentiments would be correspondingly apparent in the face, and 
easily described. 

The principal signs in the face of these tw r o primitive func¬ 
tions and sentiments are situated in and about the mouth. Large 

mouths, with well-developed 
lips, together with good width 
between the eyes, disclose in 
the female the best construc¬ 
tion lor child-bearing, for 
width of the bony structure 
between the eyes not only 
reveals the width of the brain 
structure through its median 
portion, but also shows width 
of the median portion of the 
pelvis , and this is the best 
formation for easy parturition. 
Women with very small 
mouths and thin lips, and 
those whose eyes are set close 
to the nose with little space 
between, are not so well 
formed for 

those exhibiting the reverse 
of this formation. This is a 
most useful lesson in com¬ 
parative anatomy for phy¬ 
sicians; yet no medical work 
extant gives this knowledge 
of the facial signs of repro¬ 
ductive power. A good phy¬ 
sician as well as a skillful 
physiognomist should be able 
to describe by observation of 
the face alone the shape and power of all the internal organs; and 
this is one of the most important uses of this system of scientific 
and practical physiognomy. 

Amativeness is manifested in different individuals in different 
ways, but the form, size, and color of the parts of the face involved 
in the production of these signs will reveal how each individual 
loves. If the centre of the upper lip be very full, very red, and 


child-bearing as 



Fig. 32.—THE PUNDITA RAMABAI. (A High- 
caste Hindoo Lady ; a Traveler, Writer, 
Orator, and Philanthropist.) 

Principal facial sign, Amativeness, shown by full¬ 
ness, redness, and moisture of the centre of the 
upper lip. The law of the straight line and curve 

g overns this face. This gifted lady owes much of 
er personal magnetism, executive force, and ora¬ 
torical and literary originality to the fine and high 
development of the faculty and function of Ama¬ 
tiveness. She is a most womanly woman; full of 
mirth, wit, fine sarcasm, and quaint originality. 
Her brain is too active for her slender body. Her 
face exhibits the signs for Conscientiousness, Love 
of Young, of Home, and of Country, Benevolence, 
Friendship, Approbativeness, Modesty, Mirthful¬ 
ness ; also the signs of Analysis, Human Nature, 
Mental Imitation, Constructiveness, Veneration and 
Sublimity, strong Self-will, large Form, Size, Mental 
Order, Color, Memory of Events, Calculation, and 
Reason. She has gone on a mission to India to edu¬ 
cate and save from degradation the child-widows, 
who are considered by their race as outcasts because 
they have been so unfortunate as to lose their hus¬ 
bands,—an instance of religious bigotry rarely ex¬ 
celled. 









AMATIVENESS. 


357 


with a moist or fresh appearance, a great deal of the physical 
phase of love will be present, and, unless accompanied with a good 
degree of Conscientiousness, an improper use is liable to be made 
of this function, and the individual will have very lax notions of 
sexual morality and personal purity. He will need all the restrain¬ 
ing influences of moral and religious instruction to prevent him 
from becoming wanton and libertine in character. 

The same degree of development, with Conscience and Friend¬ 
ship combined, gives to the 
character true conjugal 
feeling and principle, and, 
with Love of Young added, 
it gives large parental love, 
and those with this combi¬ 
nation make good marital 
companions and parents. 

An upper lip, thin, white, 
and dry at its centre, 
shows an almost utter lack 
of Amativeness, and conse¬ 
quent deficiency in conjugal 
and parental sentiments, 
and their associated physi¬ 
cal development. Such 
persons should never marry, 
for they would make un¬ 
satisfactory companions un¬ 
less they mated with one 
similar in character. This 
would be injudicious, for 
the offspring resulting from 
such union (should there 
chance to be any) would 
probably show still greater 
deficiency in this direction, 
and would really constitute 

a morbid variety of the human species which would not be 
worth perpetuating. 

The eyes disclose more of the sentimental or emotional phase 
of Amativeness, while the mouth reveals the condition of the 
physical phase of the reproductive system, which is the base and 
origin of the sentiment of love of the opposite sex, and in these 
signs in the face we have still more convincing evidence of the 
truth of my theory of the relation of physical function with mental 



Fig. 33—ANTHONY RAPHAEL MENUS. (Cele¬ 
brated German Painter and Writer.) 

Born in Bohemia, 1728. Principal facial sign, Ama¬ 
tiveness, shown by fullness, redness, and moisture of 
the centre of the upper lip. The law of the straight 
line and curve governs this face. The quality is fine. 
This great creative artist doubtless derived much of 
his originality from the amative faculty and function. 
The dimpled chin is yet another proof of the love of 
the beautiful in the opposite sex and of artistic taste as 
well. The nose is broad in the back the entire length. 
The curved jaw shows dramatic instincts. The signs 
for Amativeness, Love of Young, Benevolence, Love 
of Home and of Country form a fine substratum of 
domestic character. Modesty is quite defined and 
tones down the manifestation of Self-esteem and Ama¬ 
tiveness. Mental Imitation, Analysis, Ideality, Sub¬ 
limity, Human Nature, Hope, Coristructiveness, Ven¬ 
eration and Self-will are veiw large in this nose. 
Form, Size, Color, Calculation, Language, and Locality 
are also well defined. In this physiognomy are seen 
all the elements of a great artist and critic. 



358 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


faculty. Prof. A. E. Willis,* in his treatise on physiognomy, 
shows that the “monogamic” principle, or love for one only , is 
disclosed by the round eye, shaped like that of the dove, which is 
noted for strong conjugal attachment; while the “wanton eye ” is 
indicated by an almond shaped commissure or opening between 
the eyelids. My own observations confirm his discoveries in this 
respect. The round eye indicates a strong desire for a permanent 
attachment, and if this is dissolved by death or otherwise great 
and lasting sorrow will be manifested, so much so as to often lead 
to a celibate life thereafter. The “ wanton ” or “ polygamic ” eye 
indicates the presence of a love for promiscuous attachments in 
some, while in others (where the inherited quality is fine) Ama¬ 
tiveness will exhibit itself by one faithful attachment for the time; 
but if death or other causes lead to a separation the individual 
will be quite able to console himself with another marital com¬ 
panion, and exhibit faithful connubial attachment; yet, if separated 
permanently, can become equally attached to another companion. 
The almond form of eye is almost universally observed in the 
Mongolian races, and as they exhibit a low, inherited quality, 
promiscuity in their attachments and polygamy in their marriage 
relations is quite general among them. 

The terms “wanton eye” and “monogamic eye” do not ade¬ 
quately express the entire significance of the scope and range of 
the motives and principles of sex-love accompanying each of these 
forms. I prefer to name the latter “conjugal” and the former 
“ promiscuous ” for want of more precise language. The Turks 
and Arabs and other Oriental races present the peculiar almond 
form of eye, and are polygamic in their marriages and promiscuous 
in their attachments. The several races of animals which exhibit 
these two different formations of the eye are also characterized by 
the same peculiarities of Amativeness. It will be noted that most 
of the bird tribes have very round eye-openings, and in these the 
monogamic or mating principle is dominant. Many animals who 
live in the monogamic relation with their mates possess similarly- 
shaped eyes, as, for example, the roebuck among the deer tribes 
and the lion among the carnivora. Those animals that exhibit an 
almond-shaped opening of the eye, or those whose commissures 
are greater in width than they are vertically, are polygamic in 
their unions and do not mate with one of the opposite sex for life, 
as do the lion and roebuck. The hog, the wild boar, the dog, the 
cat, every species of serpent, all of the ape tribes, and all those 
whose eyes exhibit the almond-shaped opening are promiscuous in 
their attachments. The same general principles of form prevail 

#A Treatise on Human Nature and Physiognomy, Prof. A. EJ. WilliS, p. H 


AMATIVENESS. 


359 


in the animal kingdom, as well as in the human, and reveal pre¬ 
cisely similar characteristics. 

The sentiment of Amativeness, or love of the opposite sex, 
does not make itself apparent until the age of puberty, when its 
physical base, the reproductive system, becomes functionally active. 
This produces startling and important changes in all of the mental 
faculties and stimulates the character to greater achievement in 
every direction in both sexes. It is equivalent to the introduction 
of a new function and mental faculty into the system. It is more 
than this, even, for its development has, as stated, a most remark¬ 
able influence upon the entire mental and moral life. Knowledge 
of the laws of sexual purity should be imparted by parents to 
their children at this great crisis of their lives. Lack of such in¬ 
struction has been the ruin of thousands of promising girls and boys, 
and lack of knowledge of sexual ethics in marriage has led thousands 
of husbands and wives to misery, suffering, and anguish unspeak¬ 
able, and has peopled the world with numbers of defectively or¬ 
ganized children, inharmonious in their nature because generated 
in defiance of all physiological law,—true children of lust and 
ignorance, what can be expected of them but crime and misfor¬ 
tune 1 I believe that the present existing prurient and shame¬ 
faced ideas in regard to the relations of the sexes springs from the 
long-continued abuse and misuse of the generative function, both 
in marriage and out of it , for abuse brings shame, consciously or 
unconsciously. The wide-spread ignorance on these subjects is 
deplorable, and all persons intending marriage should procure 
works on physiology and hygiene, and study and prepare for that 
holy relation. A man would not think of entering a counting- 
house or bank to keep books without making a study of mathe¬ 
matics, yet will enter matrimony as unconcernedly as a child enters 
a game, without any special instruction or preparation for the 
most important step which a human being is capable of taking. 

Training in sexual morality should not be put off until about 
entering the marriage relation, but girls and boys should at the age 
of puberty be instructed in the most solemn and thorough manner 
as to the nature and meaning of their newly-acquired function, 
—the most important one after digestion. They should be trained 
in the knowledge of sexual physiology and sexual purity. Place 
in the hands of girls Mrs. Sheperd’s work entitled “For Girls;” 
also Dr. Alice B. Stockham’s work on “Tokology,” or “birth 
science; ” and in hands of boys Dr. Naphey’s work, and to both 
sexes Dr. Guernsey’s “Plain Talks on Avoided Subjects.” 


360 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Which list is only a few of the standard publications upon physi¬ 
ology and purity. No parent or teacher should neglect to use 
their influence to instruct the young in this subject of sexual 
morality. The following is worthy the attention of parents, 
and where young men take this pledge and live up to it 
they can influence hundreds of their associates in the paths of 
virtue and morality. The following is the obligation which is 
offered to youth, and parents reading this should esteem it a 
privilege to have so explicit an exposition of moral purity with 
which to protect their sons:— 

I pledge myself, 1st. To treat all women with respect and endeavor to 
protect them from wrong and degradation. 2d. To endeavor to put down 
all indecent language and coarse jests. 3d. To maintain the law of purity 
as equally binding upon men and women. 4th. To endeavor to spread 
these principles among my companions and help my younger brothers. 
5th. To use every possible means to fulfill the command “ Keep thyself 
pure.” 

The taking of this pledge would follow naturally the informa¬ 
tion and training given to her son by every mother, who should 
esteem it a privilege to be able to give such instruction on subjects 
which the pulpit, the school, and the newspapers have persistently 
ignored. Unless instruction in sexual ethics is imparted to our 
youth we may surely look for their degradation and. early decay 
resulting from ignorance of the true nature of the wonderful and 
all-pervading faculty and function of Amativeness. 

We must not ignore the fact that the sexual feeling has most 
intimate relations with our moral sense and nature; so, also, is it 
directly related to the evolution of mental power, as stated else¬ 
where. All great artists, poets, painters, musicians, inventors, and 
people of talent and power manifest a strong and decided manhood 
and womanhood. The sign of Amativeness is most prominent in 
the lip and eyes of all these classes of persons, and the artistic 
class particularly show in the rounding contour of the limbs, the 
head, the face, and body that the creative power is based upon the 
procreative f unction. 

I do not wish to be understood as stating that the sign for 
Amativeness alone , without other mental signs in combination, in¬ 
dicates creative ability; what I wish to convey is the fact that the 
presence of a well-developed sexuality assists and stimulates all 
mental efforts whatsoever; and certainly in making a man more 
vigorous it must impart power for moral restraint, and for the en¬ 
joyment of all the poetry, romance, and sentiment inseparably 
associated with the loves of the sexes. So instrumental is Ama¬ 
tiveness in the production of the moral feeling that physicians 



AMATIVENESS. 


361 


(who have made the investigation of human character a study in 
connection with health and disease) observe these facts. Dr. 
Maudsley observes that “ when an individual is sexually mutilated 
at an early age he is emasculated morally as well as physically,” 
and all evidence goes to prove the low, immoral, lying, thievish 
propensities of eunuchs. A man strong in his manhood would, 
if rightly instructed in sound ethics, use his great powers of will 
and intellect to combat immorality instead of using them for im¬ 
moral purposes. 

Parents should not leave these subjects to the uncertain, de¬ 
grading, and ignorant instruction of the stable, the saloon, and 
street-corners ; nor leave their girls to pick up vulgar and low 
ideas on the sexual questions from ignorant servants. They 
should procure some good books on training children, and 
thus inform themselves how to approach their children in a 
pure, delicate, and scientific manner, with knowledge which will 
grow up ioith them and thus forestall with truth and purity any 
low or degrading ideas which may come to them from ignorant, 
doubtful, or impure sources. “Knowledge is power” should be 
written over the hearthstone of every home. Ignorance is weak¬ 
ness, death, and degradation. Conjugal love, the most beautiful 
and inspiring of all human feelings, depends upon the understand¬ 
ing of the nature of individual rights and duties , and in according 
personal rights in marriage. 

Parentage, right generation, and sexual ethics are all divine 
studies, and should be so understood and their principles applied 
by all husbands and wives desiring to live in harmony and to 
propagate superior offspring. No other systems of instruction will 
teach these important truths. Science alone , combined with 
morality, will give the key to these divine laws. 

The conjugal feeling, or love for one only, and constancy and 
fidelity in love and marriage are part and parcel of the faculty of 
Amativeness, for Amativeness leads out in many directions, as else¬ 
where shown; it assists creative art, and in its own nature and 
essence demands and gives fidelity while it lasts. Yet other facul¬ 
ties contribute to make one faithful or unfaithful in love. Where 
Conscientiousness is large, in combination with full degree of Ama¬ 
tiveness, constancy and devotion to the one beloved or to husband 
or wife will be most marked. Where Conscientiousness and Firm¬ 
ness are small, constancy in love, or indeed in any matter, will be 
almost entirely wanting. Moderate Amativeness, with large 
Friendship, together with a fair degree of Conscientiousness and 
Firmness, make a zealous and devoted conjugal companion. Such 
a character would defend the interests and honor of his or her 


362 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY 


companion with great ardor, and remain faithful through all 
vicissitudes of health and fortune. 

Some men and women have a talent for marriage, and are 
thus enabled to make home a place of great happiness, while 
others marry who are possessed of so little Amativeness and true 
conjugal feeling as to cause great unhappiness in their companion. 
This class should refrain from entering the marriage relation, for 
they are wholly unable to understand and offer the tender atten¬ 
tions and courtesies which nourish and sustain the conjugal rela¬ 
tion. Conjugality can be cultivated by suitable treatment, just as 
all traits are developed. Both husband and wife should seek to 
make their union the most perfect one in respect to unity and har¬ 
mony, for this not only makes a heaven for them, but conduces 
directly to the propagation of harmonious children. I am often 
able to tell by the expression of the face whether one was con¬ 
ceived and gestated in harmony, discord, or indifference, and cer¬ 
tainly what becomes a permanent expression of the physiognomy 
must have an abiding influence upon one’s entire character and 
life. 

The phrenological idea that the signs for Amativeness are dis¬ 
covered in the chin, by its length forward, is most erroneous. The 
signs for love, as for all the softer domestic traits, are not found in 
bone development , but in the glands and muscles , their bases of 
supply. Love is manifested, both physically and mentally, by these 
two systems, and love-signs are found in the face and body in the de¬ 
velopment of muscle and soft tissue. We do not love with our bones. 
It is true that Firmness, which is denoted by length of the bony 
structure of the chin, creates fidelity and continuity of the senti¬ 
ment of love, but I deny most emphatically that the signs for Am¬ 
ativeness or of any of the affections can be disclosed by bone de¬ 
velopment. Bone is for the manifestation of the sterner and more 
enduring traits. Emotions of all sorts are manifested by nervous 
ganglia, muscles, and glands; and all of the emotions, like love, 
hope, joy, grief, laughter, force, revenge, and secretiveness, call 
upon these sources for the ability to express their power and 
action. This cannot be controverted. The glands, ganglia, and 
muscles are the agencies most concerned in the expression of the 
emotion of love, as well as in the perpetuation of the race; hence 
it is obvious that we must look for love-signs in those parts of the 
face and body which best exhibit the development of these tissues. 
We must examine their condition as to size, form, color, and moist¬ 
ure, and discover by the degree of softness, moisture, flexibility, 
and quality their present condition of activity or inactivity. 

In all muscular races of men and animals, the form produced 


AMATIVENESS. 


363 


by the curving nature of muscle announces capacity for the emo¬ 
tions of love, also capacity for reproduction. Where the glands 
are active in combination with a fine development of the muscular 
system, there is present the best combination for both Amativeness 
and fecundity. The action of the glands gives brightness and 
moisture, softness, redness, and flexibility to the lips and eyes, and 
herein are additional proofs of the presence of sex-love, or 
Amativeness. 

Where love-signs are found in the chin, it is when the muscles 
there have created a dimple or cleft. A dimpled chin is the sign 
for the appreciation of the beautiful in the opposite sex, and hence 
it is found in the chins of hundreds of poets, painters, actors, 
dramatists, writers of fiction, and all classes of persons whose art 
leads them to be influenced by and who depict the beauties of 
mind and person in their creative efforts. Love of the beautiful 
of the opposite sex seems to assist creative effort, in conjunction 
with Amativeness. Where the chin is dimpled the muscular 
system is usually either the dominant system, or one of the domi¬ 
nant systems; where the muscular and the brain systems are reg¬ 
nant and of fine quality ability for creative efforts of some sort 
will be manifested; and where the chin is dimpled the muscular 
system is so decided as to warrant us in saying that Amativeness, 
Constructiveness, and Imagination are also present. So unerring 
and infallible are Physiognomy and Comparative Anatomy, that 
from the presence of a dimple in the chin one can safely predicate 
the presence of many other faculties and functions in other parts 
of the organism. A dimpled chin, according to Lavater, reveals 
a benevolent, generous disposition. This is also one of the indi¬ 
cations of this feature. 

We must always look for signs of love in muscular and 
glandular formations, for the most muscular are the most amative 
and the most prolific. It is the same in the animal kingdom. The 
most bony races, both of men and animals, are the least amative 
and prolific. The idea of looking to any portion of the homy struc¬ 
ture for tokens of Amativeness is to me supremely absurd. Many 
famous and infamous libertines, Aaron Burr, for example, disclose 
a long, projecting chin; but close scrutiny will show that this 
feature in his face is rounded out, which proves precisely my 
position in regard to the muscles being expressive of love-signs, 
for his chin was rounded by the development of round muscles, 
not by square bones. Now, round muscles belong to the most 
amative people. Bone never causes any feature to round out, ex¬ 
cept the joints of round-boned persons, and these are hard , and 
show their solid character. 


364 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


When muscular persons have a good bony structure, along 
with a rounded, muscular development, they have more constitu¬ 
tional vigor to resist the inroads which excesses in sensuality make, 
but the fact of the presence of a fair bony development does not 
neutralize the amative power produced by the muscular system. 

The following remarks on the influence of beauty in sex are 
deserving notice, and I quote them for their scientific value. They 
are by Prof. J. S. Grimes. He observes:— 

The adaptation of Amativeness to the admiration of personal beauty 
seems wisely designed to prevent the transmission of deformed and imper¬ 
fect bodily organizations to posterity. It is not the effect of mere youthful 
fancy, but was implanted in the mind for a highly useful purpose, and there¬ 
fore should be by no means discouraged. On the contrary, it seems to be 
of the very highest importance that it should be properly directed, and just 
ideas of what constitutes beauty of constitution should be early inculcated. 
This subject teaches us that the knowledge of principles upon which phys¬ 
ical and mental energy and harmony depend cannot be too strongly appre¬ 
ciated as a branch of education. I seldom find a person of much energy 
of character who is deficient in Amativeness. It seems to give activity to 
Combativeness, and is generally accompanied with a large development of 
that organ. Males, among all animals, manifest it in a greater degree than 
females, and I have seldom found it very large in females, without observing 
at the same time, an uncommon manifestation of the masculine traits.* 

This observation of Professor Grimes is in the main correct. 
It is true that strong, amative propensities are more peculiarly 
masculine, yet a woman well endowed in this respect will exhibit a 
more marked and energetic character than one who is deficient in 
this faculty and function. Still, animal passion in a woman (un¬ 
less excessive) is just as natural and normal as in man, and highly 
conducive (as I have shown) to creative efforts, mentally, as well 
as to generative capacity. “ Combativeness,” as Professor Grimes 
remarks, 44 is always active with large Amativeness.” Why \ Be¬ 
cause Combativeness is the outgrowth of the muscular system, and 
is always present with a good development of round muscles par¬ 
ticularly. It may not always manifest itself in belligerant acts, 
but may show in other ways, by giving force and energy to art and 
oratory, and to judicial and administrative efforts. 

The whole end and aim of Amativeness is marriage and re¬ 
production, and the monogamic relation is the only true union in 
marriage. Polygamous marriage and prostitution are abnormal 
manifestations and perversions of this function and faculty. The 
fact that Amativeness leads to Jealousy, and that these two are the 
strongest emotions of the human mind, exceeding all others in in¬ 
tensity, should teach us that the monogamic relation is founded in 

* Mysteries of the Head and Heart, J. S. Grimes, pp. 84, 85. 


AMATIYENESS. 


365 


the highest nature of man. Every social and domestic considera¬ 
tion (to say nothing of the interests of morality and progeny) de¬ 
mand that man as well as woman should be true to the marriage 
contract; for, although Nature has endowed man with powers 
which enable him to respond at all times to the demands of repro¬ 
duction, yet she has also given him superior will as well as con¬ 
science and reason to enable him to use this power with justice 
and wisdom. Animals never fight so vigorously for food as they 
do for the possession of the female, and no motive so moves man 
as jealousy and love for woman. Although jealousy is a destruc¬ 
tive trait, yet it, in a modified form, has its use in the human 
economy, else it would not have been there. It is, in a normal 
degree , the guardian of one’s interests in the beloved of the oppo¬ 
site sex, and a little judicious jealousy, anxiety, and care on the 
part of the husband and wife has often preserved the unity and 
harmony of a family. 

The scope and direction of the marriage relation has been well 
indicated by the Rev. Antoinette Brown Blackwell, in her admira- 
ble work on “ Sexes Throughout Nature.” On this point she 
observes:— 

If Evolution as applied to sex teaches any one lesson plainer than an¬ 
other, it is the lesson that the monogamic marriage is the basis of all prog¬ 
ress. Nature, who everywhere holds her balances with even justice, asks 
that every husband and wife shall co-operate to develop her most diligently 
selected characters.* 

This observation leads us to the thought that marriage must 
be continuous in order to propagate and educate offspring in the 
manner most conducive to moral and mental excellence. A plu¬ 
rality of wives would result in a union whose leading features 
would be licentiousness and the development of sensual traits. 
Mormonism is a proof of this, and the fact remains that with all 
their boasted superiority of polygamous marriage the Mormons have 
not produced any superior children who have become known as 
either mentally, physically, or morally equal to those born in the 
monogamic relation. This is certainly a most convincing argument 
against their form of marriage. 

The interests of the family demand that the minds of both 
parents should be centred on their children, and this can exist 
only where there is one husband to one wife. It is often observed, 
in cases where a step-parent enters a family, that the harmony of 
the family is destroyed through a conflict of interests resulting. 
What must be the condition of those families where there are 
several wives and many sorts of children'? Surely jealousy and all 

* Sexes Throughout Nature, Antoinette Brown Blackwell, p. 136. 


366 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


base passions must be rife, for human nature cannot be changed 
to suit any human institution, and the nature of nearly all women 
and most men is in harmony with monogamic love and marriage; 
and, although religious superstition may for awhile pervert this 
sense, as it does among the Mormon women, and they may bear 
what they freely concede is a “ great cross” in polygamic marriage, 
yet the purity of Nature will assert itself, and this terrible insti¬ 
tution will be swept away, and none will be more rejoiced at its 
downfall than its poor, deluded female victims. The delusions of 
these people should teach the great danger to morality that there 
is in allowing superstitions called “ religions” to dominate the 
mind. Sound morality, as inculcated by the ten commandments, 
is a pretty good code to live by, and one needs but little added to 
it to be truly religious. Morality is always morality, but religion 
can be so perverted that men will worship snakes and other de¬ 
graded animals, under the name of religion. It is well to examine 
all religious systems by the light of science before venturing too 
far into their doctrines, for science is true to God’s laws , hence all 
morality and true religion are founded in the nature of man him¬ 
self, and this must be understood scientifically before correct sys¬ 
tems of ethics and religion can prevail. Moses, who formulated 
the great moral code of civilized races, was undoubtedly a great 
physiognomist as well as hygienist, and comprehended human 
nature better than any other man of his day. He was as talented 
in this direction as Shakespeare, but Moses seemed to have had a 
better understanding of man physically and quite as well mentally 
as Shakespeare. (Read Leviticus, chap, xxi, verses 17 to 22.) 

The founders of the Grecian religion, or Mythology, took a 
most just and comprehensive view of the faculty of sex-love, or 
Amativeness, embodying it as a universal creative principle in 
Nature. They typified their understanding of this all-pervading 
law in the statues of Aphrodite, the Greek Venus, a beautiful 
woman, who represented to them, as Mrs. Jamison has observed, “ the 
principal element of beauty, of love, and of fecundity,—or the law 
of continuation of being, through beauty and through love.” The 
love of the beautiful of the opposite sex is a trait derived from the 
action of Amativeness, and tends toward race improvement, by 
creating a love for, and a desire to select in marriage, the most 
beautiful in form and feature from the opposite sex, and this taste, 
being a universal one and exhibited according to the idea of what 
constitutes beauty , leads to progressive development of the human 
family by the slow process of instinctive sexual selection. Could 
this method of selection be superseded by a cultivated knowledge 
as to what constitutes true beauty , such as is taught by scientific 


LOYE OF YOUNG. 


367 


physiognomy, the race would be carried forward with rapid strides 
toward perfection. When men learn what are the signs of 
physical strength, moral grandeur, and intellectual power in the 
face and form, such knowledge will influence, their choice of wives 
and will eventuate in reproduction only by the finest types. It 
will not avail to argue that 44 Love is blind, and man will marry 
whomsoever he lovesblind love is blind indeed, but intelligent 
love sees by laic. 

All knowledge, consciously or unconsciously , influences man 
in all the acts of life, and if children grow up with a knowledge of 
the truths of physiognomy they will be able to detect in an indi¬ 
vidual, at a glance, the signs of moral strength and weakness, as 
well as of all the meanings revealed by the form, the size, the color, 
and quality of all with whom they come in contact, and this will 
as surely influence men and women in their choice of a life-com¬ 
panion as it will in their choice of friends and partners in business. 
44 Knowledge is power.” 

That the faculty of Amativeness is instrumental in developing 
love of beauty is not only shown by the fact that it is large in the 
characters of all great or good artists of all sorts, such as painters, 
poets, singers, etc. Its physical signification has been remarked 
by other observers. 

LOVE OF YOUNG. 

Definition .—Love of children, animals, and pets; parental 
instinct; impulse to reproduce. This trait is shown by fondling, 
petting, amusing, and caring for young children, animals, and 
pets of various kinds, and a taste for propagating plants and 
animals. 

An excess of this sentiment creates foolish fondness for children 
and results in ruining both their bodies and minds, for children 
who are overindulged have a very poor chance of surviving, as 
they are allowed to defy all rational hygienic laws. 

A deficiency of the parental feeling makes one indifferent to 
children and pets, sometimes tending to harsh treatment of them, 
and where parental love is quite lacking the character is often 
harsh, brutal, or a very narrow or defective one. All well-bal¬ 
anced characters exhibit a fair share of Love of T oung and of 
Amativeness, its nearest neighbor and natural ally. 

Facial and Bodily Signs. —The most pronounced facial sign 
of the Love of Young is situated on cither side of the local sign 
for Amativeness, in the upper lip , causing the outer corners to 
droop and form a slight scallop. Where these two traits are well 
developed their signs in the upper lip create the beautiful form 


368 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


denominated a “ Cupid’s bow.” The same sign in the same locality 
in the upper lips of dogs and cows is quite marked, and their love 
for their very young offspring is intense. Many horses and dogs 
manifest ardent love for the young of the hnman species, but are 



indifferent or ferocious to adults. 

When this sign in the upper lip is red and moist the asso¬ 
ciated sentiment is strong, 
and the glands involved in 
nourishing the young are 
normal and active. The 
lachrymal glands of the 
eye also exhibit a humid 
appearance, and the mam¬ 
mary glands of the breast 
are usually well developed. 

Description of Love 
of Young. —The origin of 
Love of Young is the gland¬ 
ular system. The situation 
of its principal sign near 
the mouth is one proof of 
its origin. The fact that a 
fine development of the 
mammary glands is essen¬ 
tial to the nourishment of 
the young is more convin¬ 
cing still. A normal sup¬ 
ply of the lacteal glands 
connected with the function 
of digestion is necessary to 
the perfection of the former 
function. The lacteals 
must be able to secrete 
from the food taken into 
the stomach sufficient ma¬ 
terial for the sustenance 
of offspring. Now, if the 
lacteal glands, which are 
connected with the intestinal system, or the mammary glands 
(which are those that secrete milk), are defective in this mechanical 
construction or normal action, it will be readily seen how the 
mother would utterly fail in the duty of nourishing her infant. It 
is logical to infer that any part of the system which performs a 
certain function creates the mental sentiment which naturally flows 


Fig. 


34.—ALEXANDRA, DOWAGER QUEEN OF 
ENGLAND. 


Born in Denmark, 1844; widow of Edward VII 
of England. Principal facial sign, Love of Young. 
The law of the straight line and curve governs this 
physiognomy. The face of this lovely and graceful 
princess shows in a marked manner the presence of all 
the domestic virtues, among which Love of Children 
and Pets is supreme. A great degree of artistic talent 
is also exhibited. The curving outlines of, the jaw 
chin, and shoulders, and graceful poise of the head 
reveal this capacity, while the lithe figure is additional 
proof of this decided power. The signs for Love of 
Home and of Country are large. Amativeness, Benevo¬ 
lence, and Conscientiousness are well marked. Con¬ 
structiveness, Color, Analysis, Hope, Ideality, Mental 
Imitation, Veneration, Self-will, Form, Size, Color, and 
Order disclose aesthetic tendencies. The entire organ¬ 
ism is one of high and delicate quality. 





LOVE OF YOUNG. 


369 


from the exercise of that function. Now, the sentiment of Love 
of \ oung must, under this logic, flow directly from a fine develop¬ 
ment of the mammary and other glands peculiar to females. We 
know that this trait is stronger and more perfect after the mammary 
glands have been exercised in the performance of the maternal 
function than it is prior to such activity, and this is still further 
proof of the interaction of the faculties of the mind with the func¬ 
tions of the body. It is true that many women possess very de¬ 
cided love of children who are physically incapable of nourishing 
them, but in all such cases, 
if thoroughly investigated, 
a cause for this seeming 
inconsistency would be 
found. Either the organs 
of digestion are defective, 
or, as in some cases under 
my observation, the me¬ 
chanical construction of 
some part of the mammary 
glands is faulty, or bad 
habits of dressing in early 
life have impaired the func¬ 
tion of lactation; or it may 
be some other accidental 
cause that prevents the 
mother from performing 
her full duty to her off- 

something of the heredity 
of each case in order to 
give a correct opinion as to 
the cause of the discrep¬ 
ancy between the presence 
of the faculty or sentiment and the absence of functional vigor. 

The love of young presents many diverse aspects, and mental 
as well as physiological aspects, to the student of human nature. 
Its first view shows a physiological base; its next phase is the 
mental aspect. The faces of all eminent characters, especially the 
faces of great artists, actors, singers, writers, poets, and novelists, 
exhibit a large sign for Love of Young. In Dickens’ face it is 
most uncommonly developed, and his delineations of children’s 
characters in his works show a rare insight into and a great sym¬ 
pathy with the young. Miss Louisa Alcott, who was a most gifted 

24 


spring. A good physiog¬ 
nomist would have to know 



Fig. 35.—WILLIAM PITT, EARL OF CHATHAM. 

(Orator and Statesman.) 

Born in England, 1708. Conspicuous facial sign, 
Love of Young, quality fine. The law of the straight 
line and curve governs this physiognomy. The domestic 
traits are very conspicuous in this face, as in all elo¬ 
quent orators and truly great men. Amativeness, 
Love of Young, Mirthfulness, Sanativeness, Benevo¬ 
lence, Coloi - , Approbativeness, and Modesty are highly 
developed. The nose shows that the signs for the fol¬ 
lowing are very large: Hope, Analysis, Mental Imita¬ 
tion, Sublimity, Constructiveness, Veneration, Acquisi¬ 
tiveness, Executiveness, and Self-will, while Form, 
Size, Order, Calculation, Reason, and Memory of Events 
are equally powerful traits in this commanding counte¬ 
nance. 




370 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


and interesting writer for youth, shows in the contour of her upper 
np a wonderful development of this trait. Like its next neighbor, 
Amativeness, it bestows creative talent , and those who are excess¬ 
ively fond of children are always prolific and ingenious in tricks, 
tales, and games with which to amuse the young. Animal-tamers 
and successful horse- and dog- breeders possess this faculty largely, 
and this trait, in combination with Constructiveness, gives them 
the ability to invent ways by which to manage and instruct the 
animals which they are rearing and training. 

Love of Young extends its sympathy not only to animals, both 
young and old, but also to plants and pets of all kinds, and leads 
often to very useful discoveries in the propagation of plants, flowers, 
etc. Wherever this trait is well developed Mirthfulness is also 
correspondingly active. Indeed, these two traits seem to stand in 
direct and close relationship, for Mirthfulness is essential to the 
care and entertainment of the young as well as of animals. 

When Constructiveness is present in combination with this 
faculty and a good brain system , the story-writing capacity will be 
present. The ability to invent games is another department of 
this combination. Great aptitude and love for teaching the young 
will be exhibited where this combination is manifested, and, with 
Friendship large, the very highest talent for teaching youth is 
present. 

A very large majority of mothers allow their love for children 
to control them, instead of endeavoring to balance it with reason 
and justice. The consequence is that many children grow up 
selfish and ungovernable, and make very poor citizens. Many 
unhappy marriages are caused by the unwise petting of boys, par¬ 
ticularly, by mothers, for women are apt to indulge their sons the 
most, and this makes them exacting and overbearing in marriage. 
I often think, as I note the selfish and unreasonable behavior of 
children toward their parents, how much the parents themselves 
need 44 bringing up ” in the duties of parenthood. How many 
beautiful children have found an early grave through the unwise 
indulgence of mothers! How many naturally amiable children 
have become selfish and disagreeable through the injudicious treat¬ 
ment of foolisidy-fond parents ! I think that parents often lose 
sight of the fact entirely that there is a duty due the parents from 
the child, and that a great deal of thought and consideration should 
be shown to parents by their children. This they will do if they 
are trained to regard their parents as something more than mere 
slaves to their every wish and whim. Many parents in their old 
age reap a harvest of bitterness and suffering through the neglect 
of children upon whom they have lavished every care and all their 


LOVE OF YOUNG. 


371 


means. Too much love, like all excesses, breeds inharmony. 
There are more inmates of the State prison and penitentiaries who 
have been spoiled by indulgence than by the severity of their 
parents. In the early days of this republic, when a sense of re¬ 
ligious duty and responsibility to God for their conduct influenced 
both parents and children, there was a much smaller number of 
people confined for crime. In those days obedience to parents was 
enforced, not only by precept and example, hut was re-inforced by 
wholesome discipline and restraint. Many parents refrain from 
correcting their children for fear they will lose their affection. 
Moderate and reasonable discipline and penalties for broken laws 
always seem right to those children who have a fair degree of 
Conscientiousness, but to the child in whom Will is dominant any¬ 
thing which opposes his desire seems an injustice. Of such chil¬ 
dren I would say to parents, Endeavor to level up other traits to 
the height of their will; encourage them to reason upon the wrong 
and right of every question that comes up, and endeavor to develop 
their sense of justice, friendship, and filial affection in order that 
their will shall not be their master. Endeavor so to train the child 
that love, reason, and justice shall have a balancing effect upon the 
character. Never “ break a child’s will,” but train it, so that it 
shall be the servant instead of the master. A good, strong, well- 
trained will is an excellent element, and will assist one’s material 
interests. Whatever faculty is found in excess in a character was 
placed by design, in order to assist a defect in some other direction. 
It should be the duty of parents to find out these defects, and by 
all means in their power endeavor to establish a balance or equi¬ 
librium, for equilibrium is the law of the universe and must pre¬ 
vail, or chaos and suffering will result. 

The love of young does not necessarily impart a tone of gen¬ 
eral kindness to the individual. General kindness proceeds from 
benevolence, sympathy, or from friendship. Many persons and 
races manifest great fondness for their offspring, yet are unkind and 
even cruel to adults. Spurzheim observes of this trait:— 

It produces only sympathy for young , not general tenderness , for the 
New Zealanders are ferocious, yet both parents are much attached to their 
young, and submit to all the inconveniences of bringing them up amidst 
privations and hardships of every kind. And ferocious tigers and hyenas 
are as fond of their young as the gentlest and most docile of animals. 

This trait is perhaps the strongest one in the human mind,— 
at least, in mothers. The reason for this is obvious. It is her 
privilege to nourish and train the young, hence Nature has espe¬ 
cially adapted her, mentally as well as physically, for this work. 
Amativeness is man’s strongest propensity, and this powerful 


372 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


emotion in him is subject to many changes; but maternal love is 
the most enduring affection on earth. This intensity and fidelity on 
the part of the mother is necessary in order that she shall be will¬ 
ing to undergo the pain and privations necessarily connected with 
child-bearing and the rearing of infants. In the great plan and 
design of the human mind this love for offspring was made the 
supreme maternal faculty. Without this supremacy of maternal 
love humanity would cease to be perpetuated, for lack of the care 
essential to the rearing of infants. As a rule, parents are best 
adapted to rear their own offspring, because long acquaintance with 
the same elements of character in their own families will give them 
some insight into the characters of their own children; yet in 
many cases children can be better brought up by strangers, if the 
parents are overindulgent or too neglectful. 

The two functions of gestation and lactation, which are pecu¬ 
liar to women, and for which man has none that are analogous, 
show her to be possessed of a superiority of mind in this direction, 
at least; for, if we adhere to the theory laid down in scientific 
physiognomy, viz., that there is a mental faculty emanating from 
each physical function, we must conclude that woman possesses, 
both in number and quality, more mental faculties than man— 
that in certain developments of mind she is his superior. How 
true this is, the training and rearing of the offspring by woman 
clearly show. This exercise of authority gives her peculiar fitness 
for participating in government, for the women of the world have 
served a long apprenticeship in this science, in having governed 
all the children of all the world up to the time of their majority. 
Imperfect as may have been her management, yet this experience 
has fitted her for government quite as well as the father, who takes 
very little active part, comparatively, in the government of his 
children. And this practice woman has had since Eve began to 
“raise Cain,” and made such a signal failure with his character. 
Man should no longer be willing to deprive himself of woman’s 
assistance in governmental affairs, since he deems her insight into 
character so much superior to his own, by not only trusting her to 
rear his children, but by giving her the charge of their education 
as well; for nearly ail girls and boys are educated by female 
teachers; and women have been found capable of pursuing every 
mental profession which men follow. Even such abstruse profes¬ 
sions as law, mathematics, medicine, and theology are practiced by 
women in a very creditable manner in various parts of our country. 

Maternal affection, being the most powerful passion of woman’s 
nature, is in danger of being carried to too great an excess, and 
thus defeat its best purposes. To make idols of children is to 


MIRTHFULNESS. 


373 


degrade their nature as well as that of the worshiping mother. 
Idolatry has a weakening and selfish influence upon children, and 
often leads them to neglect and despise the mother, instead of 
reverencing her. Indeed, there is too little reverence for age in 
our American children, who should be trained to respect the 
physical helplessness of old age, as well as the wisdom and ripe 
experience which most old people acquire. Too little attention is 
paid to this most important part of character-building. To me 
there is something inexpressibly sweet and tender in the character 
of an aged grandmother, whose mind and thoughts go out entirely 
to her children and her children’s children; yet many children are 
permitted to treat their grandparents in a rude and disrespectful 
way. 

There are very few children who can be governed by love 
alone, and parents who make the character-building of children a 
serious matter will find that every element in human nature must 
he brought into activity if they would build wisely and with power. 
One must not only appeal to love, but to reason and conscience, 
to patience and approbativeness, to friendship and faith, and indeed 
one must, like a skillful musician, learn to touch every chord in a 
child’s nature, if he would awaken the most beautiful harmonies. 
Man can no more live upon love alone than he can exist upon 
bread alone; hence, obedience , prompt and implicit, should be 
demanded by all parents from their children, and the training in 
this direction should commence in the cradle. Every good result 
will follow this course, if pursued judiciously. There are more 
children spoiled and made wretched, useless, and unhappy by too 
much love and foolish fondness, than by too great severity. 

MIRTHFULNESS. 

Definition. —Love of amusement, humor, wit, ridicule, and 
jesting; joyousness; love of the ludicrous, of satire, and good- 
natured sarcasm; joviality, festivity, hilarity, vivacity, gayety, glad¬ 
ness, and facetiousness, all proceed from this faculty as a base. 

An excess causes ill-timed mirth and folly, and makes the 
character light and trifling. It creates levity, and weakens the 
sense of propriety, if too freely indulged. 

A deficiency of mirth and humor is shown by melancholy, 
unhappiness, and ill health, and sometimes leads to insanity and 
suicide. 

Facial and Bodily Signs. —The most pronounced signs of 
Mirthfulness are found about the mouth and eyes. Dimples or 
wrinkles at the corners of the mouth are the primitive signs, and 
are derived from development of the glandular system. Upward 


314 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

curving of the comers of the upper lip; full, moist lips; IaTge, 
bright eyes; wrinkles running outwardly from the corners of the 
eye, and dimples in various parts of the body; a rounding head, 
and forehead rounding laterally; dimpled hands, a muscular body, 
and limbs with small, round bones and round muscles, are the best 
adapted to playful, sportive mirth. 

Description of Mirthfulness. —The faculty of Mirthfulness 
is almost universal. It is well marked in the higher animals, not 
only in their early years, but also in the adult stage. This faculty 

being universal would point 
to a primitive function as 
its source, and accordingly 
we find its local signs in 
the face, mainly about the 
mouth, which is the most 
important sign for digestion 
and the most primitive of 
all the functions. The 
dimples near the corners 
of the mouth are caused 
b y excess of glandular for¬ 
mation at those points, and 
the principal sign being 
located in glandular tissue 
proves its glandular origin. 
The love of laughter, 
mirthfulness, and jollity de¬ 
pends upon, primarily, a 
well-nourished body. 
Spare, pinched, starved- 
looking people seldom 
laugh, but look solemn, 
and probably feel solemn 

iyx.exxn.»i y ux xi.vciii/o xiiixx <ji xxcxx vc it »xxung sujjpux l li'UIIl -j , * -p- 

the fine domestic base which this face discloses. The aim WO0-UG£2fO116. Ill Order 
author of “The Old Arm-Chair” shows her developed , p . ° , . . _ 

domestic nature in this celebrated poem. tO leel meiTy, the JUiceS ol 

the body, eliminated from 
the food by the function of digestion, must be of sufficient quantity 
to warm the body to that degree that it produces bodily comfort, 
such as to induce laughter and merriment. This comfortable and 
well-nourished condition fills out the contour of the body with 
soft, adipose tissue, and thus causes dimples, not only in the cheeks 
near the mouth, but, as is often seen in well-nourished infancy, 
all over the body, as well as on the limbs, the fingers, and 
the toes. 





Fig. 36.—ELIZA COOK. (Poetess.) 

Born in England, 1817. The law of the curve and 
straight line governs this face. Conspicuous facial 
sign, Mirthfulness, shown by dimples at the corners of 
the mouth, wrinkles at the angles of the eyes. The 
countenance of Miss Cook smiles all over. The eyes, 
mouth, dimpled cheeks, and curling hair all announce 
a merry, witty, fun-loving disposition. The domestic 
signs are all apparent,—Love of Home, of Country, 
and of Young. Hospitality, Mirthfulness, Benevolence, 
Approbativeness, Friendship, Modesty, and Self-esteem 
are very decided. The signs of literary ability in the 



\fQmrvrr nf fiml nr rlnrivn o ctvnmr onfurvm 




MIRTHFULNESS- 


375 


Although it is claimed by many naturalists that animals do 
not laugh, I maintain that they do laugh in their own peculiar 
fashion, just as they express all their feelings and intellectual pro¬ 
cesses, in their own way. Dogs grin and laugh, and their eyes 
glisten, their bodies squirm, and they whine and howl with delight 
upon seeing some beloved human friend. They act also for the 
amusement of their friends, and play tricks and little comedies, 
and behave in a very “waggish” manner. The faculties of Mirth¬ 
fulness and Love of Young are most decided in many of the canine 
tribes. Their love for chil¬ 
dren is remarkable, and, 
looking at the gambols of a 
group of boys, with a dog 
in company, one would sup¬ 
pose that the dog believed 
himself to be one of them, 

and a very important mem- _I. 

her of the company, too. 

There are several de- ||jj |j V 

partments of Mirthfulness, pjj| 
for this trait, like all facul 
ties, has many aspects. The 
physiological or anatomical 
phase must first be consid- 
ered in order to arrive at its fig. 37.-David g.farragut. (vice-admiral 
origin, lor without knowing „ . . lom „ , . , . 

£5 ’ Born in America, 1801. Conspicuous facial sign, 

flip nnVin or base of a faculty Mirthfulness, shown by dimples and wrinkles at the 

UIC Ullglli Ul Utisc ui a idtiui) corners of the nmutli and outer angles of the eyes. 

it i <3 irrmO<;<?iblp to cot a scien- Wit, fun, and mirth are displayed in unmistakable 
11 IS illipUbSlUlC IU get a seieil syn? i> 0l s all over this kindly face. The domestic 

title or tmthfnl analysis of it traits are well illustrated here,—Love of Young, 

line Ol iruimui analysis Ul It. Amativeness, Love of Home. Patriotism, Hospitality, 

Thp lo vp nnrl rlp<;ivp to Firmness, Conscientiousness, Benevolence, SelL 

LHC 1UVC Clliu uesne tu esteem, Approbativeness, Color, and Modesty are 

lnncrh i<s thp "nrimitlVP nhasp equally powerful, while Cautiousness is normal, and 
laugll IS tliL piniiitivc piiasc Veneration, Executiveness, Self-will, Observation, 

of Mirth fill UPSS as IS PV1- Locality, Sanativeness, Form and Size, Language, 

Ol 1VJ.11 till U1I1CSS, as is cvi Constructiveness, Memory of Events and Reason are 

hv lsmo-hfpr hpincr thp pre-eminent. His energetic conduct and devotion to 
UCHLCU uy lauglllCl ucmg inu the Union cause ip the late war won for him grateful 

form of mirth whiph infants recognition from the government of the United 
iorm OX mil 111 WHICH nnauis States, Which created for him the above l ank, 

and young children make 

most use of. Later, after the muscular system comes into activity, 
the muscles assist, in games, romps, and sportiveness, this primitive 
phase of the fun-making propensity. Where there is a good com¬ 
bination of the glandular system, together with a fine development 
of the muscles, a very high grade of fun-making ability is mani¬ 
fested, not only in games and sports, but in athletics as well. If 
to this combination a suitable brain system is allied, the highest 
talent for wit, story-telling, writing for children, and creating comic 
scenes and amusing and ingenious jokes will be present. 










376 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


The love of laughter purely is an infantile trait, and some 
individuals retain an ardent love of laughing, with or without 
cause, to adult life. This class of persons never cease to be chil¬ 
dren, and no one expects anything very intellectual of them; but 
if an individual possess a combination of the muscles, brain, and 
glands, of fine quality, the intellectual or artistic phase of mirth 
will be manifested, and will result in works of art, comic pictures, 
comic acting, or in practical jokes, etc. For the purposes of acting 
out this mirthful propensity one must have flexible muscles and a 
certain kind of intelligence; accordingly, in those who have this 
propensity we find that the head is rounded out at the temples or 
just back of them; the muscles at this part being round produce 
this curved appearance. The proof of this lies in the fact that 
those with square bones and flat muscles never present this round¬ 
ing outline at this point. Found bones and round muscles 
together produce the kind of character best adapted to fun-making, 
and, accordingly, we find this to be the peculiarity of structure of 
the most talented comic actors, as well as opera-boufle singers. 
The personalities of Mile. Croizette and Mile. Feichemberg, of the 
Comedie Francaise Theatre, were excellent illustrations of this 
peculiar combination. Joseph Jefferson, comedian, exemplified 
this phase well. Not only is this class of people characterized by 
roundness of the head and sides of the forehead, but we observe 
that all the bones are round: the forehead is rounding, the joints 
are round .and flexible, and the bones concealed beneath muscles; 
the cheeks and chin are round and dimpled, for small, round bones 
alone allow the dimple in the chin to form; square bones would 
not permit of it; hence the single round dimple in the chin gives 
us a clue to the whole bony and muscular structure of the body, 
and from this structure we can safely predicate the presence of 
many other traits and mental powers. 

The faculty of Mirthfulness, pure and simple, it will be 
remarked, gives the love of laughing solely, but for love and ability 
for playfulness, sportiveness, acting, etc., we must look to the high 
development of the muscular system in combination with the 
glandular. That the normal development of the glands gives a 
love and capacity for laughing and playfulness, all nature attests. 
Infants who have been healthy and mirthful will, upon losing the 
warmth and flesh engendered by perfect digestion, become cross, 
peevish, fretful, and seldom smile, but upon restoration of the 
functions to normal action laughter and mirthfulness reappear 
spontaneously. 

Mirth and laughter assist digestion, while sadness, anger, and 
all the passions, except love, arrest and impair this function. As 


MIRTHFULNESS. 


before remarked, where Love of Young is observed in the counte¬ 
nance, we may expect to find Mirthfulness also, as its companion. 
The converse of this is true; where there is large Mirthfulness, 
the Love of Young will be also present, for when Nature creates 
a faculty, such as love ol children or Mirthfulness, most of the 
faculties needed for its expression in some form or other are pro¬ 
vided, and work in harmony with it. 

The mental uses ol Mirthfulness are most important and 
varied. Not only is it the direct assistant in the rearing of the 
young, but it also enlivens every age with its flashes of wit and 
good-humored sarcasm. It also acts as a public censor, and ridi¬ 
cules whatever is inappropriate, silly, or wanting in good taste. It 
serves the cause of truth also, by holding up to ridicule all that 
is mean, ignoble, and unworthy. In combination with Reason, 
it presents in a ludicrous and pithy manner the foibles of fashion, 
and is the basis of the cartoon now so popular for satirizing public 
errors, measures, and men. It acts in conjunction with all the 
faculties in a mental way; with large Mental Imitation, Reason, 
Ideality, and Language, will express logical and beautiful thoughts 
tinctured with humor and wit. 

Those possessing Mirthfulness, combined with Force and 
Resistance, are perpetually teasing children and animals, as well 
as adults. Possessed of large Amativeness, Mental Imitation, and 
Language, combined with Mirth, they will love to talk, joke, and 
romp with the opposite sex; with Mirth, Friendship, Language, 
and Mental Imitation, are most entertaining, and are sought 
for their amusing qualities; with large Self-esteem, Language, 
Mental Imitation, and Constructiveness, will always be dignified 
in expression, yet very amusing and witty on a high plane; with 
Mirth, Constructiveness, small Secretiveness, Mental Imitation, 
small Self-esteem, and large Approbativeness and Comparison, will 
be droll, facetious, and laughable; and with an active, keen brain 
system will flash forth unexpected and impromptu bursts of wit, 
fun, and well-aimed jokes and speeches. 

Mirthfulness is one of the most prominent traits observed in 
the physiognomies of the aged, and conduces to health and 
longevity. There are very many grades of this trait, and the 
development of the glands and muscles about the mouth discloses 
these various degrees of power. Anatomists find most astonishing 
differences in the development of the muscles about the mouth and 
lips and do not know how to account for it. They seem to think 
that there should be a uniformity of development of the muscles, 
and that there should be a similarity of muscular development in 
the lips of all. Now, scientific physiognomy explains why these 


378 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


differences exist, and also shows how to discern these variations, 
together with their diverse meanings. No other science is able to 
do this, yet all these indications are properly a part of medical 
science, and those intending to become physicians should have a 
comprehensive knowledge of this science. 

The reader can make an excellent generalization in physiog¬ 
nomy by collecting the portraits of those who have been eminent 
in mirth, wit, comic acting, and ingenious in writing for the 
young, or in witty and amusing literature. Take, for example, 
the faces of Piron, Dickens, Eliza Cook, Nell Gwynne, Rembrandt, 
Defoe, Voltaire, Hogarth, Rabelais, Lucy Larcom, Aimee, Lotta, 
Mrs. Adelaide D. T. Whitney, Mrs. John Wood, Laurence Sterne, 
Benjamin Franklin, and Henry Ward Beecher, and place them 
side by side, and a fine illustration of the fun-making talent in the 
poet, the painter, the divine, the statesman, the actress, the novelist, 
and essayist will be had. Most particularly notice the little 
triangular-shaped muscles, the levator labii proprius, and the 
levator anguli oris, just above the external angle of the mouth. 
In melancholy characters there is no trace of this development, 
but in natural fun-makers of all sorts these muscles are large and 
add to the beauty of expression of the mouth, while laughing, 
talking, and singing. Every faculty which is well developed sets 
a sign of beauty in the face. The reason why many fail to recog¬ 
nize these indications as beauties is that the masses are ignorant 
of the meaning of forms of features, and have besides imbibed very 
erroneous notions in regard to beauty from the prevalent crude 
and ignorant public opinion in regard to human nature and the 
human face. 

APPROBATIVENESS. 

“The love of praise, howe’er conceal’d by art, 

Reigns, more or less, and glows in every heart; 

The proud to gain it toils on toils endure • 

The modest shun it but to make it sure. 

O’er globes and sceptres, now on thrones it swells, 

Now trims the midnight lamp in college cells ; 

'Tis Tory, Whig ; it plots, prays, preaches, pleads, 

Harangues in senates, squeaks in masquerades ; 

It aids the dancer’s heel, the writer’s head, 

And heaps the plain with mountains of the dead ; 

Nor ends with life, but nods in sable plumes, 

Adorns our hearse, and flatters on our tombs.”— Young. 

Definition .—Love of praise and commendation ; desire to be 
distinguished and popular; love of attention, display, esteem, and 
approval; ambition; the faculty which creates politeness, agree- 
ability, and fine manners; it also engenders a spirit of rivalrv, 
emulation, and ostentation. It gives a desire for compliments, and 
the capacity for paying them. 


APPROBATIYENESS. 


379 


An excess causes undue and injudicious efforts for popularity 
and creates vanity, jealousy, rivalry, and “shoddy aristocracy.” 
When overbalanced, it induces a dread of censure and ridicule, 
and leads one to prefer a fine reputation rather than a good 
character. It also takes away all true independence by creating 
anxiety as to what the world will think about one’s actions. 

A deficiency of Approbativeness tends to make one regardless 
of the opinions of others, and causes one to be gruff, rude, impolite, 
and brusque. It takes away all incentive to excel, or to become 
distinguished for the excellencies of mind and manner. Deficient 
Approbativeness makes one care very little for improvement and 
progress. 

Facial and Bodily Signs .—The principal facial sign for 
Approbativeness is shown by a dimple or by one or two vertical 
wrinkles in the cheek, on a line outwardly, about one inch from 
the principal sign for Mirthfulness and adjoining Hospitality and 
Friendship, its natural allies and assistants. It wreathes the 
countenance with smiles, and nods and bows in approval and 
acquiescence. It is large in actors and all classes of artists, and 
in those of large social natures. 

Description of Approbativeness. —Approbativeness derives 
its support from the action of the glandular system, like all the rest 
of the faculties in the neighborhood of the mouth. It is likely 
that a separate and distinct portion of the glands is directly related 
to each of the faculties that are dependent upon this system, yet 
all are benefited by its general and normal action. The healthful 
and powerful action of the glandular portion of the intestinal 
system gives rise to many beautiful traits as well as useful func¬ 
tions, not the least useful of which is Approbativeness. As a 
direct assistant and co-worker with Hospitality and Friendship, it 
occupies an important place in the social department of character, 
for it not only affects those faculties whose facial signs lie nearest to 
it, but stimulates and arouses in turn all the faculties of the mind; 
hence it is that it requires a good substantial physical basis for its 
support. The dimples which are characteristic of approbative 
people are caused mainly by the deposition of soft, fatty tissue in the 
lower cheek, and are seen even in infancy. The vertical wrinkles 
which form here later in life are caused by repeated smiling in an 
approving manner, the muscles of the other parts of the face, par¬ 
ticularly those about the mouth, contributing to this effect. The 
signs of the faculties as well as functions observed in the lower 
part of the face, it will be observed, have a similar base, and derive 
their support from the action of the intestinal or vegetative sys¬ 
tems. Their origin is not only determined from their nature but 


380 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


0 &. 




from their proximity to similar traits, or those which in their 
nature and action lead to or assist similar results as those by which 
they are surrounded. 

Approbativeness gives rise to love of commendation and praise, 
and makes one sensitive to the speech and opinions of others. It 
causes individuals to be ambitious and to desire to excel, not for 
the love of right and excellent conduct purely, but that they may 
be praised and well thought of. It seeks to gain a reputation 
rather than a character; to seem, rather than to be. It is distin¬ 
guished from the faculty of Self-esteem in that it seeks the good 

opinion of others , and cares 
more for the applause of 
the world than for the ap¬ 
proval of self. Its action 
is often mistaken for that 
of Self-esteem by superficial 
readers of character. 

The faculty of Appro¬ 
bativeness is found larger 
in actors, singers, artists, 
and athletes than in other 
classes of public characters. 
It is essential to the success 
of these people, for the ap¬ 
proval of their audience is 
the spur and incentive to 
still greater efforts. It is 
also large in politicians, 
for their popularity with 
the masses keeps them in 
power and adds to their 
importance and distinction. 
Approbativeness is pre¬ 
eminent in those who are 
fond of fashionable life, who love display and make great exertions 
to “keep up appearances.” This trait leads public men and 
orators to desire popularity, praise, and attention, and, in excess, 
makes “ shoddy aristocrats” of those who ought to be proud of 
being American citizens, who should be content to be classed 
among the “ plain people,” as the good Abraham Lincoln termed 
the laboring masses. 

Approbativeness, in a normal degree, is the incentive to many 
great and noble deeds. It inspires all classes to put forth their 
best efforts in order to outstrip all competitors. In the education 



Fig. 38.— MISS OTIS. (Amateur Actress, of New 

York.) 

Principal facial sign, Approbativeness, shown by 
dimples in the cheeks about one inch outwardly from 
the corners of the mouth. The law of the curve and 
straight line governs this physiognomy. All of the 
signs for dramatic talent are conspicuous in this coun¬ 
tenance. The domestic traits are well represented. 
Amativeness, Love of Young, Mirthfulness, Benevo¬ 
lence, and Friendship are large, while Human Nature, 
Ideality,Constructiveness, Form, Size, Color, Language, 
and Memory of Events aid the artistic aspirations, 
which are clearly in the line of comedy, farce, and 
burlesque. 




APPROBATIVENESS. 


381 


of youth and the training of animals it is a most useful faculty 
where it is possessed in a balanced degree, giving agreeability of 
speech and manner, making people polite, courteous, and compli¬ 
mentary, and fostering and developing the many little acts of 
attention which the demands of hospitality and society require. It 
raises a spirit of emulation between shop-keepers and causes them 
to carry and display finer stock than their neighbors, gives a feel¬ 
ing of rivalry between athletes, oarsmen, marksmen, billiardists, 
and chess-players, and creates in prize-fighters a desire to pummel 
their opponents to death. Among scholars it arouses all the 
mental powers in order to 
satisfy the ambitious desire 
to be at the head and win 
prizes, scholarships, and 
diplomas. Even generals, 
statesmen, and officers of 
every grade and station are 
more or less affected by its 
action. 

It has its national 
sphere of action, and some 
nations as a whole possess 
this approbative sense in 
a marked degree. The 
French are wonderfully 
permeated by it; one might 
say they are saturated with 
it, for their national glory 
is a subject dear to the 
heart of every Frenchman. 

Their pride of their man¬ 
ners, dress, and industrial 
and artistic achievements 
is most extraordinary. 

Much in contrast to the English, who yet have quite enough of it. 

Approbativeness assists the cause ol morality by making men 
and women conform to the established laws and rules of society, 
under penalty of “ being talked about,” losing their good name, 
etc. For fear of being held up to scorn and contempt, bad people 
hide their evil deeds from the light of day, and this is the only 
compensation they could make to society, for their wickedness, for 
example, is contagious, and “ hypocrisy is the tribute which vice 
pays to virtue.” Concealment oi crime is better than its bold and 
open practice j yet love ot truth and honor loi their own sakes 



J V 


Fig. 


39.—JOHANN CHRISTOPH VON GLUCK. 
(Musical Composer and Author.) 

Born in Germany, 1714. Conspicuous facial sign. 
Approbativeness, shown by dimples in the outer part of 
the cheeks. The law of the curve and straight line 
governs this face. Here are revealed artistic and in¬ 
ventive faculties of a high order. The domestic nature 
is strongly manifested. Amativeness, Mirthfulness, 
Love of Young and of Home are equal in development 
to Benevolence, Conscientiousness, Friendship, and 
Hospitality. The literary and artistic powers are shown 
by the signs for Ideality, Mental Imitation, Sublimity, 
Analysis, Constructiveness, Veneration, Form, Size, 
Locality, Color, Language, Music, Time, Memory of 
Events, and Intuition. 




382 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

is a higher motive. If Conscience is wanting in a character, 
Approbativeness is a good substitute, stimulating the individual to 
good deeds and great efforts in order to win the commendation of 
his friends; yet a fair share is beneficial to all, for the most 
honorable man, if blunt and too outspoken, creates enemies, makes 
no one happier by this course, and often defeats his own good 
purposes. 

Perhaps the greatest abuse and perversion of this faculty is 
found in its leading the community to perpetuate extravagant 
follies in pursuance of what they term “ following the fashions.” 
The injuries done to the body by these silly and unthink¬ 
ing devotees lead to gross immoralties as well as to physi¬ 
cal deformities. Many deformities have been produced by 
tight waists and corsets, and at one time in the fashionable 
world it would have been next to impossible to discover a civilized 
woman with a waist of normal dimensions, but fortunately the 
athletic activities of women have made tight lacing both unpopular 
and unfashionable and “ wasp-waists ” have been succeeded by 
those of more natural proportions. Normal waists, such as are 
seen in the statues of the Venus de Medici and other female ideals, 
exhibit the outlines of the waist curving outward from below the 
bust. The once fashionable style induced just the opposite form, 
and this deformity continued through several generations produced 
myriads of misshapen men and women who were afflicted with 
pains and disorders induced by this malformation and vitiated con¬ 
dition of all their internal organs; and all this was cheerfully and 
smilingly borne in deference to fashion’s decree. Women, foolish, 
or even strong minded, will submit slavishly to “ la mode ” rather 
than appear singular or bear the criticisms of others upon their 
hardihood in wearing a sensible and healthful dress. There are 
other evils by the score that are prompted by overindulgence in 
Approbativeness, but I rank this as the very worst one possible , 
for whatever vitiates, deforms, and weakens the body of the mother 
of the race demoralizes all her offspring, and demoralization com¬ 
mences in the physical constitution of man. 

There is in regard to Approbativeness a universally erroneous 
public opinion. It is thought that vanity (which is the excess of 
this trait) is pre-eminently a feminine characteristic, and that man, 
the “lord of creation,” possesses very little Approbativeness or 
vanity as compared to woman. Now, all the facts of Nature attest 
that the converse of this is true, for in looking over the males of 
the animal kingdom we find them to be possessed of “ ornaments 
of all sorts, such as combs, wattles, protuberances, horns, air- 
distended sacs, topknots, naked shafts, plumes, and lengthened 


APPROBATIYENESS. 


383 


feathers, gracefully springing from all parts of the body.” In the 
human family we find that the male is in nearly all races furnished 
with a beard and moustache, and a feature so universally peculiar 
to the male sex and so pronounced in appearance is worthy 
investigation, for it certainly must be the outward indication oi* 
something inward. Nature never creates a feature without intend¬ 
ing it for a double purpose, and therefore she causes it to reveal 
both its uses and meaning. 

Now, what is the meaning, the logic of these extra orna¬ 
mental appendages observed in the males of animal as well as of 
the human species ? In answer to this let me state that in tracing 
the signification of phenomena in the human family I always study 
first similar appearances and characteristics in the lower races, and 
here I usually get both the clue and verification. Now, the males 
in the various bird tribes which are endowed with combs, wattles, 
long plumes, sacs, spots, and uncommonly brilliant plumage, such, 
for example, as the peacock, the turkey-cock, the resplendent 
trogon, the bird of Paradise, the Argus pheasant, the Solise pheas¬ 
ant, the several varieties of the gallinacea or domestic poultry, 
such as grouse, quail, partridge, cocks, and game-cocks, show by 
their conduct the use, effect, and meaning of these extra orna¬ 
mental appendages. Their use is to attract the opposite sex by 
ruffling their brilliant plumage, erecting their combs, filling out 
their air-sacs, coloring their wattles by filling them with blood, 
spreading their tails, and distending their throats, as do the 
pigeons and other birds. When their feathery toilet is “got up” 
to suit their vain conceits, they strut and gabble, whistle and 
prance, whirl and wheel up and down before the plain and humble 
females as much as to say, “ Look at me ! Am I not a grand and 
gorgeous creature V 9 The effect of this extra and peculiar per¬ 
sonal ornamentation is to create vanity , love, and desire for display 
and approbation in these feathered beaux, and tends to develop 
vanity by its excess. In still lower orders of the animal kingdom 
we find that the males in most instances are endowed with extra 
ornamental appendages, such as bright-colored spots. As low 
down as the coleoptera or beetle tribes even, and in the lepidoptera 
or butterfly and moth families, the males are furnished with more 
brilliant plumage, down, and markings, stripes, and spots than the 
females. The same law obtains in the arachnidse, or the spider 
family; also in the Crustacea, or shell-animals, both of marine and 
land tribes; and all are familiar with the appearance of the extra 
hair, mane, horns, and colorings of the male lion, tiger, sheep, 
goat, and deer. Even among fishes the males of some species are 
more brilliantly colored and spotted than the females. In the 


384 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


human species the beard and moustache correspond to the hirsute 
beards and hairy and feathered ornaments in the animal kingdom, 
and they point to precisely the same result , viz., Approbativeness, 
and, in excess, vanity, for these well-marked sexual characteristics 
are relied upon by man, consciously or unconsciously , to attract 
the opposite sex, just as the males of the lower races rely upon 
their extra charms to attract their female friends. 

The beard and moustache serve as a benefactor to some men, 
for the beard of the chin conceals deficient Conscientiousness, Pa¬ 
triotism, Love of Home, and Firmness. The moustache conceals 
lack of Self-esteem, Modesty, Amativeness, and Love of Children. 
Providence has been very kind indeed to our brothers, for it has 
bestowed upon them a sort of masked battery behind which they 
are able to conceal the poverty as well as the wealth of the garri¬ 
son, and so get poor, defenseless females to capitulate without at 
all knowing its deficiencies. We should have no defense in this 
direction did not scientific physiognomy come to our aid and per¬ 
mit us to unveil and interpret every appearance of each feature of 
the face. 

The proof that man is generally more innately vain than 
woman is not far to seek, for the boasting which nearly all men 
and youth indulge in in regard to their power over the minds of 
females is so common and universal as to be within the knowledge 
of all. Women, on the contrary, are not so universally conceited 
on this point, but, like Barkis, are “willin’” to try their power for 
charming the other sex, but do not possess that supreme confidence 
which makes some men in their second childhood even believe 
themselves to be irresistible when they sue for and obtain the hand 
of a girl of sixteen. Good, square common sense, untinctured 
with vanity, would lead those old patriarchs who marry young 
girls to understand that such unions are abhorrent to natural law; 
yet vanity inborn in regard to the opposite sex leads hundreds of 
octogenarians to perpetrate the folly of marrying a playmate for 
their grandchildren. Old women rarely commit the folly of marry¬ 
ing young men, and then in most instances it is either to mother 
some helpless boy or to transmit property, or to secure a disinter¬ 
ested custodian to protect property interests, etc. 

I find that men, as a rule, are not as vain about their clothes 
and outward appearance as women. The reason for this is obvious. 
Woman, not possessing the extra personal ornaments and all- 
abounding confidence which man has in regard to the opposite 
sex, relies upon clothing, neatness, sweetness of manner, accom¬ 
plishments, etc., to attract man, and this is her form of endeavor¬ 
ing to gain approbation, esteem, and compliments from him. Those 


FRIENDSHIP. 


385 


who flatter and praise most are the most susceptible to flattery, and 
man, being more given to flatter than woman, gets a return with 
interest when any point is to be gained; yet he invariably receives 
these attentions as though his own real worth or personal appear¬ 
ance called them forth, while all the time woman is only taking 
advantage of his weakness and playing upon his vanity. So in¬ 
tuitive is the female mind in the direction of human nature that 
little girls, even, will take a most intelligent manner of wheedling 
and coaxing their fathers for anything which they wish, and they 
are not long in finding out the most accessible and “softest” spot 
in their characters to aim at. 

Well-chosen commendation given to one’s children or those 
one is teaching—to servants and employes—proves a powerful 
incentive toward better conduct and greater efforts, while great 
care should be exercised to not spoil children by continually sound¬ 
ing their praises before them,—a course calculated to weaken char¬ 
acter and induce vanity. 

A few words of appreciation from friends often stimulates the 
scholar, author, and artist to their best, and gives them a real sub¬ 
stantial strength and courage under difficulties. Yet Approbative- 
ness, like all good and useful traits, can be abused and made to pro¬ 
duce just the opposite effect from its normal mission. 

' FRIENDSHIP. 

Definition .—“An attachment to a person, proceeding from 
intimate acquaintance and a reciprocation of kind offices, or from 
a favorable opinion of the amiable and respectable qualities of his 
mind.”— Webster. Also, affiliation, love of association and co¬ 
operation, love of visiting and sociability, neighborly feeling, and 
congeniality. 

An excess of Friendship produces a silly, gushing manner, 
and leads one to neglect his own duties for the sake of the objects 
of his friendly solicitude. 

A deficiency of Friendship causes unsociability and indiffer¬ 
ence to the comfort of others. It engenders selfishness and a dis¬ 
taste for friendly associations, such as societies and festive gather¬ 
ings. 

Facial and Bodily Signs .—The physiognomical signs of 
Friendship are known by a fullness of the upper and soft part of 
the cheek, over and below the malar bone. This faculty presents 
different phases in combination with the several systems of func¬ 
tions, being either physical, mental, or sentimental, according to 
the system which is the dominant or controlling one in the indi¬ 
vidual. Kissing, embracing, and petting are the natural language 

25 


386 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


of Friendship. The signs for Hospitality adjoin Friendship on its 
lower side, while Mirthfulness and Approbativeness are in close 
proximity, showing the sort of company which Friendship keeps. 

Description of Friendship.— Friendship is directly related to 
the intestinal system, and depends upon the strength and develop¬ 
ment of the function of digestion to manifest its power. The vigor and 
warmth created by its normal construction and efficient action give 
to the individual the feeling or sentiment of sociality and the desire 
for active friendship. Where the intestinal system is relatively 
weak and small, and the fullness in the upper cheek wanting, 

there is always exhibited a 
Jack of this peculiar trait, 
as well as a less perfect 
and vigorous circulation. 
Those who lack all these 
functions have not, as a 
rule, a warm surface, and 
often suffer with cold feet 
and hands; they are also 
troubled with chilliness, 
and make poor bathers. 
The cause of this feeble¬ 
ness arises from the fact 
that the intestinal system is 
not sufficiently vigorous to 
create a large quantity of 
warm and nourishing blood. 

As the intestinal sys¬ 
tem has a dual action, in 
that it both secretes and 
absorbs , so Friendship in 
its action is dual, being' 

7 O 

both selfish and unselfish. 
The only purely unselfish 
faculty of the human mind 
This gives and expects nothing in return, 
sympathy; but Friendship must have some- 
As its name indicates, it requires more than 
one to carry forward its purposes. Friends expect, at the least, 
companionship , in order to enhance their enjoyment. A man can¬ 
not prove that he is a friend if he does not associate with others, 
either socially or in fraternal societies; but the truly benevolent 
person can live in solitude, yet contribute to the welfare of others, 
either by giving them the benefit of his thoughts, or by sending 



FIG. 40.—M. LOUIS ADOLPH THIERS. 

man, Historian, Orator.) 


(States- 


Born in France, 1797. Conspicuous facial sign, 
Friendship, shown by fullness of the soft tissues of 
the upper cheek. The law of the straight line and 
curve governs this countenance. The domestic traits 
are highly developed here, particularly those of 
Amativeness, Love of Home, of Country, and of the 
Young- also Mirthfulness, Alimentiveness, Econ¬ 
omy, Hospitality, Sanativeness, Color, Benevolence, 
Approbativeness, and Firmness. Stamped upon this 
friendly face are the signs of Mental Imitation, Order, 
Language, Memory of Events, Constructiveness, Ac¬ 
quisitiveness, Veneration, Executiveness, Self-will, and 
Reason, all large. 


is Benevolence, 
being based on 
thing in return. 




FRIENDSHIP. 


387 


them relief from his stores of goods or money, or by using his 
influence with others, and yet expect nothing in return, not even 
companionship. 

The definition which Webster gives, quoted at the head of 
this faculty, speaks of a “reciprocation of kind offices” as one of 
the requisites of Friendship, and this is its selfish aspect. Where 
one neighbor is constantly extending attentions to another neighbor, 
and showing favors in sickness and in all domestic crises, he 
naturally looks for similar attentions in similar emergencies. One 
ol the chief objects of association in friendship is mutual assist¬ 
ance, and Nature has so 
constituted the human 
mind that it expects to re¬ 
ceive what it gives. Now, 
if one is endowed with the 
warmth and strength de¬ 
rived from a vigorous sys¬ 
tem, he will in the first 
place warm toward or be 
attracted to others, and 
thus, his sympathetic feel¬ 
ing being aroused, it results 
in active deeds, in personal 
services, both to the well 
and sick, in the proffer of 
material and substantial 
assistance, in defending the 
absent friend and his inter¬ 
ests, in case of slander, fire, 
or disasters of all kinds; 
and this friend would soon 
lose his interest in those 
about him did he receive no 
appreciation from those 
upon whom he has heaped 

favors and kindness, for one stimulates another, and kindness 
begets kindness, and thus by attention the friendly man develops 
friendliness in others. I confess myself greatly indebted to a 
friend’s example for much that is friendly in my own character, 
for my early life was passed in such seclusion from friendly associ¬ 
ations that although having the desire I did not understand many 
of the little amenities which adorn social life, and thus was obliged 
to learn them by example from one gifted in Friendship. Some 
persons possess this trait as a talent, and make and retain strong 



Copyright by Greeley Photo Service. 

Fig. 41.— THOMAS MOTT OSBORNE. (Reformer, 

Warden Sing Sing Prison, N. Y. State.) 

Conspicuous facial sign, Friendship. The law 
of the curve and straight line governs this physi¬ 
ognomy. A strong and forcible face, one which 
discloses the presence of a strong attachment to 
friendship and desire for aggressiveness, strong in 
his convictions. The signs for Conscientiousness, 
Firmness, Amativeness, Ali'mentiveness, Resistance, 
Self-esteem, Bibativeness are well developed and 
defined. The mirthful as well as the persevering 
wrinkles are very conspicuous in this face. The 
hair discloses intense action of energy and physi¬ 
cal vigor. The mental system discloses Mental 
Imitation, Order, Reason, Intuition and Human 
Nature. 




388 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


and enduring friendships, and grieve deeply if death or separation 
deprive them of the society of their friends. 

Those deficient in Friendship often possess a good deal of 
Benevolence and show their sympathy more by giving than by 
doing or by associated and co-operated efforts, for those deficient 
in Friendship derive little satisfaction from association in a social 
way, yet may possess and exhibit a large share of love and sym¬ 
pathy for a conjugal companion, or, with Language large, will 
evince sociability in casual meetings, yet seldom or never invite 
friends nor join fraternal societies. 

A keen analysis is needed to discriminate between the action 
of Friendship and Benevolence. It is true, they are often found 
well developed in the same individual, and where this is the case 
a very sympathetic , charitable , and friendly spirit is exhibited. 
Such a one is a benefactor to his race. In the faces of Florence 
Nightingale, Elizabeth Fry, and Touissant L’Ouverture, and other 
well-known friendly and sympathetic characters, who worked for 
the good of others, these signs are well defined. 

Where Friendship is largely exhibited in combination with 
fine inherited quality, the individual will evince a strong magnetic, 
attractive nature, which spontaneously arouses like feelings in 
others, and, with a good intellect in combination, he will be able to 
attract, hold, and greatly influence the lives and opinions of thou¬ 
sands. Henry Ward Beecher and Spurgeon, the eminent London 
divine, were good illustrations of the latter class. 

Hermits and misers exhibit by their faces, as well as in their 
habits, the absence of all that goes to make the ardent friend, for 
Friendship gives a desire for embracing and kissing, and these are 
the natural and spontaneous impulses of friendly natures, yet the 
former classes of persons are not moved to such demonstrations of 
affection simply because the warmth and vigor, the exuberance of 
feeling, which a strong intestinal system creates, are lacking, and 
their impoverished natures have nothing to give , hence it never 
occurs to them that they are suffering for want of friendliness. On 
the contrary, they repel all advances made by sympathetic people. 
As a rule, misers and hermits present a shriveled and wrinkled 
appearance, with long, thin faces; flat, pale cheeks; and thin, 
pallid, or ashen-colored lips, lack-lustre eyes, and spare bodies. 
It is a logical inference that persons thus constituted would neither 
possess the strength nor inclination to move actively in association, 
nor would they be able to glow with desire to benefit others, as do 
the friendly and benevolent, so truly are we the “ slaves of our 
organism,” as Emerson expresses it. 

Without the faculty of Friendship all men would be hermits, 


FRIENDSHIP. 


389 


and isolation, instead of association, would be the rule. It is the 
principle of association that creates governments and makes all 
large enterprises possible. It is the same feeling which gives to 
our family life much of its comfort and happiness, for the domestic 
and social traits blend in together, and thus mark out a course of 
enjoyment which both elevate and enrich the character. It is true 
that social affairs can be made a source of injury if carried to the 
extreme, and in this country there is great danger to be appre¬ 
hended from what may be termed “social dissipation.” Many 
families who can ill afford it rush into social extravagancies, 
and not only ruin their own welfare, but set a bad example for 
others to follow. Again, many men and women, in the exuber¬ 
ance of Friendship, join fraternal societies when they have neither 
the time, strength, nor money (if they do justice to themselves and 
families), while others are like the man who “joined so many 
lodges that he had no time to lodge at home.” Yet the cultivation 
of Friendship within reasonable limits strengthens the bonds of 
brotherly love and mutual helpfulness. 

In building up a friendship, one should estimate it as so much 
capital invested in one of the most substantial things of life, for 
when one has put time, love, and attentions into friendly inter¬ 
course, it should not he severed except for good cause, and parents 
should endeavor to build up enduring friendships for their children 
by selecting as friends persons of high character and fine disposi¬ 
tions. Two or three real, first-class friends are about all one may 
hope to have in this world of changes, and if these can be held 
throughout life the individual is favored, indeed. Friendship 
must be founded upon mutual fitness, and esteem will follow. 

Harmony in Friendship, as in marriage, is the result of suita¬ 
bility, congeniality of taste, sentiment, mental development, or 
magnetic attraction, and this single circumstance often suffices to 
hold friends together who seem to be quite dissimilar in tastes and 
pursuits. 

The platonic friendships entertained by members of each sex 
for the other are most commendable, yet the censorious will insist 
there is something evil in them. Many women derive the greatest 
comfort and courage from the counsel of some disinterested male 
friend, and men often find their best adviser in some wise, pure, 
intuitive, and disinterested female friend. The schools in which 
co-education of the sexes is established develop many beautiful and 
lasting friendships between the sexes, and many scholars in these 
schools who have intermarried have formed most harmonious 
unions, for the reason that constant, daily intercourse in the class¬ 
room and in social life has made them better acquainted than they 


390 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


could possibly have become by their casual meetings in social 
gatherings. 

The many diverse manifestations of Friendship observed in 
different individuals are due to the combinations with other traits, 
which influence the action of the social nature. Those possessed 
of a large share of Friendship in connection with fair Amativeness 
make excellent conjugal companions, and defend the interests and 
name of their companion with spirit and ardor; with large Friend¬ 
ship, Hospitality, and Alimentiveness, show their social nature by 
making feasts and banquets for friends; with Approbativeness in 
combination, will be sensitive to the blame and praise of friends, 
and be very much cheered and encouraged by their commendation ; 
with large Conscientiousness, Benevolence, Approbativeness, and 
reasoning power, will be able to make and retain many friends, 
and will be of great assistance to friends by wise counsel and lov¬ 
ing attachment; with large Force, will defend their characters 
and interests with great vigor from assaults; with small Secretive¬ 
ness and large Language, are sociable with all, and, with large 
Mirthfulness, are capital fun-makers, and make vivacious and 
amusing companions; with Ideality added, will use only the most 
appropriate and refined wit, fun, and jests; with large Self-esteem, 
will carry themselves with dignity and seek the esteem of others, 
and yet make amusement for them; with literary tastes in com¬ 
bination, will care for the society of the intellectual, and with 
scientific tastes will gravitate naturally to that class of society. 
Where Mirthfulness, Friendship, Language, Imitation, and Con¬ 
structiveness, with small Self-esteem, are well developed, there will 
be manifested a talent for mimicry, acting, story-telling, and prac¬ 
tical jokes not of the most refined character; but, with Ideality 
large, the whole character will take on an elevated cast, and the 
wit, fun, and acting will be highly amusing, yet always refined and 
admirable. 

Where Friendship is small, Benevolence large, and Self-esteem 
small, the individual will make few friends and take no pains to 
cultivate them; with large Language, will be sociable and talkative, 
but never advance to confiding in others, yet will give of means, but 
never offer personal service, and, with Self-will added, are brusque, 
and take little pains to disguise real sentiments, and often offend 
and make enemies in this way; with Friendship, Approbativeness, 
Cautiousness, and Secretiveness large, make few friends and then 
only upon long acquaintance, and are apt to be jealous of atten¬ 
tions shown to others, and desire all attentions lavished upon self. 
With large Conscientiousness, Benevolence, fair Approbativeness, 
large Friendship, good reasoning faculties and large Self-esteem, 


FRIENDSHIP. 


391 


good Alimentiveness, and Hospitality, will delight in entertaining 
friends at home and at table, and will seek to bring friends to¬ 
gether and be desirous of forming attachments between them; in 
such a character Jealousy has no foothold, and hence gets more 
out of Friendship than if troubled with petty, jealous fears and 
rankling envy; and, with Ideality added, will entertain in a refined 
manner, and offer gifts of flowers, books, fruits, and delicacies, and 
show to friends all sorts of refined and appropriate attentions. 

Where Friendship is exhibited in a moderate degree, but with 
large Language, the possessor will be sociable and talkative, yet care 
little for the loss or absence of friends; with large Acquisitiveness, 
will use acquaintances as a stepping-stone to procure business; with 
small Conscientiousness and large Secretiveness, will be unreliable 
in friendship, and, with large Amativeness and small Ideality, will 
exhibit more animal passion than sentiment; but, with Ideality 
large, will prove a most satisfactory character to a refined conjugal 
partner. 

The faculty of Friendship can be cultivated and developed 
like any other mental power, and those deficient in this faculty 
should endeavor to level up their character in this respect, for no 
one can overestimate the blessings and advantages which may flow 
from even a chance acquaintance. The friendship of a dog is 
worth something, as many can testify who have been benefited by 
their friendliness and fidelity. The sympathetic and friendly, acts 
of the St. Bernard dogs in saving the lives of travellers in the 
snowy Alps are well known, and countless cases of lives saved by 
dogs from drowning and fire are recorded the world over. All of 
the higher animals exhibit the faculty of Friendship in a very 
human manner, and as low down as the insect tribes, even, sym¬ 
pathy and friendship are shown in a way suited to the needs and 
natures of these tiny denizens of earth. Indeed, animals set man 
a fine example in human virtues , for not only are they friendly and 
sympathetic to their own species, but develop friendships for, and 
make pets of, other animals, and constitute themselves the guar¬ 
dians and protectors of men and little children. When I see men 
beating and ill-treating dogs and horses, I think how infinitely su¬ 
perior the beast is to that man, and some animals are in certain 
respects the equals of the best men,—that is, in fidelity, honesty, 
and friendship,—and often show an ingenuity which is only limited 
by their peculiar anatomical structure. I do not think man pos¬ 
sesses a faculty which is not in some degree shared by some species 
of animal. Certainly, the domestic and social range of faculties are 
all well developed in them, and reason is exhibited by ants and 
wasps even, while conscience is most certainly one of the leading 


392 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


attributes of some species of dogs and horses. The egotism of 
humanity has led it to ascribe to itself all earthly virtues and to 
animals scarce any. Not only has man’s egotism led him to claim 
all earthly virtues, but he also claims the exclusive right to divinity 
and immortality, and he bases his right to that condition upon his 
possession of Conscience, Reason, and Memory. Now, if he has 
these traits, he only has his share and hind. Animals have also 
their share and hind , and the animal might, with as much sense 
and justice, deny to man his claim to immortality because he does 
not exhibit just the same kind and degree of Reason, Justice, and 
Memory or Mind as does the animal. 

In the light of present-day science and knowledge of animal 
life, man’s arrogant assumptions of superiority and immortality are 
ridiculous, and ought to teach him a little modesty and justice in 
making comparisons between the lower and higher animals. Man 
is constituted of the same materials precisely as the animal, and, as 
this points to a common origin, why not to a common destiny l I 
am willing to share Heaven with all the animal tribes, and am 
anxious to live eternally with some I have known, for is it to be 
supposed that the lasting and enduring friendships we have built 
up here for them, and which have helped to make our characters 
lovely, noble, and magnanimous, are not a part of our immortal 
inheritance 1 I cannot believe that all this will be stricken out of 
our entity,—but here I am getting beyond science and giving be¬ 
liefs, something I have no right to do, while I claim to devote this 
book to demonstrable facts alone. 

HOSPITALITY. 

Definition. —Receiving and entertaining friends and strangers 
without compensation; love of eating and drinking with friends. 
Combined with practical faculties and Executiveness, it shows 
itself by active participation in public entertainments, feasts, and 
festivities. 

An excess of this fine trait tends to extravagance in entertain¬ 
ment of friends and to the neglect of other duties. 

A deficiency in hospitable feeling makes one unsocial and 
tends to isolation. Reasonable hospitality is a duty which we owe 
to ourselves as well as others, for such intercourse develops some 
of the most beautiful traits of character, which, if lacking, would 
lead to a hermit-like existence. 

Facial and Bodily Signs. —The most conspicuous facial sign 
for Hospitality is shown by fullness of the cheek below the sign 
for Friendship and adjoining the signs for Alimentiveness, Mirth¬ 
fulness, and Approbativeness. All of these faculties are natural 


HOSPITALITY. 


393 


allies, and are all concerned in carrying out the behests of Hos¬ 
pitality. The signs of the “natural cook” are in close proximity. 

Description of Hospitality. —The placing of the principal 
facial sign for Hospitality is most appropriate, as it not only shows its 
glandular origin within the vegetative system, but, by its situation 
near the signs for those faculties and functions which act in unison 
with it, points out its similarity of action and identity of interests 
with its nearest neighbors, the domestic faculties. Where the 
glands are well developed and of normal action, more especially 
the glands directly connected with the function of digestion, a de¬ 
sire for association in the act of eating will arise from their operation. 
In animals of very low types, even, this gregarious flocking and 
herding propensity at feeding time is most strikingly exhibited. 
The same love of association, particularly at meals, marks the hos¬ 
pitable human being, and shows also that it is distinct in its action 
and effect from pure Alimentiveness, or love of food and drink, and 
also distinct from Friendship purely, although Friendship leads to 
feasting and entertaining; yet those who have Hospitality large, 
in combination with Friendship, will entertain more by cooking 
and setting table, making feasts, etc., for friends than by other 
modes of entertainment. This is its basic and primary phase. 

Other traits which are largely developed often decide the 
manner of showing Hospitality. The grouping of the signs near 
Hospitality are most significant, and lead us to a logical analysis of 
its use and action in the human economy. Adjoining and above 
lies the sign for Friendship; on the forward side, the signs for Ali¬ 
mentiveness and Mirthfulness, both able assistants and comrades in 
action. Approbativeness is also a near neighbor, and “ drops in ” at 
meal-times with praise of edibles, cooking, etc., and asks for a 
recipe for that “nice cake” or “delicious salad,” and commends 
and flatters the guests generally, placing all at their ease, and thus 
promotes digestion by giving both hostess and guest a feeling ol 
self-satisfaction. Miss Mirthfulness, an arch damsel, ready with 
jest and story, bright sallies and flashes of wit, enlivens the com¬ 
pany, and enables the glands to pour out their juices, and so 
good digestion, “sweet remembrancer, doth wait on appetite and 
health on both.” Love of Home and Love of Country, in 
close proximity, point out to woman her special spheres for the 
exercise of these noble traits, and Love of Young stands close at 
hand waiting for mamma to dispense the dainties which all mothers 
love to give their darlings. Mr. Benevolence also stands close by 
and suggests that we send our oversupply ol wheat to the starving 
millions of Europe, and prudent Economy lingers near to see that 
“nothing be lost.” The prim Miss Self-esteem has arrived, and 


394 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


sits at a little distance in order to check any unruly mirth or breach 
of decorum at table, while Mr. Alimentiveness is urging all to 
drink, and stuff and gorge themselves; hut the delicate little Miss 
Modesty deprecates such proceedings, and begs the company to 
remember that the 44 interests ot propriety ” demand moderation 
at table. It is in such social and merry company that we find 
this matron, Madam Hospitality, and a goodly company indeed 
she has about her. 

But Hospitality is not all kindness and disinterestedness; it 

has a selfish aspect as well, 
for Nature, in order to com¬ 
pel action of the faculties, 
gives us a personal desire 
and pleasure in their exer¬ 
cise, and, as our pleasure in 
association must be drawn 
from others, so we derive 
from their society the satis¬ 
faction which we could not 
gain in solitude. 

The analytical method 
of arriving at truths in re¬ 
gard to human nature has 
been very little practiced by 
the old-time metaphysicians, 
or, if used, the laws of ex¬ 
amination were not physio¬ 
logical nor anatomical, hence 
untenable. The Self-love of 
man has always prevented a 
truthf ul examination of char¬ 
acter, and the theological 
method of ascribing to the 
44 devil ” all the sinful pro¬ 
clivities of man has also 
stood in the way of a just and complete knowledge of the real 
nature and method of action of the human mind. When an indi¬ 
vidual is born with a large degree of Force and small Kindness 
and Conscience it is not necessary that the devil should urge him 
on to fight; his own peculiarity of structure supplies all the 
impelling power necessary to set him brawling and fighting, with 
or without provocation. If we put the responsibility where it 
belongs we shall relieve all 44 spirits” of complicity in this instance, 
except the spirit of ignorance, which is the real devil in the case. 



FlG.42.— MARTHA DANDRIDGE CUSTIS WASH¬ 
INGTON. (Wife of George Washington, 
First President of the United States.) 


Born in Virginia, 1732. Principal facial sign, Hos¬ 
pitality. The law of the straight line, square, and 
curve governs this face. All of the social and domes¬ 
tic virtues shine pre-eminent in this noble counte¬ 
nance. Conscientiousness, Firmness, Benevolence, 
Love of Home, of Country, and of Children are 
strongly marked. So, also, are Economy, Mirthful¬ 
ness, Hospitality, Friendship, Modesty, Sanativeness, 
Alimentiveness, Bibativeness, and Color. The men¬ 
tal system is of a high order, and reveals the signs 
for Ideality, Hope, Mental Imitation, Constructive¬ 
ness, Acquisitiveness, Veneration, Self-will, Form, 
Size, Language, Memory, Reason, and Intuition. The 
quality fine, ana the character consei’vative and well- 
balanced. 



HOSPITALITY. 


395 



Ignorance breeds monsters, who lie, steal, fight, and murder, and 
all this is done in accordance with the laws of their being, 
uncontrolled, of course, by a sense of right. 

A\ hen I show that Friendship, as well as Hospitality, has a 
dual method of action, and that in their exercise they are both 
selfish and unselfish, some criticism may be evoked, for the majority 
of people, not being accus¬ 
tomed to sit in judgment 
upon their faculties will 
permit their Self-love to 
come between their desire 
to have certain faculties 
appear wholly disinterested 
and the exact truth, or else, 
not being logical, do not 
carry the analysis to its 
logical sequence. When 
I find a function within the 
organism which exhibits a 
twofold action, I know 
that the mental faculty 
arising from this function 
has also two ways of mani¬ 
festing itself. Now, the 
glands both secrete and 
absorb —draw toward them¬ 
selves and send out their 
material to enrich other 
parts of the body. The 
reasoning faculties are sus¬ 
tained by a generous supply 
of nutrition, and Hospital¬ 
ity, deriving its ability from 
a portion of the lacteal 
glands , which both secrete 
and absorb, gives to man 
the desire for food as 
well as the desire to eat 
in company with others. 

Where the vegetative system is the dominant one the most 
selfish aspect of Hospitality will be disclosed, and the individual 
will offer to others only after assuring himself that he has a suffi¬ 
ciency for all after he has gorged himself. With higher systems 
in combination a more unseljish method is adopted, and where we 


Fig. 43—GEORGE WILLIAM CHILDS. 

(Editor and Publisher.) 

Born in America. Conspicuous facial sign Hospi¬ 
tality. The law of the straight line, curve, anti square 
governs this physiognomy. The face above illustrates 
m the highest degree the faculty of Hospitality. In its 
details it reveals the face of one of the foremost citi¬ 
zens of the world, for Mr. Childs may rank as a cosmo¬ 
politan both in fame and deeds. Yet the sign for Pa¬ 
triotism is well defined in this sympathetic, generous, 
and noble countenance. The large development of the 
domestic traits shows that a highly-developed nature 
must possess these as a basis. Accordingly, we find in 
this physiognomy large Amativeness, Love of Young, of 
Home, and of Country, as well as Mirthfulness, Bibative- 
ness, Hospitality, Benevolence, Alimentiveness, Appro- 
bativeness, Friendship, Sanativeness, Self-esteem, and 
Hope large, with sufficient Force, Resistance, and Cau¬ 
tiousness to balance the character. The commercial in¬ 
stinct is strong, hence Human Nature, Acquisitiveness, 
Constructiveness,Executiveness, Self-will,Observation, 
Memory of Events, Time, Order, Calculation, and Rea¬ 
son are well illustrated. A sense of the aesthetic is 
shown by Ideality, Form, Size, Color, Music, and Lan¬ 
guage. Altogether a fine example of enterprising 
American character. The life of Mr. Childs bears out 
the wisdom of the choice of his face to illustrate Hos¬ 
pitality, for he has probably entertained more distin¬ 
guished literary, royal, titled, and military characters 
m his several residences than any other American citi¬ 
zen. 



396 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


observe Friendship large, along with Hospitality and Benevolence, 
we shall find a character that will share his last morsel with others, 
and be happy in so doing. In combination with the finer traits, 
such as Ideality, it exhibits itself by entertaining in the most refined 
manner; not alone by setting delicate dishes before guests, but, 
where the literary faculties are present, it offers intellectual and 
artistic entertainments, such as dramatic readings, elocutionary 
recitations, and poems; and, with Music large, will entertain with 
concerts, operas, etc. 

The methods which hospitable people take to entertain their 
friends will depend upon their natural quality and cultivated tastes, 
but in whatever manner exhibited this trait usually distinguishes 
itself by gatherings at the domestic or festal board as part of its 
method of manifestation It is more marked in women than in 
men, for the reason that woman is the housekeeper, has had more 
time to cultivate it, and as woman emerges more and more from 
the seclusion of home-hospitality to take part in the preparation 
of entertaining large bodies of people in a public way—as is now 
done by women who assist in entertaining large societies and asso¬ 
ciations, such as the Grand Army of the Republic, the Knights 
Templar, at the Press banquets, and in the annual gatherings of 
fraternal societies—this faculty will enlarge and strengthen, and 
woman will be recognized as the lady, or “ loaf giver ” (according 
to the old Saxon meaning of that term), in her larger home—the 
world. No public gathering where eating and feasting form a 
part of the entertainment is now thought complete without its 
committees of women, and no church could hope to succeed that 
did not have many social features connected with it in which cook¬ 
ing and feasting bear a prominent part. The larger part of church 
membership is composed of women, and as Hospitality is strongest 
in women we should naturally expect that this trait would impress 
itself upon these organizations. v Accordingly, we find that many 
churches have not only parlors for entertaining guests, but kitchens 
and all necessary appliances for cooking and feasting, where the 
gentlemen friends are invited to “assist at” “strawberry festivals,” 
“New England dinners,” “hot lunches,” etc., at prices usually 
about 200 per cent, above their real value. (N. B.—Gentlemen 
are requested to skip the last sentence.) 

Like all faculties which are in themselves good and useful, 
Hospitality can become by excess and perversion a source of harm. 
Where people of limited means, time, or strength indulge in it to 
the injury of themselves or families it should be restrained. Many 
women neglect their families to take part in church festivals, pic¬ 
nics, and public entertainments. Others draw too largely upon 



PNEUMATIYENESS. 


397 


their health to emulate and rival their friends in entertaining. 
Others keep “open house” all the year round, and thus squander 
money, time, and talents for no really useful purpose. Moderation 
in this, as in all good traits, should be the rule. 

Many of the animal tribes exhibit very hospitable as well as 
gregarious habits ; not only do they extend this sentiment to those 
of their own sort, but assist in the entertainment of other species 
by carrying to them and sharing with them their food. Dogs have 
been known to divide with their feline friends, and have even 
shared with strangers of various distinct species. 

PNEUMATIVENESS. 

Definition. —Pneumatics is the word used to describe the 
properties and action of air and gases, hence Pneumativeness is 
the name of the 'physiological function which deals with air, gas, 
and vapor in the lungs, and also the name for the mental faculty 
which takes cognizance of air, gases, and vapors. This faculty gives 
the love and desire for fresh, pure air, and a capacity for distin¬ 
guishing readily the differences in atmospheres; detects odors and 
effluvia arising from decomposition; gives keenness of scent, and 
enables one at a distance to scent the slightest odor of smoke, gas, 
or any peculiar change in the composition of atmospheric air. It 
gives a love for outdoor life and a dislike to crowds, close rooms, 
vitiated atmosphere, and of vile odors. Those who have a large 
measure of this function and faculty exhibit great recuperative 
powers, also ability for imparting health to others, by hand-rubbing 
and by their cheerful and moral atmosphere. Those who possess 
large Pneumativeness are more aspiring, elevated, and actively 
moral than those who show a small degree of this faculty. In 
combination with a good quality of brain, it gives a desire for 
leadership, power, command, oratory, and a taste for mountains, 
high places, and lofty scenery. Men and animals who exhibit 
large Pneumativeness are fond of high, pure atmospheres, climbing 
mountains, towers, etc. The deer tribes and high-flying birds are 
excellent illustrations of this function and faculty. It is large in 
hunters and naturalists ; also in the North American Indians, whose 
love of oratory, of command, and healing powers are well known. 
Pneumativeness gives a love of life and activity, as well as power 
to resist and overcome disease. 

An excess of Pneumativeness cannot be considered injurious 
unless it leads one to pass too much time in outdoor sports to the 
neglect of necessary business. 

A deficiency tends to weakness of all the moral and mental 
powers, to consumption, and early death. It is known by small, 


398 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


pinched nostrils, flat chest, pallid color, small love of life, feeble 
circulation, poor recuperative powers, chilly surface, cold hands 
and feet, inability to discriminate differences in odors and atmo¬ 
spheres, small healing power, lack of hope, and very little ability 
to resist disease and battle for life and health. 

Facial and Bodily Signs. —Wide, large nostrils; high and 
broad nose, breadth of face externally to the eyes, red or pink 

ears, brightness of the eyes; 
good, fresh color of the com¬ 
plexion and clearness and 
purity of the skin; red lips and 
gums, wholesome appetite for 
food and drink; large, high 
chest; sprightly motions, lively 
gestures, hopeful and cheerful 
expression of the countenance, 
a well or normally nourished 
body, and lively gait. Those 
best endowed with the faculty 
of Pneumativeness exhibit a 
slightly receding forehead, with 
sharply-defined outlines of the 
nose and chest. The nose, 
forehead, and chest of those 
having the greatest degree of 
this function are in harmonious 
relation and proportion, and 
the inhalation of a great deal 
of air gives sharply-defined 
outlines of these facial features 
and a prominent chest, to¬ 
gether with keenness of sensa¬ 
tions and an active, rapid gait. 
The palms of the hands and 
the finger-tips disclose a vivid 
red color, while the color of 
the nails assumes a healthy, 
pinkish tint. The shape of the hands and fingers varies, and 
accords with the dominant systems in combination. There are 
many degrees of this faculty exhibited. Some subjects disclose 
one or more of these signs, while others exhibit all or nearly all 
of them. 

Description of Pneumativeness. —The first gift of God to 
man, as he enters this mundane sphere, is atmospheric air; hence, 



FIG. 44.—MISS FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE. 

(Philanthropist and Army Nurse.) 

Born in England, 1820. Conspicuous facial 
sign, Pneumativeness. The law of the straight 
line and angle governs the countenance. The 
large size of the nostrils and nose, together with 
the large amount of color in the eyes, skin, and 
hair, show that well-oxygenated atmosphere has 
built up a noble, pure-minded philanthropic mind 
and body. The large breathing powers of this 
lady are an ancestral inheritance. The signs for 
Firmness, Conscientiousness, Love of Home, 
Benevolence, Amativeness, Love of Young, and 
Patriotism are large. The mental powers of Self¬ 
esteem, Hope, Analysis, Mental Imitation, Sub¬ 
limity, Acquisitiveness, Veneration, Executive¬ 
ness, and Self-will are far above the average in 
this woman, and these constituted her great power, 
added to Sanativeness, the faculty which gives 
the talent and desire for healing the sick, the sign 
for which is uncommonly well defined in this 
sympathetic, executive face. This lady organized 
a band of trained nurses and proceeded to the 
Crimea, where her faithful services to the 
wounded soldiers brought deserved grateful recog¬ 
nition and honors from her government. Such 
women leave the world their debtor. 





PNEUMATIVENESS. 


399 


this is the most important bodily function, for, as we have learned 
that primitive functions exert the most influence upon our lives, so 
our capacity for breathing, of inhaling copious draughts of air, is 
in direct ratio with our moral and mental powers. The lungs, 
then, perform the most important office of the body, and the nose 
is the facial register of these internal organs. We must therefore 
look to that feature primarily for our facial knowledge of what 
Pneumativeness does for 
human character. The cor¬ 
roborative signs—size of the 
thorax, bright color, and 
lively gait and movements 
—are always associated with 
the primal facial indication. 

Undeveloped beings, 
such as idiots, children and 
infants, and vulgar, boorish, 
rude, stupid, and relatively 
immature minds, breathe 
mainly through the mouth, 
and their mouths are more 
or less habitually open. In 
animals the same appear¬ 
ances are discernible, and 
these indications teach us 
that the most perfected 
method of human respiration 
is through the nose, and that 
those persons who breathe 
through the mouth mainly 
are immature as compared 
with those who breathe 
deeply and respire pro¬ 
foundly with the mouth 
closed. Children being com¬ 
paratively immature, often 
during infancy respire a 
great deal with the mouth open, but, if they possess large lungs 
and wide nostrils, will soon commence and keep to the most per- 



FiG. 45.—CHAUNCEY M. DEPEW. 

Born in America. Conspicuous facial sign, Pneu¬ 
mativeness, shown by wide nostrils, large and high 
nose, brightness of the eyes, healthy color of the skin, 
cheerful and lively expression of countenance. The 
law of the straight line, square, and curve governs 
this face. This face is one of extraordinary power 
and ambition. The domestic nature is well developed. 
The signs for Conscientiousness, Firmness, Love of 
Home, Patriotism, Benevolence, Hospitality, Alimen- 
tiveness, Sanativeness, Amativeness, Mirthfulness, 
Modesty, Self-esteem, and Friendship are well devel¬ 
oped. The power for command is shown by the large 
size and high and broad outline of the nose, the 
length of which shows a cautious, far-sighted, astute 
character. The extreme height of the tip of the nose 
above the plane of the face indicates great knowledge 
of Human Nature, while the signs for Mental Imita¬ 
tion, Sublimity, Ideality, Acquisitiveness, Veneration, 
Executiveness, and Self-will are all exceedingly large. 
Observation, Locality, Form, Size Coloi-, and Lan¬ 
guage assist the mental and mechanical powers. 
When with all these powers we find the indication of 
a high degree of Reason, Memory of Events, and In¬ 
tuition we have all the elements in combination of a 
first-class organism. 


fected human method. 

The action of the emotions affords us also a means of judging 
of the value and significance of these different modes of respira¬ 
tion, for, in sudden surprises—in laughter, in crying, and in out¬ 
bursts of grief, anger, or surprise—the mouth opens and the 



400 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


muscles about the mouth become relaxed; the color of the face 
undergoes changes from the pallor of grief and sorrow to the deep 
red of anger and revenge, or to the green and yellow hue of jeal¬ 
ousy, or to a white heat,—the most intense and dangerous form of 
anger. Now, emotions are infantile as compared to purely intel¬ 
lectual processes, and one who lives more in his intellect than in 
his feelings is better able to command his emotions, and will close 
his mouth while under their influence, and otherwise control his 
feelings so that the observer is not aware to what extent he is 
moved. 

If the nostrils are pinched and the nasal passages narrow, the 
mouth necessarily opens to assist respiration, but this method of 
breathing is a reversion to animal methods. Those animals that 
have thick coats of hair cannot assist the lungs by “ skin-breathing,” 
as perspiration has been denominated; hence, they loll out the 
tongue and assist the lungs, and relieve the nose by 66 panting,” as 
is observed in dogs and all of the carnivorous animals. 

Deep breathing stands in close relationship to high thinking, 
for, as we have noted, most idiots and persons relatively imma¬ 
ture or unintellectual breathe with the mouth open. The latter 
drop the jaw while gazing at a spectacle or at the sudden and 
unexpected appearance of an individual. 

Country bumpkins and clownish rustics at a play or circus are 
often observed with the mouth open in awed wonderment, and 
when moved to laughter respond with a hoarse or hearty “ guffaw,” 
while the mouth is stretched, the head thrown back, and the 
muscles of the body relaxed in all the abandonment of childish 
enjoyment. 

The most essential factor in health, usefulness, and longevity 
is pure air. Proof of this is had in the statistics furnished by the 
reports of the boards of health of all large towns and cities. By 
these reports we find that three-fourths of all deaths are due to 
diseases of the respiratory organs. Nearly all throat and lung dis¬ 
eases are engendered by the constant inhalation of impure air and 
lack of ventilation, particularly in sleeping-rooms, where we pass 
at least one third of our lives. Public halls, churches, and theatres 
are open to the same charge, and in these the majority of civilized 
people pass a large share of their time. Churches should set a 
better example , for, as to inhale pure air is the first law of God, so 
religionists of all creeds should make the observance of this law 
of paramount importance. Attempting to “worship God” in an 
atmosphere highly charged with carbonic-acid gas and the vile 
emanations from decayed teeth, sore throats, torpid livers, and foul 
stomachs seems a strange anomaly, for the very first and most 


PNEUMATIYENESS. 


401 


important element of true worship is lacking, viz., bodily purity. 
People made stupid and drowsy by the inhalation of a vitiated at¬ 
mosphere are not in a condition to become moral, much less spir¬ 
itual ; hence, I assert that the first duty of religionists is to have a 
constant supply of pure air in their places of worship. 

Let us examine briefly the methods by which weak lungs and 
throats are developed. In one generation we will suppose that the 
parents remain chiefly in-doors, passing their hours of amusement 
and relaxation in music-halls, theatres, museums, etc., instead of 
in the open air; suppose that they also sleep in close rooms, and 
that their sitting-room is not properly ventilated; suppose that 
these parents neglect all gymnastic exercises calculated to enlarge 
the lungs, and that the mother laces her corsets and thus contracts 
her lung-power; suppose this course is continued for two genera¬ 
tions,—what can we look for as the result but offspring who are 
afflicted with bronchitis, consumption, narrow lungs, delicate health, 
a weakened will, and little power to oppose immorality and scarce 
any to uphold morality! For the great moral efforts of life are not 
made by invalids, nor by narrow-chested, pinched-nosed individuals. 
This sort sometimes figure in the Sunday-school books as dying 
early, leaving behind them memories of an abnormal capacity for 
committing Bible texts to memory, and a longing to drop their 
poor , weakly tenements of clay to shine in realms where they will 
have no poor, weakly body to struggle with. 

Love of life is one manifestation of Pneumativeness, but those 
born with narrow nostrils and flat chests are denied the great 
pleasure which those enjoy who have a strong hold upon life. 
Large-lunged people take a positive enjoyment in the mere act of 
breathing, provided it be in a pure atmosphere. I have been told 
by such persons that the mere act of breathing by the ocean-side 
or upon a mountain-top gave them supreme enjoyment. I have 
experienced this pleasure myself, and I can testify that the inhala¬ 
tion of pure air in copious draughts gives one a feeling of being 
inspired , and this capacity for filling the lungs with a large quan¬ 
tity of the purest constituent in the universe certainly leads to high 
and noble thoughts, to lofty endeavor, and moral achievement. No 
other material can so shape and mold nobility of character. That 
the reader may be quite sure that this assertion is founded in truth, 
let him examine the noses and chests of those who have been emi¬ 
nent in great moral and philanthropic enterprises, and he will be 
convinced that this statement is based on incontrovertible evidence. 
Look, for example, at the physiognomies and bodily contour of 
Martin Luther, John Howard, Peter Cooper, Florence Nightingale, 

Wilberforce, Elizabeth Fry, Froebel, and Abraham Lincoln, and 

26 


402 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


he will become convinced that large lungs, broad nostrils, and 
high noses have a direct influence upon moral conduct and noble 
aspirations. To prove that the opposite of these appearances de¬ 
notes just the reverse of these characteristics, let him examine the 
same number of persons who possess flat chests, flat and narrow 
nostrils, and compare their actions with those of the former, and 
he will add to the burden of proof in favor of lung-development. 

It will not do to ascribe to the size of the brain or width of 
the forehead all the power which the former class of people have 
manifested. An examination of many large-brained, small-lunged 
persons will prove that they are incapable of great efforts of any 
kind, and that if they lead tolerably moral lives it is because they 
have inherited a fine quality of the brain and nerve system, and 
are thus lovers of purity. Then, too, such persons do not possess 
sutficient strength to be actively immoral, not having sufficient con¬ 
stitution to indulge greatly in depleting vices. Brain-power and 
pure intellect may lead to great mental efforts, but morality is de¬ 
pendent upon other constituents, and these are primary elements, 
either watery or gaseous , which in their very construction are com¬ 
posed largely of simple and pure organic materials; hence, it is 
necessary to morality that the lungs, the fluid circulation, and the 
kidney system should be normal and of superior strength and 
vigor. One might fill a large volume on this subject, and yet not 
give it one-half the consideration which it deserves. 

Let us examine briefly the elements which compose man’s 
body, and we shall find that the larger part of them is either 
watery or gaseous; nearly three-fourths is water. The lungs, if 
of normal size, must take in a very large amount of atmospheric air. 
It is stated in Dalton’s 44 Physiology ” that 44 the entire daily quan¬ 
tity of air used in respiration is about three hundred and fifty cubic 
feet.” Add this amount to the nearly three-fourths of water, and 
we shall learn how greatly we are indebted to very attenuated sub¬ 
stances for all the processes of life, and also that these materials 
are composed of the lightest, most abundant, and purest of all the 
substances upon the earth. Three-fourths of the earth’s surface is 
water, and the earth is surrounded by air extending outwardly 
from its surface to a distance of forty-five miles. Nearly three- 
fourths of man’s body is composed of water. Another large pro¬ 
portion is composed of air (by constant respiration). Thus, it will 
be observed that, in the matter of air and water as parts of our 
organic whole, we cannot be too careful in obtaining our full supply, 
both as regards quantity and quality. Pure air and pure water 
are thus shown to be the most essential things of life. Any system 
of religion or ethics which ignores this truth is fundamentally 


PNEUMATIVENESS. 


403 


defective, and will not exist for long after the intelligence of the 
masses is led to comprehend these basilar and inexorable laws of 
God and Nature. 

Great energy of mincl and body is in direct relationship with 
the capacity for deep and profound breathing. Those animals and 
men that have the best breathing apparatus are found to be more 
talented, energetic, aspiring, hopeful, animated, vivacious, spirited, 
and inspiring than those who possess feeble powers of respiration. 
Hence it is that the inhabitants of northern latitudes are charac¬ 
terized hy more energy and originality than those who are born 
and reared in tropical climes. Individuals with large respiratory 
systems are also more moral and more capable of moral efforts 
than those with feeble respiration, for the reason that the air, being 
the purest element in Nature, would naturally create purer con¬ 
ditions the more of this constituent there was taken into the system. 
I do not mean by this assertion that the savages of Africa would, 
by the inhalation of great quantities of pure air, exhibit more 
morality than a weak-lunged German or Englishman ; but, grade 
for grade , he who has the best breathing power, and who inhales 
the most pure air, is certainly more elevated and more capable of 
morality than one of the same grade in evolution who possesses 
small lungs, and whose life is passed in the slums of a great city 
or in the miasmatic swamps of Africa. If this be true, would not 
the gospel of pure air and large lungs conduce as much to morality 
as a belief in any scheme of salvation by faith \ Morality is the 
better part of true religion, and no mere sentimental or emotional 
state of mind can take the place of it. I have known persons who 
considered themselves very 44 spiritual ” who were very untruthful 
and mercenary, and I thought how much more common honesty 
and truthfulness would benefit them and their associates than so 
much superfluous sentimentality. 

Large lungs create cheerfidness, high-mindedness, and ability 
for leadership and command. Observe the high noses, broad nos¬ 
trils, and arched chests of all the great commanders, pioneers, 
adventurers, and discoverers. Not one exhibits a small nose, knife- 
blade-like nostrils, and a sunken chest; on the contrary, they all 
exhibit fine breathing powers and a pure red and white or clear 
complexion. These appearances are indicative of health and purity, 
and can be imparted to others only by those who possess them. 

Bright , fresh color and clearness of the skin and eyes are 
derived mainly from the action of the air in the lungs, and these 
natural beauties are most commonly observed in those who possess 
the best lung-power. An excellent way for the pallid belle to 
obtain the bloom of health and an attractive magnetism is to 


404 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


spend some time every day at the bars of a gymnasium, and in 
walking, rowing, swimming, or gardening in the open air. 
“Bloom of youth,” health, and attractiveness are not obtained 
from the apothecary’s bottles; neither is religion shut up in a 
church. All these are to be found in Nature’s grand pharma¬ 
copoeia, and are free to all her children if they will but make an 
intelligent application of her laws. Ignorance is opposed to 
religion, health, beauty, morality, and all goodness. Knowledge 
of God’s laws as revealed by Nature will give us all these, for the 
“truth shall make us free” indeed. 

Keenness of sensation and activity , both of mind and body, 
are derived principally from good breathing powers, for these give 
purity to the blood, and, if the brain and nervous system are 
replenished with pure blood, the capacity for thinking is thereby 
enhanced; hence, also, the sensations and perceptions will be 
more acute, and, as the body always moves in accordance with the 
rate of the circulation of the blood, so the movements of the 
body will be rapid and accurate. Rapidity and accuracy of move¬ 
ment are essential in many of the arts and sciences, and those 
who are thus characterized are capable of greater usefulness and 
are more likely to attain excellence and eminence than those 
whose circulation is sluggish and movements uncertain. 

Acuteness of scent is one of the greatest preservatives of life 
and health, and the better the power for breathing, the better we 
shall be able to protect ourselves from noxious gases and effluvia, 
and from harmful, stale, and injurious foods. Those animals that 
possess the highest noses, broadest nostrils, and the largest chests 
are the best endowed with the faculty of scent. The carnivorous 
animals and the rapacious classes of birds are distinguished above 
all others in this direction, and the latter exhibit long, high, and 
broad beaks just where the nasal openings are situated. The 
horse breathes exclusively through the nostrils, hence is dependent 
upon wide nostrils and wide nasal passages for his ability to sus¬ 
tain prolonged or violent locomotion. The race-horse is dis¬ 
tinguished above others for width of chest, wide nostrils, and 
width between the eyes , the last-mentioned facial sign denoting 
width of the nasal passages at the upper part, as well as a broad 
intelligence. The horse which can sustain the most violent and pro¬ 
longed efforts wins the race, provided that he possesses also a high 
nervous organization, for nerve and wind are the essential factors in 
successful horse-racing. No matter how superior the muscular 
organization of a horse may be, if he is lacking in breathing power, 
or that peculiar quality of nerve which imparts keenness and 
quickness to his movements, and unless he is able to endure the 


PNEUMATIYENESS. 


405 


great demands made upon him by the strain and excitement of the 
race-course and training, he will fail, for muscle alone will not win 
the race. It is erroneously held by many that a person who pos¬ 
sesses a high nervous organization is unable to contend with 
excitements and to stand up under the great crises and struggles 
of life. A fine and sound nervous system is just the thing to 
endure, without flinching, the greatest excitements. The race¬ 
horse, among animals, is proof of this. It is true that when a 
naturally fine nervous system becomes impaired by too great a 
strain upon it, its possessor will become a great sufferer, but so 
long as it retains its normal condition no merely muscular person 
can endure as much excitement and as great an amount of mental 
strain and mental labor. This phenomena was well tested during 
the last war by contrasting the behavior of the men from the 
country with those from the city. It was thought that the city 
men, not having the muscle of the men from the country, and not 
being so accustomed to hard manual labor, would naturally suc¬ 
cumb to the fatigues incident to the campaign; but the result 
proved that, with all their muscular development and ability for 
hard work, they could not stand the excitement of the battle-field 
as well as the city men, whose more sensitive nervous systems were 
inured to the rush and whirl of every-day city life, with its exciting 
fires, mobs, processions, theatres, and social festivities. 

There is no doubt that the function of Pneumativeness is 
represented in the brain. Presiding as it does over the most 
important functions of life, it must have a strong representation 
there; indeed, as I have elsewhere stated, the brain is functional 
of the whole body. The function and faculty of scent can be 
traced directly to the brain from the olfactory ganglia situated 
above the root of the nose, where it is protected from injury or 
destruction by its sheltered position, for, were the external nose to 
be entirely amputated, the sense of scent would still remain to a 
great extent, and thus protect the lungs and stomach from noxious 
gases and injurious food. On this point Dr. Cross remarks:— 

The nasal apparatus is the porch of respiration, and the sense of smell 
is the sentry; hence,it maybe laid down as a general rule that atmospheric 
air is wholesome or unwholesome in proportion as its smell is agreeable or 
disagreeable. As odorous effluvia tend upward, so the nose comes to be 
percipient of substances entering the mouth; and it is found that food is 
wholesome or unwholesome in proportion as the smell is grateful or ungrate¬ 
ful. The sense of smell, therefore, is superintendent of the breath and 
assistant superintendent of the food. The nose, then, stands in a double 
relation,—in the relation of porch and sentinel to the lungs, and in the 
relation of assistant sentinel to the stomach and assistant forager to the 
mouth. The nose, in its capacity of giving passage to the breath, indicates 
energy in general, and, in its capacity of assisting and watching over the 


406 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


interests of the alimentary organ, indicates the external application of this 
energy toward the acquirement of the necessaries and com torts of life. 
The larger the nostrils, the greater must be the current of breath, and, 
consequently, the more energetic the individual. As breath is indispensable 
to life, Nature has made more orifices than one into the lungs. The nostrils, 
however, are the proper entrance lor the breath, and the more the breath 
passes through them, the more genuine is the energy and the more does it 
pursue an active channel; whereas the more the breath passes through the 
mouth, the more does the energy take a passive channel and expend itself 
in appetites and passions. Hence, openness of mouth, much speech, and 
much blustering are no tokens of either energy or courage.* 

Of the sense of scent Dr. Cross observes:— 

The nose could smell without the projecting part, though b}Mio means 
so acutely or so determinately in the same way as a person could hear, 
though not so distinctly, without external ears. As the duty of the auricle 
is to collect the rays of sound, so the duty of the external nose is to collect 
the odorous effluvia. As physiognomical indications are more favorable in 
proportion as the construction of organs is more suitable for the perform¬ 
ance of functions, so the more this nasal prominence is calculated for catch¬ 
ing odorous effluvia and conveying them to the nerve of smell, the better 
shall be the practical application of the predaceous energy. 

It is thus seen that the faculty of Pneumativeness creates the 
faculty of judging of odors and atmospheres, hence those who are 
the best endowed in this respect will be the most capable in the 
matter of ventilation, and in this way large Pneumativeness 
directly promotes the capacity for discriminating between pure and 
impure air. As a rule, small-nosed persons are not as good 
judges of atmospheres as those with large, broad noses; neither do 
they seem to suffer as much discomfort while inhaling the air 
of close rooms and crowded assemblies. Those who possess large 
lungs poison very quickly in a crowded assembly from inhalation 
of carbonic-acid gas, which arises from the exhalations of the 
crowd, because they inhale more poison in a given time than do 
those with smaller lungs. In man, as in the animal, breadth of 
nose and nostril gives keenness of scent by reason of the more 
extensive ramification of the olfactory nerve, for, as in nerve dis¬ 
tribution the more the nerve is spread out upon a surface the 
greater is its capacity for receiving sensations, noses which are 
broad at the junction with the forehead, as well as broad at 
the nostrils, are the best endowed in respect to the function of 
scent. 

A fine illustration of the great differences in the sense of scent 
can be had by observation and comparison of the noses of the 
blood-hound and bull-dog, on one side, and of the greyhound, on 
the other. The former are wonderfully acute. The blood-hound’s 

* An Attempt to Establish Physiognomy upon Scientifif Principles, p. 214 et seq. 


ENEUMATiVEnEsS. 


407 


sense of scent is so greatly developed that it is used to trace crimi¬ 
nals by the use of this scent alone, for, once having smelled any 
article belonging to the suspected person, it can follow miles over 
rough countries and keep up the trace and detect the individual 
by the peculiarity of his personal odor; while the greyhound’s 
nose is so narrow that the nasal nerves have no room for proper 
development, and this is true of many other animals. Persons 
with long, thin, narrow noses and pinched nostrils make very poor 
cooks because not sensitive in the matter of odors, just as thin¬ 
lipped people are insensitive to flavors through lack of space for 
the nerves of taste to ramify. Let it be understood, however, that 
quality always takes precedence of mere size in all functions and 
faculties. I have known some very fine caterers and cooks who 
exhibited long noses, with only average-sized nostrils and rela¬ 
tively thin lips, who were cooks of a high order; yet, those persons 
were endowed with fine and sensitive nervous organizations , 
and thus high quality assisted their gastronomical and culinary 
efforts. 

A great deal of the sense of flavor or taste is due to the assist¬ 
ance rendered by the sense of smell, for the nose perceives odors 
before the tongue and lips sense them, for the reason that odors, 
perfumes, and effluvia are more subtle, hence more quickly recog¬ 
nized than flavors. Part of the pleasure of taste is due to the 
agreeableness of scent. Our food would not give us one-half of 
the enjoyment which we would otherwise derive from it, for the full 
effect of substances is not obtained until they are actually swal¬ 
lowed; while the sense of smell perceives them and derives pleas¬ 
ure and satisfaction from them, even if never tasted, although the 
sense of smell and the inhalation of agreeable odors would not 
nourish the body, as they are entirely too attenuated. This 
thought reminds me of an anecdote told of a traveller, who, being 
very hungry and possessed of little means, stopped in front of a 
pastry-cook’s establishment, and for a long time inhaled and en¬ 
joyed the odors of the cooking going on within. Upon preparing 
to depart, he informed the cook that he was as much satisfied with 
the odors as if he had eaten a good meal, whereupon the cook 
seized him and demanded payment for his meal. This he resisted, 
and, as they could not agree, they decided to leave the case to the 
judgment of the first man who passed. He chanced to be a 
foolish sort of a fellow, but he, with a Solomon-like sense of jus¬ 
tice, decided that the traveller should take out his coins and jingle 
them in the ears of the cook, and that he should be as satisfied by 
the sound of the coins as the traveller was with the smell of the 
food! 


408 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


The pneumogastric nerve controls the function of respiration 
and connects the lungs with the function of nutrition, with the 
stomach, heart, spleen, gall-bladder, and liver. This close connec¬ 
tion of the two principal functions of life teaches us that they bear a 
most important relation to each other. The blood must receive its 
proper share of aliment from the stomach, and the blood thus cre¬ 
ated must receive sufficient oxygen while passing through the 
lungs in order to sustain the brain and replenish the tissues. 
When either of these conditions are lacking the mind takes cogni¬ 
zance of it, and the efforts of both body and mind are correspond¬ 
ingly impaired. The pneumogastric nerve has a large representa¬ 
tion in the brain, and this interaction of many organic functions 
with cerebral consciousness reveals to us the immense importance 
of pure air and good nourishment to mental efforts. The presence 
or absence of these two factors can be readily detected by observa¬ 
tion of the facial and bodily signs of Pneumativeness. 

To remedy defective Pneumativeness one should avoid crowded 
assemblies, sleep and live in ventilated apartments, pass much time 
out-of-doors, and increase the size and capacity of the lungs by gym¬ 
nastic exercises, improve the quality of the blood by good food, 
tone up the nervous system by avoiding all stimulants, such as tea, 
coffee, and spirits, and secure plenty of sleep. All of these func¬ 
tions are mutually dependent, and failure of one involves injury to 
the others. 

The principal facial signs of Pneumativeness—the nose and 
large nostrils—are situated in the centre of the face, and are thus 
suggestive of its high importance. Its location above the mouth 
makes it the sentinel of the lungs, while the heart, brain, and 
stomach are directly influenced by its action. Its secondary signs 
corroborate all of these relations to all of the viscera. 


Glandular and Arterial System. 

color. 

Definition .—The capacity for distinguishing colors, tints, hues, 
and shades; ability for applying colors harmoniously in art, sci¬ 
ence, and mechanical trades; talent for painting and dyeing; com¬ 
prehension of colors scientifically, as in the use of the spectro¬ 
scope. The highest use of this faculty is scientific, and gives 
ability to comprehend the differences existing between the several 
sources of light and the several uses of the various spectra, viz., 
the chemical spectrum, chromatic spectrum, ocular spectrum, solar 
spectrum, and of the spectrum analysis and thermal spectrum. 


COLOR. 


409 


An excess of color in the human organism would hardly be 
considered abnormal, unless a Caucasian took on the color of an 
African. A bright and fresh, clear-red color of the cheeks is 
always indicative of thorough oxygenation of the blood, and is 
therefore normal, healthy, and to be desired. Where the com¬ 
plexion of the face assumes a dark-red color inflammatory or 
febrile action is denoted. Where it is of a purplish hue apo¬ 
plectic tendencies are indicated. Where the gums and the color 
of the face assume a dark and inky aspect disease of the heart is 
present. 

A deficiency of color in the eyes, hair, and complexion of the 
human races, and in plants and animals, denotes a lack of vigor, 
power, strength, and beauty. 

Facial and Bodily Signs .—Decided color of the complexion, 
eyes, eyebrows, and hair are the principal facial signs of the pres¬ 
ence of the color-sense. Clearness of the skin is another indication, 
and the veins showing plainly through the skin still another sign 
of susceptibility to the impressions made by colors. 

Description of Color. —Those of my readers who may have 
imbibed the phrenological notion that the faculty of Color, or the 
color-sense, in the individual is disclosed by the form of a certain 
part of the eyebrows, and caused by an “ organ ” of the brain at this 
place, would do well to analyze the sources of color and its action 
and method of distribution in the human organism before placing 
too much reliance upon form as the indicator of color. This fal¬ 
lacy is no more absurd than is that of inspecting the development 
of the frontal bone to ascertain the degree of tune or music in an 
individual. Forms do not indicate color ; neither does bone reveal 
the ability for musical expression. As well examine the elbow for 
the faculty of Imagination as to look at the shape of the skull for 
indications of the color-sense. 

The arching of the eyebrow, which is set down in works on 
phrenology as the sign for Color, is caused by the curving of the 
muscles, and is one indication of artistic capacity, viz., the 
capacity for producing curved forms. It is seen in the faces of 
many great artists in adult life, and I have often observed this 
peculiarity of formation in the physiognomies of those deficient in 
the sense of Color, and in others partially color-blind, but with 
ability to draw curved forms and run machinery. On the other 
hand, I have observed a very high and marked degree of the color- 
sense in many whose eyebrows were perfectly horizontal; yet these 
subjects exhibited fine and clear complexions of red and white, or 
red and olive, together with well-colored eyes and hair. Color, as 
remarked elsewhere in these pages, is created by the action of the 


410 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


glands in extracting the elements of color from the foods taken 
into the stomach, and also by the action of air upon the blood 
as it passes through the lungs; hence, it is palpably absurd 
to look for color-signs in any particular form of feature or of 
the body. 

Color is a primitive faculty, and is found in a greater or less 
degree in all animals that breathe, and in all vegetation which is 
exposed to the sun and air. It is a part of the entire organism, 
and is exhibited in infancy, both in the body and face, and is 

shown by the love of bright 
colors. 

George Combe says 
as follows:— 

Dr. Gall “ discovered ” 
this “ organ ” by comparing to- 
gether the heads of painters 
distinguished for coloring. In 
a collection of portraits of 
both male and female artists 
who had distinguished them¬ 
selves in this department of 
art the region immediately 
above the middle of the eye¬ 
brows was extremely promi¬ 
nent.* 

As in all natural ar¬ 
tists, the muscular is one 
of the dominant systems. 
It shows by a wide space 
between the eye and brow, 
and by an arched appear¬ 
ance of the eyes, eyebrows, 
and other portions of the 
body; hence, the curving 
upward of the centre of the 
eyebrows in this class of 
subjects is caused by the form which the muscle creates. Now, in 
natural mechanics the opposite appearance is observed; the bones 
of the superciliary ridge project and are drawn down close to the 
eyes, and produce an angular or horizontal form to the eyebrows, 
regardless of the color of the individual. I have remarked in 
some eminent musicians the most exquisite color-sense, but in these 
cases the complexion was of the most brilliant description. 

Colors of various hues are found in every form and shape iu 

* Combe’s Lectures on Phrenology, p. 237. 



FIG. 46.—MARIA ANGELICA KAUFFMANN. 
(Historical and Portrait Painter.) 


Born in Switzerland, 1741. Principal facial sign, 
vivid color in the eyes, hair, and complexion. The law 
of the straight line and curve governs this physiog¬ 
nomy. All the signs of artistic capacity are present in 
this lovely face. A fine domestic nature is a good foun¬ 
dation for artistic ability, and in this face we see that 
the signs of Amativeness, Benevolence, Love of Home, 
of Young, and Country are well developed. The curve 
predominates and is seen in the oval of the cheeks and 
chin, in the outlines of the lips, the cheeks, the eyes, 
and eyebrows ; even the hair is wavy ; these, altogether, 
indicate the ability to reproduce curves in external 
works of art. • The color-sense is of the highest, while 
Analysis, Constructiveness, Ideality, Acquisitiveness, 
Sublimity, Imitation, Locality, Language, Music, Form, 
Size, Order, and Intuition are well defined. 




COLOR. 


411 


organic and inorganic life,—in every mineral, vegetable, and 
animal in existence,—and, although color as it comes to us in 
white light describes a wave-like form or motion (caused by its 
vibrations through the ether or atmosphere), its form does not 
reveal the several chemical constituents which cause its color; 
hence, we are able to confidently assert that, in order to ascertain 
the amount of color in a given organism, we must look not to any 
particular form for this knowledge, but to the source and general 
distribution of color throughout the object under observation. 
Color is as universal and 
as widely distributed 
throughout Nature as is 
Form. Its action and ef¬ 
fect are simply illimitable. 

It permeates and pervades 
all things. The white 
light of the atmosphere is 
a combination of all the 
colors known to man, and 
by their chemical blendings 
produce the light which 
appears to us colorless or 
white. We are enveloped 
in a sea of color, and 
actually bathe in it. What 
wonder, then, that those 
who live much out-of-doors 
should be permeated with 
color and exhibit it in their 


those creatures that live 
entirely in the open air, 
and, what is more remarkable, the most gorgeously colored of all 
are those which deal professionally, as it were, in colors, viz., the 
butterflies, birds, and insects of the tropics. Now, this peculiarity 
of this class of creatures reveals the same love of color which 
characterizes the well-colored human being, for they show their 
possession of the color-sense in precisely the same manner as do 
artists and those who love colors—hy always seeking them out and 
enjoying them in flowers and bright substances. 

Color is related to Pneumativeness, or the breathing faculty, 


complexion, eyes, and hair] 
The most beautiful colors 
displayed in animal and 
insect life are observed in 



Fig. 47.— HANS HOLBEIN. (German Painter.) 

Born 1497. Principal facial sign, Color. The law of 
the curve dominates this face, with a subdominance of 
the straight line. His remarkable combination of deep 
color with curves proves that artists are born, not made. 
The signs for the basis of artistic power are all present, 
hence we find Amativeness, Love of Young, Benevo¬ 
lence, Love of Home, Patriotism, Hospitality, Friend¬ 
ship, Alimentiveness, and Sanativeness large. Coming 
to the nose we see the signs for artistic capacity— 
Ideality, Sublimity, Analysis, Human Nature, Con- 
structiVeness, Acquisitiveness, Veneration, Executive¬ 
ness, and Self-will—exceedingly well denned; while 
Size, Form, Language, Credenciveness, Prescience, 
Memory of Events, Locality, Weight, Time, Order, 
Calculation, and Intuition very large, and altogether 
make up the remarkable face of a justly celebrated 
artist. 



412 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


for the blood is colored by the air as it passes through the lungs. 
Color is also related to the glands, which extract the coloring 
matter from the foods taken into the stomach. I therefore regard 
the glands and the arterial system as the base of the color-sense. 

Nothing affords one possessed of the color-sense more enjoy¬ 
ment than to ramble through fields and gardens dressed in living 
green and dotted with many-hued blossoms, or to visit an aviary 
filled with the bright-colored warblers of the tropics, the golden 
oriole, the pheasant, the paroquet, the parrot, the bird of Paradise, 
the macaw, the lyre-bird, the sun-bird, the plume-bird, the hum¬ 
ming-bird (well-named by the Indians the “ living sunbeam”); or 
to watch the sky at set of sun, and note the ever-changing hues of 
the clouds as they run the whole gamut of colors, shades, and tints, 
from sombre drab and violet to azure, saffron, vermilion, purple, 
pink, and lavender, and to the gold and silver hues cast by the 
sun and rising moon,—a chromatic symphony costing us nothing, 
yet filling the whole being with exquisite enjoyment and gratitude. 

Birds and brightly-colored butterflies seek out the most 
brilliant-colored flowers, and are never observed dwelling long on 
those which lack color. These classes of creatures are furnished 
with apparatus which allows a free circulation of air through their 
organisms, and this intensifies the power of the atmosphere to assist 
in the oxygenation of the air which permeates them. The bones 
of birds have a cellular construction which aids them in rising in 
the air, as well as assists the aeration of the blood and also pro¬ 
motes coloration of the plumage. Marsh-birds are dull-colored, 
and nocturnal birds and animals are never so brilliant in color as 
those which spend their days in the higher atmospheres. 

Butterflies and certain moths and beetles possess and exhibit 
a fine aesthetic sense both as regards Form and Color. They appear 
to live wholly for the gratification and display of these two facul¬ 
ties, and no artist has ever excelled them in these directions. 

A high cultivation of the color-sense is a religious duty , and 
all parents should see that their children are instructed in this 
direction. The lives of thousands are dependent upon knowledge 
of colors, as in comprehending the signals by colored lights at sea 
and on railways. Boys, particularly, should be instructed in chro¬ 
matics, as many of them will follow professions which necessitate 
the knowledge of colors. Males are woefully deficient in the color- 
sense as compared to females; for this reason boys should have 
special instruction in this department of Nature. Colors are inter¬ 
woven into the every-day life of woman, for her dress, home fur¬ 
nishing, and decorations all contribute to develop this sense. Add 
to this her non-use of tobacco, and we shall see the cause of her 

* * ' 1 * ■** - • -* Y... . _ . .it* 


COLOR. 


413 


Superiority in this respect. Any habit like the use of tobacco, 
pursued for generations by one sex alone, becomes a permanent 
sex-attribute , and is transmitted to that particular sex mainly. This 
accounts for the inherited deficiency of the color-sense in the male. 
Woman’s finer quality also gives her a keener sense of Color and 
its harmonies. 

One of the best aids toward cultivating this sense is exercise 
in the open air. When we contrast the ruddy-cheeked children 
of the farmer with the poor little pallid-faced denizens of the slums 
of great cities we know that fresh air has in the first instance con¬ 
tributed both power and beauty. No beauty of form or regularity 
of feature can compensate for the absence of healthy color, nor 
redeem a skin pimpled or blotched. A woman possessed of a 
brilliant complexion has always in combination a purity of blood 
and vigor of thought and movement, which pallid and colorless 
persons lack. In my estimation, a fine complexion and good color 
of hair and eyes constitute the chief beauty of the human race, for 
so much more is involved and included in this quality than in 
any other single trait. A good complexion is not made nor pre¬ 
served by veils and cosmetics. A good color, like religion, comes 
from within, not from without. A wholesome diet, with plenty of 
out-door exercise, such as gardening, walking, rowing, batliiug, 
swimming, and skating, will do more toward creating and pre¬ 
serving a good complexion than all the veils and cosmetics in the 
world. 

The color of the face reveals permanent and temporary, as 
well as pathognomonic, conditions of the system. Each distinct 
disease is characterized by peculiarities of color of the several 
features of the face, body, and hands. Physicians recognize this 
principle and regard color-changes as symptomatic of certain dis¬ 
eased or abnormal conditions. This branch of color will be noted 
in “Signs of Health and Disease.” 

A very great confusion exists in the minds of many in regard 
to the designation and classification of colors of the several com¬ 
plexions. I will here give a description of the colors of the com¬ 
plexion, hair, and eyes, together with their proper designations. 

Those persons possessed of fair hair, nearly white, with whit¬ 
ish skin, almost colorless or pinkish eyes, and white or whitish 
lashes, I term Albinos. Those exhibiting fair or light, golden, 
flaxen, or yellow hair, with blue eyes and fair lashes, and clear, 
red and white complexion, I term Blondes. To those who have 
dark-brown hair and dark-blue eyes and brown lashes, together 
with clear, red and white complexion, I give the term Ghatain , the 
French designation for this class; there is no word in English to 


414 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


express this type, who partake somewhat of the vivacity of the 
blonde and somewhat of the intensity, vigor, and depth of feeling 
of the perfect brunette type. Those in whom black eyes, hair, 
and lashes are observed, with dark or olive, or olive and red com¬ 
plexions, are denominated Brunettes, and there are as many shades 
and varieties of these as there are of the blondes. Those who ex¬ 
hibit a combination of light-gray eyes with red and white com¬ 
plexion and fair hair are of the blonde type. Those who have 
dark eyes and fair hair, with fair complexion, either pale or with 
some red color, are also of the blonde type, yet by reason of the 
dark color of the eyes they display some of the characteristics of 
the brunette. They are a sort of compound, neither blonde nor 
brunette. These several types of color are found mainly in the 
Caucasian or white races, and these designations are intended to 
apply to them. The color peculiarities of other races, such as the 
Indian or red races, the Negro or black races, and the yellow races 
can be understood as presenting the same characteristics in regard 
to color as are disclosed by similar colors in the white races. 

It will be unnecessary for me to enter into a long description, 
however, of the ethnic peculiarities of color in regard to the classi¬ 
fication of the human family into white, red, yellow, brown, and 
black races, nor to discuss in extenso the causes which have con¬ 
duced to create the great diversities of colors observed in various 
races. Let it suffice us to know that whenever a race exhibits a 
deep color of complexion, hair, and eyes, that race displays in a 
most unmistakable manner a love for colors. If it be an uncivi¬ 
lized race, like the Negro or Indian, the color-faculty shows by ex¬ 
hibitions of the richest and most gaudy colors, without regard to 
taste in their combinations, for good taste in the combination of 
colors comes with other fine and discriminating traits only to those 
races which by evolution have reached a high degree of excellence 
in every direction, especially in the fine arts. The natives of all 
warm or tropical countries are, as a rule, of dark complexion, and 
their love of color is shown by their choice of deep-red, yellow, 
green, purple, orange, and all other bright and showy hues, while 
the inhabitants of more northerly countries, possessed of fairer 
complexions, use colors more subdued, and choose more delicate 
hues, such as pink, blue, gray, drab, and white. Not only do 
these colors accord or harmonize with their respective complexions, 
but they all choose quite naturally and instinctively the colors 
best adapted to their personal peculiarities. This fact reveals the 
action of a law which is universal, and so subtle and of such spon¬ 
taneity as to have escaped prominent notice, on the principle that 
whatever is common to all and observed from birth fails to make 


COLOR. 


415 


the profound impression which a much simpler matter would create 
if introduced to one’s notice suddenly. The color-sense is so in - 
stinctive , that is to say, it is so much a part of the real existence, 
and so thoroughly incorporated with all the elements of mind and 
body, that one chooses (if untrained in chromatics), without thought 
or premeditation, the colors and shades which are similar to the 
colors which are supreme in his own organism. The individual 
possessed of yellow or molasses-candy colored hair and skin 
chooses yellowish-brown or tan color, light drabs, and colors which 
nearly resemble the hues and tints in his or her own person. The 
blonde, if untrained in colors, chooses garments and decorations 
the colors of which are similar to her own hair and eyes, while the 
brunette, with olive and red complexion and black eyes and hair, 
adorns herself in the richest, most vivid, and brilliant hues of red, 
orange, green, purple, and their several shades and combinations. 
How often are seen upon the street women with yellowish com¬ 
plexion and dirty, yellow-colored hair clad in light, tan-colored 
or yellowish-brown garments. These same persons, if educated in 
color, would choose those colors which contrast with their own 
color, and thus compel the combination of colors to enhance their 
charms instead of depreciating them. Others with light-gray eyes 
and a grim, gray, colorless complexion will array themselves like 
“a friar of orders gray,” and thus depreciate their appearance, 
which might be improved by contrasting colors. These in¬ 
stances serve to show the universality of the law of color, and 
that it is a law of Nature that one is best able to judge of and use 
colors similar to those within his own organism. The “old mas¬ 
ters,” the great painters of former ages, were men whose com¬ 
plexion was of a clear, olive-brown and red, with black hair and 
eyes, or in some rare instances of clear, red and white complexions, 
and with deep-blue eyes and brown or red hair. The former em¬ 
ployed the most brilliant colors, whose power the hand of time has 
failed to dim. Their works may be seen to-day in the art galleries 
of Rome, Florence, Milan, Munich, Paris, London, and in other 
European cities, as well as in the galleries of the nobility and in 
the collections of private citizens throughout the civilized world. 
These pictures are representative of the highest style of color-effects 
ever produced by artists. Not one of those who wrought them 
was pale, pallid, or lacking in dense color of skin, hair, and eyes. 
Nearly all exhibited large, round eyes and high, arched eyebrows, 
and this appearance became more marked by advancing age, and 
was caused by constantly raising the brow and opening the eye 
very wide in order to observe the effects produced by the brush, 
as all artists do in their work. Let the reader observe the portraits 


416 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


of Titian, Rubens, Michael Angelo, Leonardo da Vinci, the three 
Carracci, Fra Bartolomeo, Van Dyck, Jacob Jordaens, Teniers 
Giotto, Fra Angelico, Fra Fellipo, Lippi, Hans Holbein, Antoine 
Watteau David, Vernet, Vanloo, Boucher, Murillo, or any num¬ 
ber of eminent painters of every nationality, and he will find that 
they exhibit fine color of eyes, hair, and skin, as well as symmetri¬ 
cal bodies, for to be able to judge of symmetry and proportion 
one must possess in his own organization a good share of the very 
qualities which he would depict. 

Lack of color produces not only physical and mental defects, 
as, for instance, the absence of the color-sense, but also moral 
deficiencies. Now, very light-gray eyes and nearly all light eyes 
are indicative of either scrofulous tendencies or weakness of the 
kidney system, and weakness or deficiency of that system shows a 
lack of natural integrity, or Conscientiousness. As the moral as 
well as mental powers depend upon the constitution of the atoms 
and molecules which compose the cellular tissues of the body, how 
can it be expected that integrity shall be one of its components if 
chemical action has failed, in the first instance, to properly blend 
and harmoniously balance the physical organism ? Morality is not 
a fine-spun, fleecy, cloudy theory of belief. Conscientiousness is 
not an intellectual opinion as to the merits of sundry dogmas which 
furnish opportunities for discussion in the various channels of 
speculative belief. It is the very groundwork of our physical con¬ 
struction ; it inheres in the chemical or underlying basis of our 
organism, and depends for its soundness on the purity of the body 
primarily and afterward on a cultivated and quickened moral 
sense. 

There are many unsatisfactory theories put forth to account 
for the deficiency of the color-sense. My own ideas on the sub¬ 
ject may be useful as far as they go; I know, however, that they 
do not cover the whole ground. My observations have led me to 
remark two causes for this defect: First, the lack of foods which 
contain those elements that produce the kind and amount of color 
essential to the healthy equilibrium of the organism; that is to 
say, that in the chemical combination of the food with the blood 
and tissues there is not sufficient coloring matter mingled to en¬ 
dow the person with the right proportion of color to constitute a 
strong and decided color-sense ; also, there is not enough of color 
derived from the solar rays. This proceeds from a disregard of 
sanitary law in pursuing an in-door existence, or a non-assimilation 
by the organism of these rays in consequence of certain diseased 
conditions which prevent, for a time, the proper action of the light 
and heat of the sun. It is well known that sunlight alone will 


COLOR. 


417 


eradicate many diseases, and, as the white rays of the sun are com¬ 
posed of a combination of all the colors of the prism, the curative 
properties must reside in the colors alone. If this were not the case 
a heated room would conduce to health as well as sunlight. Ex¬ 
perience proves that this result cannot be obtained without the 
direct rays of the sun. Plants languish and become pale and 
sickly when deprived of sunlight, and vegetable juices undergo 
serious chemical changes from being shut off from the action of 
the solar rays. There are other sources of light and color which 
are nearly the same in their composition and action as sunlight. 
Electricity is one of these sources which has a direct bearing upon 
the health of organic life, and, although many of the laws relating 
to this force are unknown, still enough of its action has been ob¬ 
served to assure us that a proper amount must enter into the con¬ 
stitution of the human organism to produce healthy conditions. 

The second cause is revealed by the investigation made by 
scientists among those who are color-blind. The large percentage 
of males who are color-blind as compared to females who lack the 
color-sense is quite startling in its numbers. The theory of non¬ 
assimilation in the organism, by chemical action, of sufficient color 
to give a correct and just understanding of colors, should teach us 
how important, in a moral sense, is a due development of color to 
the human body. The reader will observe in the chapter on sub¬ 
basilar principles the reference made to color by the celebrated 
naturalist, Haeckel, who has observed that the absence of color 
induces or accompanies abnormal conditions, both in animals and 
man. He, however, gives no theory on the subject. 

Professor Holmgren states that 

Color-blindness is not a disease in the sense of being attended with 
suffering, obliging the person to have recourse to a physician. Color¬ 
blindness, quite as well as normal sight, is a sense of color, though of 
another and more simple nature. He whom we call color-blind is not, cor¬ 
rectly speaking, at all blind to all colors. In the system according to which 
he arranges his colors he has fewer kinds than the normal observer. It 
results from this that he finds resemblances between colors, or confuses 
others that the normal observer finds different; for instance, red and 
green. 

A most significant fact in regard to the necessity of coloring 
pigment in the human organism is shown by its presence in the 
ganglia of all the sense-organs. It is found in the olfactory 
ganglia in the retina of the eye, and a coloring matter, called 
melanine, is abundant in the hair, the iris of the eye, and in the 
epidermis. This coloring pigment is most abundant in the black 
and brown races, and less so in the yellow and white races. It is 
almost entirely absent in the nervous ganglia of Albinos . 

27 


418 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Color gives power to the passions and emotions, for color 
denotes heat, power, and vigor, and the deeply-colored exhibit 
more ardor in love and more strength in hate than those of fairer- 
colored complexions. The reason for this is that color is a product 
of the glands and the arterial circulation, and is a primitive or 
organic quality. Now, the glands are directly concerned in the 
production of emotions, and some of the glands, the reader will 
recall, are the bases of Amativeness, Friendship, Mirthfulness, 
Love of Young, Benevolence, and other traits. Color assists force, 
and the muscular system in the well-colored possesses more general 
vigor than the muscles of the pallid person, whose muscles exhibit 
the same degree of muscular development; hence, force and resist¬ 
ance, as well as all the destructive and combative tendencies, are 
greater, not only in dark races, but in dark individuals of the 
Caucasian race, where the grade of development is similar in other 
respects. It is true that among the dark-eyed and dark-complex¬ 
ioned there will be found persons of as great refinement and purity 
of life as among the lighter-colored, who possess but few combative 
tendencies, and exhibit very little force or resistance; yet, grade 
for grade , these very refined persons with dark color will exhibit 
more vigor of emotion, more intense love for the marital companion, 
and for children. They will also manifest stronger dislikes than 
fair people of the same grade of quality. 

The emotions of the negroes predominate, as a rule, over 
their intellects. Even in civilization the negro is almost childishly 
emotional. Their love for gaudy colors, such as yellow and red, 
is well known. They have not excelled as artists for the reason 
that they lack the quality essential to such work. The greatest 
artists are of the white races, but endowed with dense color of the 
eyes, skin, and complexion. 

The color-sense is common to all races, but is less in those 
inhabiting the most northerly climes. The Laplanders and Finns 
exhibit less love of color and less talent in combining colors than 
the inhabitants of more southerly countries. Their country is 
covered a great part of the year with snow, and in their short 
summers very few bright-colored flowers and birds are observed; 
hence, their color-sense receives but little stimulus from Nature. 

The color-sense, as I have shown, is essential to life and 
health. It is therefore general, and has existed in all ages and in 
all races in varying degrees. The oldest objects of art preserved 
in the great museums of Europe exhibit many remains of the art 
of coloring. Not only are specimens of fine colors found in the 
remains of Greek art, but the potteries of primitive races, viz., 
the Peruvian, the Egyptian, and the New Zealander, furnish us 


COLOR. 


419 


evidences of the presence of a high degree of the color-sense 
among them. 

A large majority of persons in every community can be taught 
the art of painting quite easily, for, as I have shown, color is a 
physiological constituent of man, and a knowledge of its hues and 
meanings is essential to his protection and safety. Color forms the 
basis of many trades and professions, and is therefore of great 
importance to mankind. Yet there are many grades between a 
fair degree of the color-sense and a genius for painting. The 
lowest and most barbarous races exhibit considerable skill in the 
use of colors, as shown in their personal decoration in tattooing 
and in embroideries with the quills and feathers of birds, etc. The 
North American Indians are quite artistic in the use of beads and 
feathers in their art works, while the Mexican Indians exhibit their 
capacity for coloring in pottery and other wares. 

Color everywhere exhibits power, as I have shown previously. 
The greatest artists are those who exhibit the most color personally; 
so the greatest orators are those who are well colored. Daniel 
Webster, the most eminent of American orators, possessed very 
dark eyes, hair, and complexion, and many other illustrious orators, 
actors, and elocutionists are distinguished for the fine, deep color 
of their hair, eyes, and skin. Color gives the power for zeal, 
fervor, and enthusiasm, which in geniuses is called the “sacred 
fire.” It is the exciting cause of vehemence, invective, and sar¬ 
casm, which so distinguished Mirabeau, the greatest of French 
orators. I dare affirm that no orator has achieved eminence who 
had very light eyes and very light hair, and a pallid complexion. 
No poet or actor has ever been known to fame who lacked the 
essential faculty of Color, either in his skin, hair, or eyes. The 
writings of all our great poets teem with descriptions of colors in 
Nature, and in their delineation of human characters. A poet des¬ 
titute of chromatic sense would paint his pen-pictures in a minor 
key, and would spread a sombre and Quakerish hue over all his 
scenes; but, if he possess a decidedly strong color-sense, he will 
impart warmth and vigor to all he writes, whether describing colors 
or not. It is just the same with the actor, for he who is well- 
colored imparts force, energy, and enthusiasm to his acting. And 
the minister, too, is indebted in a great measure to his color for 
eloquence. I have met a fine musical composer who just missed 
being a genius through lack of color. He had black eyes and 
hair and a sallow complexion, and his compositions were mainly 
in minor keys,—solemn, pathetic, slow, and lacking that verve 
vigor, dash, and vivacity of movement which characterize the 
compositions of those more decidedly and more brightly colored. 


420 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


The varying grades and shades of color observed in the 
different individuals of the artistic classes will mark the several 
degrees of power and intensity exhibited in their actions and works. 

The meanings which Nature attaches to color, and by which 
we must be guided in our interpretations of her signals, are patent 
to all who have given to the subject any considerable degree of 
observation or reflection. Black-eyed, dark-skinned persons, with 
red cheeks and lips, are fervid and intense in all their acts, are 
capable of great endurance, are tough, and of very strong and 
decided feelings, and give vent to them and their opinions in most 
positive and unmistakable terms; with black eyes, black hair, and 
sallow complexion, are more guarded and reticent, yet feel almost 
as strongly as the former, and possess nearly as violent passions 
and emotions. Both these classes are good lovers and good haters, 
with strong and high tempers. The first class are generally 
dramatic in their tastes, if of high and fine quality, and possessed 
of a suitable brain system. There is a great deal of iron in these 
two classes, and their color is derived partly from the oxygenation 
of that element in the blood; lienee, those in whom this mineral 
predominates as a ruling element are well adapted to work in iron 
and other dark metals and substances. Men thus organized gravi¬ 
tate naturally to such work. The proof of this is found in the 
fact that nearly all of those who work in foundries are black-eyed, 
black-haired men, with dark complexions ; while those engaged in 
the pattern-making department, where the wooden patterns are 
made for the castings, exhibit every grade and shade of the light 
complexions, ranging from the lightest blonde to the chatain. In 
my investigations in foundries I do not recollect having seen even 
one very dark person in the wood-workers’ department. Black¬ 
smiths, as a rule, are dark-complexioned, or, at all events, very few 
fair men enter into this field of labor. It has been suggested that 
minute and infinitesimal portions of iron enter into the system of 
iron-workers by inhalation, and so affect the system that only 
those who have already a good degree of iron in their compositions 
are able to work continuously with this metal, and that the light¬ 
haired men are unable to assimilate the amount of iron received in 
homoeopathic doses into the system while thus engaged. How 
flir this may apply I cannot say, but the fact that the dar'ker- 
hued men are engaged as iron-workers can be proven by all who 
will take the trouble to look through any number of foundries and 
machine-shops. 

Black hair and black eyes, with a fair complexion, indicates 
great intensity of the passions and emotions. Hair which presents 
a bluish-black color, together with a sallow or livid complexion, 


COLOR. 


421 


is associated with passions almost abnormal in their intensity 
of desire, and this class of characters, when under strong excite¬ 
ment of the passions, are apt to prove dangerous. Love, hate, and 
jealousy are all strongly developed, and the unrestrained indul¬ 
gence in these emotions leads to crime. This last combination of 
color is seldom, if ever, accompanied with tine quality, hence its 
possessors have none of the restraining influences of refinement. 

Black hair, accompanied by eyes which change from black to 
a metallic red, which glitter and appear to the observer as if they 
had great depth, are indicative of diabolical and perfectly unscru¬ 
pulous character. Fortunately, this combination is very rare. 
I have met with three persons only in my life who exhibited this 
combination of color. One of these characters was a noted abor¬ 
tionist ; another was an infamous debauchee, seducer, and sensual¬ 
ist. The form of the eyes, together with the color, must be taken 

into account. The eves of the last mentioned were wide from side 

%! 

to side and the vertical measurement not correspondingly wide. 
They were true “ polygamic eyes,” like those of the Polynesians. 

Blue-eyed women generally are attracted by black-eyed men, 
and blue-eyed men are drawn toward black-eyed women. If the 
bodily forms of the diversely-colored are not too much alike this 
combination is an excellent one in marriage, but if the respective 
parties possess about equal proportions of the vegetative, thoracic, 
muscular, osseous, or brain forms the union would not be desira¬ 
ble on account of the bad effect upon offspring. Blqck-haired 
and black-eyed men and women make the most ardent marital 
companions, and, if possessed of fair or average Conscientiousness, 
are most steadfast and enduring in their affections. Their pas¬ 
sions are strong, and where the quality is coarse they exhibit a 
great deal of sensuality, but with fine hair and fine, clear skin 
they evince ardor with refinement, sensitiveness, and sentimentality. 
A man of criminal proclivities, if black-haired and dark-eyed, 
makes a more desperate and dangerous villain than a fair man ; lie 
possesses more capacity for intrigue and conspiracy, and is more 
secretive and enduring in his plots and schemes. 

Black-eyed , black-haired persons , possessed of a high moral 
and religious disposition, allied to a good intellect, exhibit tremen¬ 
dous force in these directions, and are noted for the enthusiasm 
with which they work and incite others to action. John Howard, 
the world-renowned philanthropist, possessed black hair and dark 
eyes. His benevolence was only equalled by his power of endur¬ 
ance, which took him to the most inhospitable climes in the cause 
of suffering humanity. Many distinguished revivalists are men 
of dense color and corresponding force and energy. 


422 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


The dark races are not so progressive as the lighter races,— 
not as susceptible to improvement. Those races which have re¬ 
mained stationary in color—as, for example, the Chinese, the In¬ 
dians, the Spanish, Portuguese, etc.—are less progressive than 
the Anglo-Saxon races, who are vari-colored. 

It is the same with animals; the least improvable are those 
who exhibit a single color only of eyes and hair, as, for example, 
several species of bears, the panther, and some others. The dog 
and horse are vari-colored, and are capable of very high breeding, 
and are teachable and progressive. Intermingling of any of the 
light with the dark varieties of the Caucasian race, in marriage, 
improves the species; but a mingling of the darker classes of the 
Caucasian race with dark, undeveloped races degrades the species, 
as, for example, a mingling of the Spanish with the Indian and 
Negro, or Chinese with Portuguese, or white with the Negro. 
There is no possible advance in mixtures of similar colors . The 
crossing of the white race with the negro produces the mulatto, 
who are never so strong and long-lived as the original African, nor 
as mentally gifted and healthy as the white race. Indeed, I have 
never seen a very aged mulatto. They are usually weak, scrofu¬ 
lous, consumptive, and short-lived. The fusion of white with 
black is detrimental in every way, while the crossing of dark 
Caucasians with negroes or Indians almost always creates low, 
criminal, and brutal types. 

A combination of dark-blue eyes and black hair is often found 
among the descendants of the Celtic and Celtiberian races,—in the 
Portuguese, Irish, Welsh, Spanish, and Italians, for example. It 
produces a rare kind of beauty, regarded from the art stand-point. 
The disposition associated with this peculiar combination is char¬ 
acterized by an “artless artfulness,” by great capacity for intrigue 
in love, politics, and business, with great apparent candor and sin¬ 
cerity, while the real thought and design are entirely and most 
skillfully hidden in the innermost recesses. In this combination 
is seen the depth and power of the black-haired, dark species, with 
(apparently) the openness and frankness of the light-hued class. 
Where this combination co-exists with a superior intellect the char¬ 
acter will evince great political aptitudes or uncommon skill in 
planning large commercial enterprises, or will excel in diplomacy 
and similar pursuits, depending for direction upon the faculties in 
combination. In women this combination of hair and eyes is 
often associated with great cunning in love affairs and a large 
amount of plot and counterplot, of small intrigues and petty 
trickery of a perfectly useless sort, while the countenance and ex¬ 
pressions and voice and manners resemble those of a confiding, 


COLOR. 


423 


artless child. This class of people are usually very charming and 
engaging in social intercourse, and always deep in love affairs, of 
which they contrive to carry on several at once. Indeed, plotting 
and planning seem to be the life of this class. As lawyers, they 
are astute, secretive, and politic; in roguery, deep and designing; 
as worldlings, they do not permit society to get the better of 
them; as parents, they scheme for their children; as friends, sus¬ 
picious and unreliable; as beauties, often of the highest art-order, 
with arch (apparently), shy, and vivacious, cunning little ways, 
which are very taking. When the hair is curly—as it often is 
with this combination—musical or imitative talent of some sort 
will be exhibited, as well as lack of integrity. If the hair be 
coarse the talent and power exhibited will be of a lower order 
than if it be fine. 

Blue eyes , with clark-brown hair and with clear, red and white 
complexion, and fine hair and skin, belong to amiable, pure- 
minded characters, with capacity for improvement and progress, 
usually intelligent and refined, with a moderate development of 
amativeness and temper; they are more calm than the black-eyed, 
and evince less jealousy, revenge, and enthusiasm, and can become 
excellent painters, but will use the more delicate colors. 

I have observed great indefiniteness and contrariety of opinion 
in regard to describing certain colors of the eyes. Many persons 
term a brown or hazel eye “gray.” Now, in using the term gray 
I apply it to those eyes that are a mixture of blue and white. 
The light gray are more white than blue; the dark gray are more 
blue than white. It is essential to keep this discrimination of 
colors fixed in the mind, else erroneous meanings will be attached 
to the several colors of the eyes. 

Light-gray eyes , with light-brown or fair liair , often disclose 
mathematical and calculative tendencies, and, with a good brain 
form in combination, philosophical tastes and capacities. The 
emotions and passions aje not so intense nor so enduring as in 
those who exhibit darker-colored eyes and hair. This class also 
possess a selfish, planning, calculative spirit, and evince very 
little warmth of affection; yet, with Friendship or Benevolence 
large, will show sympathy and friendship in a sluggish sort of 
manner, and it will not be so intense and enduring as with the 
deeper-colored. When the inherited quality is fine a great deal 
of natural refinement will be present, but with coarse quality the 
character will be very cold-blooded, unsympathetic, and selfishly 
calculative. A certain degree of suspicion accompanies the light- 
gray eye, and greediness, too; jealousy and envy are also very 
easily aroused, and often without occasion. The mental and 


424 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


moral deficiencies indicated by such lack of color as this peculiar 
combination discloses are usually accompanied by grave physio¬ 
logical defects. There is likely to be congenital weakness of the 
kidneys or of the generative system; a lack of the color-elements 
in the blood and tissues prevents that integrity or soundness of or¬ 
ganization which a normal degree of color produces. The physi¬ 
cal defects may not become apparent until the age of puberty or 
later, when some pathognomic crisis reveals them. 

Very light , almost colorless eyes and hair and colorless or 
pallid skin denote weakness, generally of a scrofulous or consump¬ 
tive tendency. This color is often accompanied by weakness of 
vision, deafness, eruptions on the skin, and white swellings of the 
joints, as is the case with Albinos. Those with these indications 
should never intermarry, as the result to offspring would be highly 
disastrous. The mentality of this class is never of a very gifted 
character. They are, from the very quality and conformation of 
their organs, weakly. Their minds partake of this enfeebled con¬ 
dition. They are generally surface people, like the pure blondes. 
They have little sympathy for others, and are much absorbed in 
the adornment of self. They can never become good colorists in 
the arts and industries. This type of people would soon die out if 
intending parents would abide by physiognomical laws, and cease 
to perpetuate this almost helpless and useless species. 

Flaxen hair and blue eyes indicate impulse, affection, quick¬ 
ness of apprehension, sensitiveness, taste, purity,—if the hair be 
fine,—and, if wavy or curly, a degree of imaginative ability. 
Many poets exbibit this combination. Where the hair is fine the 
manners will be gentle and refined, and tastes delicate. As a rule, 
this class does not exhibit great endurance or ardor. 

Sandy hair , if coarse, denotes grossness and very ordinary 
abilities. If the hair be fine, delicacy of feeling and impulsive 
action will be exhibited. It is not usually an indication of as great 
longevity as the darker hues. The same may be said of all the 
very light shades of hair and eyes. 4 

The dark-gray eye , in combination with black or dark-brown 
hair and lashes , is usually accompanied by talent of some sort, 
and denotes coolness, with considerable intensity of feeling and 
devotion to purpose. With a clear, fair skin and fine quality, the 
character will be refined and energetic. 

Red hair and dark-chestnut eyes reveal great intensity of 
feeling, secretiveness, and capacity for plotting. If the quality be 
fine, we may look for considerable natural intelligence, refinement, 
and ambition; but, if the hair be coarse, strong animal passions, 
insincerity, and a common order of mentality are indicated, 


COLOR. 


425 


tied hair and Hue eyes (if the quality be fine) denote ardor, 
impulse, sincerity, purity, quick temper, ambition, and, if the hair 
be wavy or curly, considerable imitative talent,—aesthetic, poetic, 
or dramatic. Ii the hair be coarse, sensuality, lack of refinement, 
and strong passions will be exhibited. Red-haired people of every 
grade are aspiring and ambitious, and may be found in positions 
ol authority, such as superintendents, teachers, overseers, foremen, 
and directors. There is, doubtless, more sulphur in the composition 
of red-haired people than in other types. It is this mineral which 
gives clearness to the skin and color to the hair. 

Auburn hair and blue eyes denote tenacity of purpose, ardor, 
warmth of affection, and strong emotions; with fine quality, are 
intelligent and capable of progress. 

Darlc-red hair denotes (if fine) strength, vigor, and virtuous 
inclinations, with strong, stable emotions and deep affections. If 
accompanied by blue eyes, frankness, purity, and noble aspirations 
are indicated; if brown eyes are observed in combination, the char¬ 
acter will evince more secretiveness and capacity for scheming and 
planning. When the hair and skin are coarse, with the above 
colors of hair and eyes, the animal passions will be strong, and a 
great deal of low cunning and trickery will be exhibited. 

Yellow-eyed people , with brown, yellow , or fair hair , are de¬ 
ceptive, suspicious, cruel, and jealous; with dark hair, are revenge¬ 
ful and low. I have never observed any one with yellow or greenish 
eyes who exhibited great mental powers. It is a sign of inferiority, 
and if this colored eye is oblique in shape, like that of a cat, the 
disposition is tricky and treacherous, as exhibited by the Mongolian 
and other bias-eyed races. This class may show considerable sym¬ 
pathy toward others, owing to the warmth imparted by the amount 
of color, but it will not be accompanied by consistency, sincerity, 
and truthfulness. Yellow and greenish eyes are found in the most 
sly, treacherous, tricky, cruel, and deceitful animals, such as the 
panther, the hyena, the leopard, the puma, the fox, and cat. 

Mixed , mottled , or spotted eyes show a mixture of blood—a 
crossing of two or more distinct races—within two generations. 
This is an infallible law of physiognomy. Crossing usually pro¬ 
duces talent or improvement ol* some kind, but at the same time 
induces jealousy and suspicion, secretiveness and insincerity, par¬ 
ticularly if the eye is spotted with yellow and green. It seems as 
if the opposing elements of the blood and tissues had not fused or 
harmonized. After two or three generations the eyes of offspring 
become uniform in color, and more trueness is exhibited. 

The normal distribution of red color in the human face and 
body is found in the cheeks, chin, and lips, very slight in the 


426 


practical and scientific physiognomy. 


nostrils and eyelids, but where it exceeds a certain degree of delicacy 
in the eyelids it is a sign of abnormal or inflammatory conditions. 
The ears, also, should present a clear pink or red appearance, and, 
when the skin is thin and the nervous system sensitive, the ears 
will always appear well colored, if health be present. The outer 
part of the palm of the hand should present a bright-red color. 
A vivid color in this part of the hand is a great beauty, and, with 
a fine skin, denotes extreme sensitiveness to all external influences 
and a keen mentality. The whole of the inner surface of the hand 
and fingers should exhibit a red or pinkish color, and, if the skin 
be fine and thin, the veins at the root of the thumb will be quite 
distinctly traced. The extremities of the toes possess color, also 
the entire plantar surface of the foot, except the hollow arch be¬ 
tween the toe-joints and the heel, which is lighter colored than the 
surrounding parts. Excess of color in the lips, cheeks, chin, and 
eyelids denotes feverish or inflammatory action, and is symptom¬ 
atic of the different diseases, according to the feature in which the 
color is excessive. The color in the cheeks in youth is most de¬ 
cided in the lower part , extending in some cases down onto the 
neck. As age advances it rises higher, and often appears upon the 
cheek-bones. The great mistake which those who use cosmetics 
make, in applying rouge to the face, is in placing it upon the upper 
part of the cheek in their endeavors to look more youthful. Now, 
in doing this, they show utter ignorance of Nature, as well as of 
art, for art professes to be an imitation of Nature. 

In the foregoing description of the significance of the several 
colors in the human race the meanings of the several forms of the 
eye have been omitted; they will be found in the chapter on 
“ The Human Face.” The reader can make the combination of 
Form with Color for himself, and, like an example in arithmetic, he 
can “ sum it all up together.” Sufficient has been shown, however, 
to prove that we cannot ignore the fact that a defect in the chemi¬ 
cal combination of the materials composing the human organism 
induces diseased conditions of the several systems and functions, 
and, as a consequence, diminished mental activities and moral 
power and proclivities. Color is a chemical effect produced by a 
variety of causes. It is essential to our mental and moral welfare 
that the right proportion of color should be mingled in our food in 
the natural way, and that we should obtain from the sunlight suf¬ 
ficient of its color chemically combined in our organisms to produce 
moral, mental, and physical harmony, without which mankind can¬ 
not be moral, healthful, or perfectly balanced. The cultivation of 
the color-sense should be commenced in childhood and continue 
through life. We cannot know too much about Color. Let chil- 


SANATIVENESS. 


427 


dren be taught first from Nature and their every-day surroundings ; 
then, gradually, as their minds can grasp it, teach them experi¬ 
mentally the scientific production of color, its use, meanings, and 
importance to man, bird, beast, fish, insect, and to the entire uni¬ 
verse. 

SANATIVENESS. 

Definition .—Sanativeness is derived from Sanative, which, 
according to Webster, is “having the power to cure or heal; heal¬ 
ing; curing; having the tendency to heal.” The scope of this 
faculty is wider than this, and means also Health, Love of Life, 
the natural doctor, nurse, and healer; tenacity, endurance, and 
good recuperative powers. Large Sanativeness gives the capacity 
to impart health to others by advice, nursing, and manipulation ; 
with a good mental system in combination, natural qualifications 
for medication or surgery will be manifested. 

An excess of this faculty is not to be avoided. 

Deficient Sanativeness leads to premature decay and early 
death. It unfits one to cope with disease and renders one incapa¬ 
ble of treating or healing the sick. It deprives one of a strong- 
love of life, thereby rendering the individual incapable to a great 
extent of resisting disease or injuries. 

The signs of deficient Sanativeness are various. The most 
prominent facial signs are narrow and long, thin face; hollow 
cheeks; small, depressed nose and pinched nostrils ; narrow head 
and sunken temples; narrow and receding chin; a bluish, sallow, 
pallid, or transparent complexion. The bodily signs are shown 
by long, slim neck; narrow and sloping shoulders, sunken chest, 
flat abdomen ; thin, fiat muscles and small bones; long, thin,flexible, 
and transparent fingers. Some persons exhibit several ol these 
signs, while others disclose all of them. 

Facial and Bodily Signs .—There are many types of the 
human family in which the faculty of Sanativeness is apparent, but 
its signs are the same in all ages, sexes, and races, making allow¬ 
ance, however, for the differences in size and racial forms. 

The general facial signs are as follow, viz., relative breadth 
of the forehead, full temples, breadth of face outwardly from the 
eyes and just below them (this is one sign of the natural doctor, 
nurse, and healer), high and broad nose, broad nostrils, full cheeks, 
full lips, broad chin, healthy color, clear skin, and bright eyes. 
The bodily signs are shown by relative width of shoulders, good- 
sized neck, high chest, round muscular body (or a well-propor¬ 
tioned one), full muscles, strong bones, and full abdomen. 

Description of Sanativeness. —Sanativeness is a term which 
well expresses the power for healing and the quality or state ol 


428 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 



healthfulness. This quality includes love of life, together with a 
tenacious clinging to life and a determined resistance to the en¬ 
croachments of disease. The same condition which causes health 
gives the capacity to impart health to others in several ways, among 
which may be mentioned intuitive comprehension of bodily states 
and changes of conditions and assistance by suggestion of hy¬ 
gienic measures, by hand-rubbing and manipulations of the body, 
by administering remedies which experience and study have taught 

as suitable, and by surgical 
aid, which is in some a 
natural gift , yet which the 
majority of surgeons are 
obliged to learn by experi¬ 
ence. That surgery is a 
natural gift in some fami¬ 
lies is well known. The 
celebrated Sweet family, 
of Milford, Connecticut, 
were “natural bone-setters,” 
and this talent was exhib¬ 
ited in several generations. 
Even the children of the 
family evinced a remark- 

no. 48 .— DR. NELLIE BEIGHLE. (Magnetic faculty for Setting 

healer.) bones, and showed their 


Born in America of Scotch parentage. Principal 
facial sign, Sanativeness. The law of the curve and 
straight line governs this face. This physiognomy ex¬ 
presses the highest degree of ability to heal by manipu¬ 
lating the limbs and the body. The power which this 
lady exhibits for diagnosing diseases may well be ranked 
as a ‘‘seventh sense.” She seems to be a perennial 
fountain of health, and is probably the most gifted 
healer in the world. To a strong domestic nature she 
adds a love of art and music, her fine muscular endow¬ 
ment giving this capacity. Her complexion is clear red 
and white, and her bodily vigor remarkable, a debt she 
owes to the good oatmeal porridge of her Scotch ances¬ 
tors. The signs for Amativeness, Love of Young, of 
H ome, and of Country are large ; so, also, are the signs 
for Benevolence, Hospitality, Friendship, Mirthful¬ 
ness, Color, Approbativeness, Firmness, Self-esteem, 
Modesty, Human Nature, Analysis, Hope, Construct¬ 
iveness," Form, Size, Ideality, Language, Music, Time, 
Self-will, Prescience, and Intuition. 


Skill, I am told, by prac¬ 
ticing upon cats and other 
animals, first dislocating 
their joints and then re¬ 
placing them as a playful 
experiment. Thousands of 
persons, without instruc¬ 
tion, are capable of nursing 
the sick, and show a gen¬ 
uine love for this profession, 
and when this class of per¬ 
sons add systematic, scientific training to their natural aptitudes 
they are most successful in relieving and curing the sick. Natural 
healers (and there are quite a number of persons with this gift in 
every community, known and unknown) delight to exercise their 
healing gifts upon those afflicted with disease, by spontaneous ma¬ 
nipulations of the body and limbs. This phase of the faculty of 
Sanativeness is common to many species of animals, as has been 
noted by naturalists, many instances being related by them of the 




SANATIVENESS. 


429 


methods used by brute creatures to restore their health and that 
of others of their kind by assistance in simple surgery—sympathy, 
shown by assistance of various kinds—nursing, bringing food to 
those disabled, etc. Not only do various species of the higher ani¬ 
mals assist each other to regain their health, but they have in 
many instances acted as nurses and guardians of helpless or 
drunken masters, saving their lives from fire, and by calling atten¬ 
tion to their masters while in fits, or who had fallen into ditches, 
or who were exposed to the 
danger of fire, etc. 

All human experience 
points to the fact that San¬ 
ativeness, or the faculty 
which sustains and restores 
health, is a normal and 
primitive function, being 
common alike to man and 
the brute creation. Indeed, 
we may go to the lowest 
forms of life, to the vege¬ 
table, and to the crystal in 
the mineral kingdom, and 
we shall note the fact that 
even plants and trees pos¬ 
sess the power of self- 
healing, when injured, and 
some crystals, by time and 
a proper environment, as¬ 
sume again their natural 
forms when violence has 
changed them. Whole¬ 
ness, soundness, normalcy 
and healthfulness are ordi¬ 
nances of Nature, without 
which neither man, animal, 
nor plant could survive the slightest wound or disorder. The heal¬ 
ing power must reside within; it does not exist in the apothecary’s 
bottle. Like true religion and true morality, it is a component of 
man by Nature. This truth should teach us the religious duty of 
making the body sound by all reasonable methods, in order that 
our offspring may inherit the tendency to Sanativeness. 

The faculty which presides over health and healing, and 
which gives a love of life, is related to all the primitive faculties 
primarily, and to all the higher or mental faculties secondly. Those 



FIG. 49.—PIEATRO ANDREA MATTIOLI. (PHY¬ 
SICIAN, Author, Botanist.) 

Born in Italy, 1500. Principal facial sign, Sanative¬ 
ness, shown by prominent malar bones, projecting eye- 
bones (sign for Observation), width between the eyes, 
balanced condition of all the features. The law of the 
straight line and square governs this face. Physicians, 
like poets, are born, not made by education. The physi¬ 
ognomy of Mattioli is proof, in this instance at least, 
gi the above statement. The signs for Conscientious¬ 
ness, Firmness, Love of Home, Love of Young, Biba- 
tiveness, Amativeness, Benevolence, Mirthfulness, 
Friendship, Color, Modesty, Cautiousness, Pneumative- 
ness, Hope, Analysis, Human Nature, Mental Imitation, 
Constructiveness, Ideality, Veneration, Self-will, Form, 
Size, Observation, Locality, Language, Order, Reason, 
and Intuition declare this to be the physiognomy of a 
first-class mind. Earnestness, Love of Truth and of 
Knowledge are perceptible, while the signs of the heal¬ 
ing power and capacity are most apparent. 





430 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


in whom this function is well represented eat heartily, breathe well, 
sleep profoundly, enjoy exercise, and in all ways attest that health, 
vigor, and a sound constitution are the most priceless possessions 
of the human family. We can only give that which we possess, 
and those who have a large degree of Sanativeness are best able to 
impart the same to others, by advice, personal service, or skillful 
medication. The long, narrow-faced, narrow-chested, narrow¬ 
shouldered, juiceless, sapless individual has no health to impart, 
hence is to a great degree a useless cumberer of the earth. The 
sight of such should be a lesson in physiological religion to all 
beholders, and a warning to intending parents to build up their 
own constitutions by gymnastics and diet, before presuming to 
become the constructors of other human beings. 

The love of life and enjoyment of the mere fact of existence 
is strongest where Sanativeness is best developed, and parents by 
transmitting to children sound and healthful bodies endow them 
with a fortune above price. Not only does it give zest and inspira¬ 
tion to life and its occupations, but it enables its possessor to 
recover easily and quickly from sickness, as well as to endure 
hardships and prolonged strain upon the constitution without 
permanent injury, 

If Sanativeness were not a primitive function, it would be 
impossible for the sick to recover and be made whole. Nature has 
instituted certain laws and processes which are self-operative, by 
the exercise of which self-healing is set in action, and when sick¬ 
ness or injuries have changed the normal condition of healthful¬ 
ness the reparative methods of Nature at once take up the work 
of restoration, and unless the subject is injured beyond the power 
of Nature to repair this process goes on until perfect health is 
regained. This process, designated by the ancient medicos as vis 
medicatrix natures, or u the healing power of Nature,” is dominant 
throughout Nature’s broad domain. Plants and animals are healed 
by this all-pervading law, and in many sections of the country 
remote from physicians man relies wholly upon this beneficent 
provision of Nature, and thus escapes many ills which too much 
medication inflicts upon those who are so unfortunate as to be' 
treated by an ignoramus posing in the guise of an M.D., made 
such, perhaps, by the possession of a regular diploma alone, and 
not endorsed by the hand of Nature. All true physicians are born 
with the capacity, instinct, and love for the healing art. Scientific 
physiognomy teaches us how to discover those upon whom Nature 
has set her seal, and shows to whom she has given credentials of 
fitness for the highest and holiest office within her gift. “ The 
healing of the nations,” by direct means, requires, above and 


SANATIVENESS. 


431 


beyond all other arts and sciences, the most skill, the highest 
natural fitness, and the most conscientious conduct. We may be 
able to exist in great comfort, and listen to singers out of tune, or 
to poets whose rhymed measures halt and limp, or gaze upon 
pictures that fail to convey a meaning, without being greatly 
injured; but when sickness assails this mortal frame, then it is that 
the utmost skill, wisdom, and almost superhuman knowledge is 
demanded to restore us to our wonted health, and this result re¬ 
quires the highest powers of mind, or (as in the case of natural 
healers) a suitable physical endowment. 

There are four general and distinct classes of those who pos¬ 
sess the power of healing, viz., natural physicians, natural surgeons, 
natural nurses, and natural healers. Each class is distinguished 
by facial and bodily peculiarities of structure which, once under¬ 
stood will always reveal the class to which each belongs. Each of 
these classes has its subdivisions. Some surgeons, for example, 
are best adapted to repair injuries to the bones; others have a 
special gift in treating injuries to the eye, ear, or abnormal states 
of the viscera, removing tumors, etc. All these differences of 
taste and capacity manifest themselves in the practice of every 
surgeon, as well as in his face, showing in each case that Nature 
has especially endowed certain persons with the talent essential to 
restore all of the various parts of the human organism. It is the 
same with physicians; some have a natural aptitude for treating a 
certain portion of the body, or are most successful in some special 
department, thus evincing that Nature has provided in every 
direction for the restoration to health of all her suffering children. 
There is also great diversity of taste and talent exhibited among 
natural nurses, as among physicians and surgeons. Some are led 
by natural aptitudes to attend to sick children exclusively, or to 
diseases of women solely; while others have more skill and insight 
in nursing surgical cases; others still excel in treating fever 
patients, thus proving that if ill health assumes a Protean aspect, 
Nature has endowed humanity with characteristics sufficiently 
varied to relieve them all. 

In all communities, civilized and uncivilized, are found persons 
of both sexes, to whom Nature has imparted the gift of healing 
by different methods of hand rubbing and manipulation of the 
body and limbs. Doubtless many of these beneficent beings have, 
in former ages, been persecuted as witches and magicians; but in 
this more enlightened age, when inquiry is not obstructed by penal 
enactments, we are able to investigate the peculiar virtues of this 
useful class of people, and to avail ourselves openly of thefe 
capacities. 


432 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


These two general classes of healers, viz., the magnetic and 
the electric, are suited to the requirements of differently constituted 
patients, some of whom need vital electricity, while others demand 
magnetism. As a rule, patients need the sort of vitality opposite 
to their own. Scientific physiognomy gives the only method by 
which these classes of persons can he known and classified. 

The magnetic healer is known by a predominance of the 
muscular system, while the electric healer discloses the supremacy 

of the nervous, or the ner¬ 
vous and mental systems in 
combination. The latter 
class possess, in many cases, 
wonderful insight into phys¬ 
ical, moral, and mental dis¬ 
orders, and if, as it some¬ 
times happens, they are not 
able to aid with the hands, 
are very competent to give 
advice as to treatment, 
foods, hygienic habits, etc., 
which are highly beneficial. 
All true physicians, sur¬ 
geons, nurses, and healers 
possess in varying degrees 
intuitive insight in sickness, 
which enables them bv a 
process of divination, if I 
may so term it, to compre¬ 
hend existing conditions, 
and thus they are able 
to promote health by ap¬ 
plying the best remedy to the case in hand. This gift is aug¬ 
mented by study and experience. The more intuition a physician 
possesses the greater is his power to diagnose a disease, and 
this fact has been used by quacks and mere college-made doctors 
to impose upon patients by the assumption of extraordinary 
occult or mystic powers in this direction. So precious is health, 
and so eager are the sick to become well, that, like drowning 
men, they seize upon every straw of comfort they can get in the 
way of relief, and thus it is that many resort to quacks and char¬ 
latans, or to dangerous patent remedies. Like many other of the 
good things of life, we value health more after we lose it than 
while we possess it. Natural remedies, such, for example, as rest, 
diet, abstinence from food in certain cases, sea-bathing, judicious 



Fig. 50.—“MOTHER” BYCKERDYKE. (Army 
Nurse and Philanthropist.) 

Born in Illinois. Conspicuous facial sign, Sana¬ 
tiveness. The law of the straight line and square gov¬ 
erns this physiognomy. This tenderly sympathetic face 
discloses all the signs of a great and self-sacrificing na¬ 
ture. Conscientiousness, Firmness, Patriotism, Benevo¬ 
lence, Economy, Love of Home, Love of Young, 
Modesty, Friendship, and Approbativeness are most 
decided; while the faculties of Analysis, Hope, Sub¬ 
limity, Veneration, Executiveness, Locality, Language, 
Memory of Events, and Intuition are excellent. 


SANATIVENESS. 


433 


exercise, gymnastics, remedial foods and drinks afforded by vege¬ 
tables and herbs, are the best aids to preserve and restore health. 
W hen these fail, then recourse may be made to physicians, medi¬ 
cation, nurses, and healers. Most persons respond easily to these 
natural methods of regaining health, and the more they rely upon 
them and persevere in an intelligent manner the better it will be 
for them, lor health is the normal condition of all; and when one 
seeks the aid ol natural remedies he acts in conjunction with other 
natural laws, for all of the 
laws of Nature work in 
harmonious agreement. 

An ardent love of life 
is one phase of the faculty 
of Sanativeness. Those 
endowed with a high de¬ 
gree of health and a sound 
constitution naturally enjoy 
existence more than do 
those who are feeble by 
nature; hence they will 
make greater efforts to re¬ 
cuperate, and do so more 
readily than those who are 
life-long sufferers by dis¬ 
ease. 

Longevity is still an¬ 
other attribute of this 
faculty, and the physiogno¬ 
mies of all aged persons 
show most of the signs for 
Sanativeness. This grand 
primal faculty has many 
phases and aspects, thus 
disclosing its breadth of 
scope and its relation to all 
the life-giving and life- 
sustaining powers. Its base is broader and more important than 
any other function, for it embraces many of the others in its 
operation, as it is related to respiration, digestion, and secretion, as 
well as to the muscular and bone and brain systems. 

After reading the above exposition of this function and its 
associated faculties, can one douht its direct influence upon our 
moral nature \ How important, then, its cultivation! 

* This cut by permission of editor of “History of Woman’s Suffrage.” 

28 



Fig. 51.— CLEMENCE S. LOZIER. (Physician and 

Reformer.)* 

Born in New Jersey, 1812. Conspicuous facial .sign, 
Sanativeness, shown by breadth of face outwardly from 
the eyes and just below them, full cheeks ; good, fresh 
color of the complexion, clear skin, bright eyes. The 
law of the straight line and square governs this face. 
The force of character exhibited by this lady was of 
that quiet, gentle, persistent sort which, when allied to 
great mental and moral gifts, as in her case, leads to 
success. She was quite a noted reformer, having been 
one of the staunchest supporters of the woman’s suf¬ 
frage cause. In the face of great obstacles she obtained 
a medical education and established the Woman’s 
Medica 1 College of New York, and became its first 
Lean. The signs of Conscientiousness, Firmness, Econ¬ 
omy, Love of Home, Mirthfulness, Patriotism, Love 
of Young, and of Hospitality are well defined. The 
mental signs of Analysis, Hope, Human Nature, Con¬ 
structiveness, Form, "Size, Color, Veneration, Reason, 
Prescience, and Intuition are large. Altogether an 
earnest, gentle, wise, and womanly woman. 




434 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


The restorative powers of animals are manifested in a greater 
degree than in civilized man, and they also exhibit in many cases 
an intuitive or instinctive knowledge of the remedial powers of 
certain herbs, of rest, and diet. They also evince considerable 
ability in surgery, often practicing it upon themselves, and assist¬ 
ing each other. Cats and dogs understand the virtue of certain 
plants, which they use either as purgatives or emetics according to 
their requirements. The buffalo, camel, and horse use salt for 
the purpose of promoting health. The “salt-licks” of all coun¬ 
tries are resorted to by various animals for this purpose. The 
chimpanzee and other apes are known to staunch their bleeding 
wounds by using their hands to compress them, or by stuffing 
grass and other things into the wound to relieve themselves 
(Livingston). Many animals lick their own and other’s wounds 
and sores, thus cleansing them in order to facilitate healing. A 
dog has been known to perform a surgical operation upon a cat 
by excision of its tail, which had been partially cut in two. The 
dog bit off the end, and thus relieved his feline friend (Lindsay). 
Many animals take the orphaned offspring of other animal species 
and nurse them at their breasts, and do a parent’s part by them. 
Dogs and elephants have nursed and cared for injured and sick 
men and children, and have saved human lives, by their acuteness 
in scent and sound, from drowning and fire, and in a thousand 
ways they attest that the principle of Sanativeness in all its phases 
is possessed by various animal species. 

Longevity in animals is disclosed by the same general signs as 
in man, the long, slim-necked giraffe living a relatively shorter 
life than the round, muscular tortoise, or the broad-built elephant. 
In short, animals possess in common with man, in varying degrees, 
all the phases of Sanativeness, and which they manifest, as he does, 
by both mental and physical acts and means. 

If the love of life were not a universal and dominating trait, 
both men and animals would “ shuffle off this mortal coil ” upon 
the slightest provocation. Suicides are committed by animals 
from the same causes which induce men to commit them. Man 
must have within himself a great restraining influence, else very 
few would stand up under the innumerable disasters, trials, and 
sufferings to which nearly all mankind are subjected. It requires 
great heroism oftentimes to exist. The love of health is the next 
strongest desire of the human heart; longevity or length of days 
another great human desire. Then follows the yearning exhibited 
by so many to save life and health by personal service, advice, and 
medication. All these traits are but phases and manifestations 
of one fundamental function and faculty which I have included 


SANATIVENESS. 


435 


under the comprehensive term, Sanativeness, from sanative , 
“having the power to cure or heal; healing; curative; having 
the tendency to heal.”* From this condition of the body all the 
other phases and aspects of the faculty follow, viz., the power to 
assist others in sickness, the love of life and health, the dread of 
pain, and longevity. 

The facial signs of the physician are varied and numerous, 
because this profession requires very superior and varied character. 
None should enter its ranks unless specially qualified by Nature for 
this work. One general sign observed in the physiognomies of 
physicians, and nurses as well, is a prominence of the bones of the 
cheek, about one inch outward from the outer angle of the eye, 
and also just below the eye. The other signs found in combina¬ 
tion will decide whether the talent is for nursing or doctoring. 
The physician must possess a good brain system, such as would 
enable him to take a comprehensive course of study, with large 
Practicality to enable him to apply it. The shape and size of the 
nose will give this information. He must have fair Caution, large 
Reason, Analysis, Observation, Intuition, Self-will, Firmness, Self¬ 
esteem, Conscientiousness, and sufficient Secretiveness to enable him 
to keep a close mouth and command his facial muscles. He must 
possess fine social and domestic traits, such as Friendship, Hope, 
Mirthfulness, Pneumativeness, Love of Young, Benevolence, suf¬ 
ficient Amativeness to enable him to be tender and considerate of 
women, and good health and a vigorous constitution. Fie requires 
also fine Ideality to give refinement, large Constructiveness, plenty 
of Force to give courage while performing difficult operations, 
together with a high sense of honor and morality. In short, a 
physician should possess a high and well-balanced, harmonious 
organization of body and mind, il he would attain the highest 
success in the healing art. 

The surgeon needs many of the foregoing traits, but with 
larger Form, Size, Constructiveness, Force, and Resolution, as well 
as great physical courage and mechanical ability. Nearly all 
superior surgeons exhibit large muscular development; that is, the 
muscles must exceed the bones in order to give strength and sup¬ 
pleness, without large size of the hands and fingers, which are 
round, flexible, and inclined to taper; hence surgeons are round- 
built men, with broad, rounding heads, broad shoulders, deep 
chest, and a strong and not an oversensitive nervous system. 
This profession requires a combination of the brain and muscular 
systems predominant. 

All natural nurses exhibit the facial sign about the corner of 


* Webster. 


436 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


the eyes, and manifest a desire to be with the sick, and exhibit 
their skill in their treatment. They should have a good, vigorous 
constitution; large Caution, Hope, Mirthfulness; not too much 
Loquacity, yet enough to interest and amuse the invalid; large 
Pneumativeness, to detect odors and atmospheric changes and 
qualities; good Conscientiousness and Firmness, to give decision and 
perseverance without being rigid or severe; good Alimentiveness, 
to enable them to eat well and be able to choose and prepare suit¬ 
able foods for the sick. A nurse may possess either the bone and 
brain systems, with a good degree of the vegetative, or a combination 
of the muscular and brain systems dominant. 

Natural healers are, as before stated, usually found with the 
muscular or nervous systems dominant; yet I have known some 
very good healers, who combined nursing with healing qualities, 
in whom the vegetative and muscular systems were supreme. 
Healers acquire, by long and continued practice, a sensitiveness of 
the sense of touch and temperature which enables them to locate 
a disease by the sense of touch, aided by intuition. The diag¬ 
noses of some of this class are truly phenomenal. Healers should 
possess the best of health and sound constitution, moral principle, 
and large Friendship. In their efforts for the sick they are too apt 
to overdo, and thus break down early. They should bear in mind 
that vitality is limited, and endeavor to conserve their powers by 
plenty of rest and a good deal of fresh air and sunshine. These 
are indispensable to those who would retain healing powers unim¬ 
paired for years. 


SELF-ESTEEM. 

Definition. —Self-respect, independence, true pride, dignity, 
decorum, self-reliance, nobility, self-control, love of leadership, 
selfhood, elevation of character. 

An excess induces intense egotism, insolence, haughtiness, 
tyranny, and an overbearing assumption of superiority. 

A deficiency tends to lack of dignity, want of self-reliance 
and true independence, with little, if any, ability to lead or 
command. 

Facial and Bodily Signs .—The principal sign for Self-esteem 
is length of the upper lip. The principal bodily signs are an 
erect carriage, a high head, erect shoulders, chin carried slightly 
forward, and feet turned well outward. Those with short, upper 
lips have relatively less Self-esteem than those with a long upper 
lip. The length of the upper lip also indicates (if the color is well 
defined) the strength of the spinal column and strength of the 
vertebrae. It leads the individual to carry himself with a vigorous 


SELF-ESTEEM. 


437 


and independent bearing; and as mind and body always act in 
unison, Seli-esteem and a very erect carriage are the results of the 
integrity ot the bony system, which is also manifested by a strong 
and straight vertebral structure. See the portraits of Admiral 
Farragut, Herbert Spencer, John G. Whittier, and others. 

Description of Self-esteem. —The limbs of those possessed of 
large Self-esteem are long and straight; the fingers long and bony. 
Self-esteem originates- in the osseous system and is best developed 
in those in whom .this- system is dominant. The length of the bony 
structure of the upper jaw gives the facial sign, and this indicates its 
source or base. By virtue of the same logic we find that stiffness 
and strength of the vertebrae, or bones of the spinal column, and 
an erect carriage of the body and head are among its bodily indica¬ 
tions. When the osseous system is strong, well developed, and 
sustained by the perfection of the digestive functions, there is 
evolved such vigor of the mind and of the most solid and enduring 
parts of the body as leads to Self-esteem, love of leadership, sell- 
reliance, dignity, and elevation of character. The reader can con¬ 
vince himself very readily of the reliable and unyielding nature 
of bone, and of its ability to impart firmness, solidity, and dignity 
to character, by comparing the stature and lives of Washington, 
Jefferson, or any other men possessed of very long and square 
bones, with the personnel and character of any short, fat, squat 
individual, and he will become convinced of the reliable nature 
of bone when exhibited in man or animal. 

This trait imparts ability for enduring and overcoming one’s 
own weaknesses as well as the opinions and weaknesses of others. 
In disease, it assists in sustaining the patient in a measure and 
leads him to rely upon his own efforts and self-control to promote 
recovery. It is a grand force in a character, in a normal degree , 
but where a large excess has been transmitted and unduly exer¬ 
cised it is a perversion, and the most offensive egotism, haughti¬ 
ness, contempt, and tyranny take its place, and thus weaken and 
make despicable the character exhibiting this perversion. Insane 
asvlums contain many characters whose unbalanced or excessive 
Self-esteem is most marked, and they announce themselves to 
visitors as “ Jesus Christ,” or “Queen Victoria,” or “Napoleon 
Bonaparte,” or some other celebrated character, with all the 
earnestness of truth. 

The position of the facial sign of Self-esteem is worthy of 
analysis. It is dominated by the sign for Modesty, which cuts a 
channel through the centre of the upper lip and seems intended 
to tone down the haughty assumptions of a too-excessive egotism. 
Just above it stands Hope, to cheer and lead upward a strong 


438 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


selfhood, without which it would be content with mere sell-contem¬ 
plation; while above it are all the traits which disclose artistic, 
literary, and musical ability, grouped together to attract the char¬ 
acter toward active labor in those directions, and thus give a real 
foundation for true pride in meritorious achievement; while Ama¬ 
tiveness and Love of Young each develop feeling toward others, 
which modifies somewhat the constant thought of self-importance ; 
for each of these sentiments demands recognition and sends out to 



children, lover, and * hus¬ 
band a share of attention, 
and thus tends to draw off 
the mind from too much 
self-contemplation and self- 
glorification,—a condition 
which would be the natural 
result did not mental tastes 
and desires, as well as do¬ 
mestic sentiments, arise to 
prevent the character from 
becoming entirely absorbed 
in contemplation of itself. 

In many characters 
who exhibit an excess of 
Self-esteem, a certain trait 
or several traits are ob¬ 
served to be relatively 
feeble; either Love of 
Young, Amativeness, or 
else a poor development of 
artistic or literary tastes 
and capacities will be ob¬ 
served. Those who possess 
an inordinate degree of Self¬ 
esteem seem often, in their 
offensive assumptions of superiority, in many directions to be 
insane. They carry this egotism and hauteur to such lengths as 
to lay themselves open to the charge either of insanity or of acting 
a part. Indeed, excessive indulgence in this self-feeling often 
brings on morbid states of mind, which, if not checked, induce 
insanity. The “sublime self-sufficiency of Swedenborg,” for ex¬ 
ample, is a matter most interesting to physiognomists, for when 
his portrait is examined scientifically the faculty of Self-esteem 
will be found second only to the faculty of Credenciveness, and 
both were abnormally developed. Indeed, the physiognomies of 


Fig. 52. — THOMAS JEFFERSON. (Statesman, 
Reformer, and President of the United 
States; Author of the “Declaration of 
Independence.” 

Conspicuous facial sign, Self-esteem, shown by 
length oi the upper lip. The law of the straight line and 
square governs this face. Elevation of mind is the domi¬ 
nant characteristic of this noble character. A developed 
vegetative system gives a firm foundation upon which 
is built a broad and lofty mentality. The signs for 
Firmness, Conscientiousness, Patriotism, Love of Home 
and of Young are most marked. The height, length, 
and width of the nose announce a marked and vigorous 
mentality. The signs for Human Nature, Analysis, 
Constructiveness, Mental Imitation, Sublimity, Vener¬ 
ation, Executiveness, Self-will, Observation, Memory 
of Events, and Reason are all large. His stature was 
tall and commanding and quality line. 



SELF-ESTEEM. 


439 


all great founders and leaders of religious and other reforms, dis¬ 
close the signs for Sell-esteem most decidedly. Observe the faces 
of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Garibaldi, Kossuth, 
Lamartine, Admiral Farragut, John Bright, Lucretia Mott, and 
John Wesley. 

This trait assists the character in the self-assertion and posi¬ 
tiveness required for domination. Confidence in one’s self inspires 
confidence on the part ol others, hence it is that quacks, so-called 
prophets, and miracle-work¬ 
ers secure a large following 
and great pecuniary profit. 

Self-assertion, bombastic pre¬ 
tension, coupled with a claim 
to supernatural powers, is 
always sure of success. His¬ 
tory records many who were 
monomaniacs whose confi¬ 
dence in themselves led them 
into all sorts of extrava¬ 
gances, as well as their de¬ 
luded worshipers. Joanna 
Southcott, who flourished in 
England in the seventeenth 
century, was one of this sort. 

No doubt she was so inflated 
with Self-esteem and her 
own importance that she 
sincerely believed herself to 
be what she professed, viz., 
the bride of Christ. Her 
portrait exhibits the signs 
for Credenciveness and Self¬ 
esteem large. These are also 
very marked in the physiog¬ 
nomies of Mahomet, George 
Fox, Brigham Young, Mar¬ 
tin Luther, and Calvin. The 
portraits of all successful generals exhibit a more than average 
degree of Self-esteem, and the physiognomies of the leaders in all 
great enterprises show the same. In all such affairs it is very 
essential that the individual should have confidence in his own 
powers, and then be able to inspire others with confidence in 
himself \ and this the natural leader will do in the most spontane¬ 
ous manner. Among children, the one who possesses the most 



Fig. 53.—HENRY WARD BEECHER. (Author, 
Editor, Orator, Preacher, Reformer.) 


Born in Connecticut, 1813. Conspicuous facial 
sign Self-esteem. The law of the straight line,square, 
and curve governs this countenance. This portrait 
of Mr. Beecher, taken in early life, expresses great 
power. Along with a fine and strong vegetative 
system are seen the signs of moral and mental 
capacity; the wide, straight mouth and full eyes 
announce the orator, while the large size of the nose 
and its length give the clue to his great mentality. 
The signs tor Conscientiousness, Firmness, Love of 
Home, of Young, and of Country are well defined. 
Amativeness, Benevolence, Economy, Hospitality, 
Sanativeness, Color, Mirthfulness, Friendship, Mod¬ 
esty, and Approbativeness are all very well devel¬ 
oped, thus showing constitutional vigor and the 
essential foundation of sympathetic emotion for the 
orator and reformer. The signs for Analysis, Human 
Nature, Sublimity, Ideality, Constructiveness, Men¬ 
tal Imitation, Veneration, Executiveness, Self-will, 
Language, Music, Calculation, Order, Form, Size, 
Locality, and Memory of Events are large, while Cre¬ 
denciveness is deficient. 



440 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Self-esteem or dignity will naturally set up the standard ofleadership 
in their games and pastimes. A child with natural Executiveness 
will also assume the character of the “father,” or “mother,” or 
“captain,” or “teacher,” in intercourse with his or her playmates, 
and in childhood, as well as in adult life, the one who is able to 
lead does so according to the infallible law of the reign of the 


fittest. 

In the animal kingdom the faculty of leadership, by virtue of 
capacity, is exhibited in a very marked manner, and, in this do¬ 
main, leadership always rests upon true merit , and, according to 
animal ideas, the leader must prove his power or vacate the 
position. “Family influence” here goes for nothing, and deeds 
alone entitle the conquering buck to the possession of the does, 
the right to whom he has had to earn by the most valiant and 
hard-fought battles. Among the peaceful, graminivorous tribes, 
the “ bell-wether ” leads the flock by reason of ability to do 
so ; and, lower down, the most skillful beaver acts as engineer-in- 
chief to locate and construct the dams and dwellings for the tribes. 
So, also, the ants choose capable superintendents and architects, 
whose authority is acknowledged and ability unquestioned by those 
who wdrk under direction of their chosen leaders. The faculty of 
Self-esteem, then, must be inherent as low down in the animal 
series as the insect tribes, and possibly it may be exhibited in some 
way by those still lower down. Because man’s faculties are too gross 
to penetrate the finer powers of animal life he assumes that animals 
are deficient creatures, and not possessed of sense or mind,—only 
“instinct.” The microscope possesses powers of which the most 
perfect human eye is destitute, and this same instrument reveals 
to man facts in animal nature which almost exceed belief. The 
patience and observation of numberless naturalists are accumulating 
a vast amount of evidence in this direction, which is adding greatly 
to our intelligence on the subject of the mental life of animals, and 
which must greatly contribute to the respect in which we should 
hold them. Let the reader peruse the works of the Lev. J. G. 
Wood, Pierre Huber, Dr. J. Lauder Lindsay, Charles Darwin, 
Buckland, Houzeau, Buchner, Youatt, Miss Cobbe, and others, 
who have made the study of animals a specialty, and he will be¬ 
come convinced that the mentality of animals is different from 
man’s only in degree, not in kind. In treating of Mind in its 
most comprehensive sense I am obliged to include some notice of 
animal mentality, for there can be but one mind pervading all ani¬ 
mate objects, just as there is but one life permeating all things in 
existence, yet manifesting itself in many diverse methods in 
unnumbered objects. 


SELF-ESTEEM. 


441 


The reader will observe that in the descriptions of the facul¬ 
ties in this chapter a space is devoted to notice of similar faculties 
in various animals. My object in thus doing is to enlarge the ideas 
of my readers, and to lead them to take a more comprehensive view 
of mind than obtains at present among the masses. When man 
magnifies himself at the expense of the animal kingdom he does 
himself, as well as the animal tribes, a gross injustice. He nar¬ 
rows his view of Nature’s laws and shuts out much which the 
great truths of evolution teach. 

A balanced degree of Self-esteem is of infinite service to man, 
and is intended to teach him to protect, uphold, and respect himself 
by causing him to pursue a course of conduct which will entitle him 
not only to respect himself, but to deserve the respect of others. 
It is, indeed, a “tower of strength” to the character, and will en¬ 
able one to push his way to many places of importance, social, 
commercial, and governmental. 

Those with short upper lips are greatly lacking in Self-esteem, 
yet usually possess a large share of Approbativeness, which assists 
the character. Children with this feature should be encouraged 
to act with self-reliance and be taught to depend on their own 
efforts and to value their own opinions more. In this manner the 
lack of Self-esteem can be overcome in a measure, and thus add 
strength and power. Parents should always seek to level up the 
character and not to level down this trait by discouraging bashful, 
shame-faced children. Many parents will observe in the presence 
of a child, “ Oh, there is no use trying to make anything of 
Johnnie; he is too bashful to ever amount to anything.” They 
should take the opposite course with diffident children, and inspire 
them with a belief in their own abilities by saying in their hear¬ 
ing, “I expect my boy to succeed,” or “My daughter has ability 
to do many tilings well, and she will certainly show it.” Always 
speak of them and to them as if their backwardness, or lack of 
Self-esteem, was only an incident peculiar to childhood, but always 
assume in their hearing that they are expected to put forth all 
their energies, and that success will surely crown their efforts. 
Many a boy has been obliged to take a second-rate place in life 
simply because his self-estimation was not commensurate with his 
abilities. 

It is wonderful how readily the world accepts our own valua¬ 
tion of ourselves. This being the fact, all should put a high 
estimate upon their character and then live up to it. 

The effects which are produced by the combination of Self¬ 
esteem with other faculties are most noteworthy. Average Self¬ 
esteem, with Firmness and Conscientiousness, lends great dignity 


442 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


and moral worth to the character, together with a stable, reliable 
mind; with the intellectual faculties large, the individual will seek 
to lead in public matters, reforms, etc.; with large Self-esteem and 
large Hope, he will exhibit a most inflated idea of his capacities, and 
in business will be too sanguine for success, always venturing be¬ 
yond his depth; with large Approbativeness, added to Self-esteem, 
will become a “ shoddy aristocrat’’ and assume airs of superiority, 
and be offensively egotistic, boast of “family,” blue-blood, etc.; 
with large Love of Young, will always put children forward, boast 
of their attainments, and speak of them as great “ beauties ” and 
full of talent, when perhaps they appear plain and dull to others; 
with large Approbativeness, Force, Executiveness, and Firmness, 
will aim to be a leader, and become captain, officer, or superin¬ 
tendent by virtue of ability to be such ; with large Language and 
reason added, will make a public speaker, and seek to influence 
the public mind. Self-esteem, combined with Firmness, Force, the 
Practical faculties, and Constructiveness, enables one to super¬ 
intend large numbers of persons engaged in mechanical pursuits, 
as in foundries, workshops, etc.; with Acquisitiveness added, he will 
succeed well in commercial life, particularly where commerce is 
concerned in mechanical appliances, such as hardware, agricultural 
implements, machinery, and similar articles. Large Self-esteem, 
combined with Firmness and Conscientiousness, creates great dignity 
and honorable conduct; with intellectual faculties large, it will 
impart pride of one’s moral and intellectual worth, and will make 
self prominent in all reform movements which bring into action 
moral and intellectual powers. Those with small Self-esteem and 
large Approbativeness will seek the commendation of others, and 
feel small and insignificant if not applauded or approved by them. 
If praise is withheld they will act and look cheap, and will almost 
apologize for being in existence at all, and will be deficient in dignity 
and independence, and will never feel that their conduct or efforts 
are quite as good as others, no matter how meritorious they may 
be; this class will almost live upon praise, and, when it is profuse, 
they will put forth all their energy and power, but unless praised 
will droop and become dispirited and probably fail. 

The effect of a balanced self-esteem is to give a just estimate 
of one’s worth; this lends to the character true dignity, independ¬ 
ence, decorum, sense of propriety at all times and in all places; 
prevents clownish fun, and holds one up to a high standard of con¬ 
duct. It is thus shown to be one of the most important moral 
powers, and should be developed in those in whom it is deficient. 

An average development of the length of the upper lip assists 
in the symmetry and proportion of the face, yet those persons whose 


SELF-ESTEEM. 


443 


only idea of beauty is derived from classic models profess to see no 
beauty in a moderately long upper lip, but think such a lip looks, 
as a lady once expressed it to me, “ so plain.” 

The short upper lip, which is almost universally observed in 
the physiognomies of classic creations, is expressive of only one 
form of beauty. The Greeks had doubtless perceived that many 
of their talented poets and actors exhibited a short upper lip, 
hence this feature was used by them to express Art-beauty. 
Reference to the works of the Greek sculptors will disclose the 
short upper lip in the statues of many of their gods and goddesses 
who typified the Muses, and were considered the presiding deities 
of music, poetry, the drama, etc. Nearly all actors and actresses 
exhibit a short upper lip and are correspondingly deficient in Self¬ 
esteem, but large in Approbativeness. Self-esteem would, in an 
ordinary artist, detract from his acting, because the player must 
be able to hide his own personality entirely in order to faithfully 
portray the character which he desires to represent; hence, a strong 
sense of his own selfhood would conflict with his impersonations. 
A good actor of the imitative class must and does possess large 
Imitation, Secretiveness, and large Approbativeness, together with 
large Form and Size, to assist in posing, in gesture, and in 
arranging drapery, etc. He also has large Language, Amative¬ 
ness, Love of Young, and Constructiveness. Now, these faculties 
and their accompanying facial characteristics may be found in the 
physiognomies of hundreds of those whom I term the “Imitative 
class” of actors. Th Creative class,” like musical composers, 
are possessed of more lofty attributes of character, hence their 
physiognomies possess more powerful features, more individualized 
expressions, more Self-esteem, and relatively less Approbativeness. 

The following description of features seen in the faces of the 
majority of imitative artists can be verified by placing any number 
of their portraits side by side. Although the individual expression 
may vary, the general forms of their features will coincide and will 
appear as here indicated: A soft, round, muscular chin, often 
dimpled; full lips, particularly developed at the signs for Amative¬ 
ness and Love of Young; short upper lip; signs for Mirthfulness 
and Approbativeness very decided, producing wrinkles or dimples 
in the cheeks and at the exterior corners of the mouth; nose thick 
at the lower third, showing the presence of Constructiveness and 
Ideality; width between the eyes, showing Form; very large, 
bright, and prominent eyes, disclosing Language; arched eyebrows, 
indicating Credenciveness, and the upper and middle part of the 
free and the sides rounding; the face usually oval and the lower 
jaw inclined to curve. In this description you have the portrait 


444 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY 


of hundreds of actors, singers, athletes, painters, and the artistic 
class generally. The variations within these classes are shown by 
variations in the shape of the nose more than by any other feature, 
the musical nose being shorter than the nose of the others, 
although many of the imitative painters exhibit short, round, pug- 
noses. 

The description of the great creative artists, composers, 
painters, etc., I reserve for another space. Suffice it to say that 
Self-esteem enters largely into their characters, and is a necessary 
part of the character which is accustomed to impersonate the 
grandest characters known in history, such as kings, queens, 
cardinals, generals, and philosophers. The first-mentioned class 
of artists delineate the lighter characters, such as ladies of fashion, 
chambermaids, fops, and comic characters generally, and these 
require the exercise of the lighter faculties of the mind; but the 
latter class of persons demand the exercise of the highest and 
strongest traits of character in their expression, hence the grander 
traits must be possessed by those who would interpret them on the 
mimic stage, in accordance with that law of human nature which 
permits the individual to express in deeds or works only those 
principles which exist in his own organism. Accordingly, we find 
in the physiognomies of the creative artists, such as Booth, Salvini, . 
Mad. Ristori, Raymond, Barrett, Irving, and others of this class, 
a relatively long upper lip , disclosing Self-esteem, together with 
large Self-will; also a large, broad, long nose, denoting force of 
character; a large, broad chin, showing Firmness and Conscien¬ 
tiousness or thoroughness and persistency in their impersonations. 
Large Language is also present, as is shown by the full eyes, 
while the dimpled chin in many indicates that their appreciation 
of the beauty of the opposite sex lies at the foundation of their 
creative minds, for sex-love and sex-appreciation are the great 
underlying forces which assist creative efforts in the mind, and are 
most decided traits in the mental construction of all the great 
creative minds in art, science, and literature. 

The presence of a good share of Self-esteem in a character is 
always proof of the possession of a certain degree of high or noble 
traits,—something which the possessor can respect and esteem. 
The chief office of this faculty is to assist in guarding the reputa¬ 
tion by compelling the individual to behave in a self-respecting 
manner. Where it is largely developed the reputation as well as 
the character will be an object of solicitude, yet character will 
stand first in appreciation. The sentiments expressed by Mowbray* 
in “ Richard II,” where he exclaims— 

* Act I, Scene 1, Richard II, Shakespeare. 


MODESTY. 


445 


“Mine honor is my life; both grow in one; 

Take honor from me and my life is done. 

Then dear my liege, mine honor let me try; 

In that I live, and for that will I die”— 

will express the feeling of one with large Self-esteem. 

MODESTY. 

Definition. —Sense of propriety and decency; chastity; purity 
of thought; unobtrusiveness; reserve; “inclination to assume less 
than is one’s due and concede more than is the due of others.” 
Physiologically, Modesty is exhibited by a love of personal cleanli- 



cile, etc. 

An excess of Modesty is shown by painful bashfulness, diffi¬ 
dence or abject humility; by dislike of the attentions and society 
of the opposite sex; shrinking from notice; also by extreme clean¬ 
liness of person and “painful neatness.” 

A deficiency of this trait leads to boldness, arrogance, self- 
confidence, indecency, lewdness, unchastity, lack of cleanliness, 
and indifference to vulgar language, filth, and dirt. 

Facial and Bodily Signs. —As the base of Modesty is traced 
to the sensitiveness of the nerves of the skin, we shall, accordingly, 
find that a fine , thin, clear skin is one of the best indications of the 
presence of Modesty; also fine , smooth, glossy hair is another 
indication of sensitiveness of the nervous system. A most reliable 
facial sign is shown in the depth of the little perpendicular channel 
or groove which divides the upper lip in two, running vertically 
from the septum of the nose down through the facial sign for 
Amativeness. This trait is found large in all in whom the brain 
and nerve system predominates, whether this local sign he present 
or not. Blushing and downcast looks are physiological signs of 
excessive Modesty and sensitiveness. 

Description of Modesty. —The predominance of the brain 
and nerve system always gives a more elevated cast of thought 
than the other systems. Its position shows it to be the highest 
in the organism ; hence, where it preponderates it will be found to 
produce the purest; sentiments and emotions. It is the system of 
quality , fineness, and sensitiveness. The nervous system was 
primarily evolved from the skin, and, as a fine, thin skin is indic¬ 
ative of a sensitive nervous system, the skin thus becomes a sign 
of purity, modesty, and love of cleanliness and neatness. The 
faces of Charlotte Bronte, Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Barrett Brown¬ 
ing, Beranger the French poet, and Lavater are well marked in 
this respect. 


446 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 



Many persons in whom the brain system is not dominant 
exhibit a large degree of Modesty. This is owing to the natural 
or inherited quality of the nervous system , for one may possess a 
very sensitive nervous system without the brain dominating. 
Many persons with the osseous system or the thoracic system in 
the ascendency exhibit a fine and sensitive quality of the nerves, 
and this sensitiveness of the skin leads to delicate personal habits 
and love of cleanliness and neatness of attire. When we consider 

that the sense of touch is 
diffused over the entire 
surface of the body, and is 
produced by a net-work of 
nerves which ramifies upon 
the skin-covering of the 
whole body, we can easily 
understand why an indi¬ 
vidual with a sensitive 
quality of the nerves ap¬ 
prehends more readily the 
nature of things, of tactile 
impressions, than does one 
not possessed of a like de¬ 
gree of sensation. And, 
as a sensitive nerve needs 
more care, and cannot en¬ 
dure contact with gross 
matters as well as a coarser 
nerve-structure, it follows 
that the more sensitively- 
endowed individual will 
seek protection in avoiding 
rough, gross, and filthy 
matters, and sustain his 
powers by cleanliness of 
the person and by neatness 
of attire, as well as by neat surroundings. By virtue of the 
same sensitive quality of the sense of touch the mind is quick and 
apprehensive, and this sensitiveness leads one to avoid impure, 
vulgar, and unchaste words and deeds. And in this exposition 
of cause and effect—of physiological cause and moral and mental 
effect—we find proof of the fact that mind, morals, and body 
are one and indivisible, and that there is no line of demarkation 
between them. 


FIG. 54.— BELVA A. LOCKWOOD * (M. A., Teacher, 
Attorney-at-Law, Reformer.) 

Born in America. Conspicuous facial sign, Mod¬ 
esty, shown by the depth of the groove which is 
observed in the centre of the upper lip. The law of 
the straight line and square governs this face. The 
above portrait discloses a womanly and intellectual 
character. The domestic virtues are well defined. Con¬ 
scientiousness is large. Patriotism, Love of Home, Be¬ 
nevolence, Amativeness, Love of Young, Mirthfulness 
Modesty, and Self-Esteem are conspicuous. In the nose 
the signs of Ideality, Sublimity, Constructiveness, Ac¬ 
quisitiveness, Veneration, Executiveness, and Self-will 
are large. Language is exceedingly well developed; so 
also are Form, Size, Locality, Prescience, Memory of 
Events, Order, Reason, and Intuition. This lady en¬ 
joys the distinction of being a practitioner in the Su¬ 
preme Court of the United States. She is an ardent 
advocate of woman’s equality, and is in all ways an 
illustration of what she professes. 


* Cut by permission of the editors of the “History of Woman Suffrage.” 




MODESTY. 


447 


The other organs—those of scent, of sight, of hearing, and 
of taste—are all situated near the surface, and covered with a sensi¬ 
tive skin both within and without their orifices, and are also con¬ 
nected with the central and cerebral nervous systems, thus proving 
their mental power as well as physiological basis. 

The placing of the signs of character in the face is one of the 
highest proofs of the harmony of Nature’s works. The situation 
of the local sign for Modesty is most significant of the beauty and 
propriety of the manner of 
grouping the signs in the 
face. We have previously 
considered the nature of 
Self-esteem and shown to 
what its excess leads, but 
Modesty, running down the 
centre of the upper lip, cut¬ 
ting its way right through 
the middle of the sign for 
Self-esteem, seems to say 
to it: “ I will put a check 
upon your estimate of your¬ 
self, and compel you to be 
moderate in your manifes¬ 
tations of personal valua- • 
tion.” Modesty reaches 
out to the local sign for 
Amativeness , and here 
again we are struck with 
the beauty and utility of 
its placing. The manifes¬ 
tations of Amativeness un¬ 
controlled by Modesty 
would be offensive to good 
taste, decency, and pro¬ 
priety. We are sometimes 
met with overfond manifestations of love publicly displayed 
by love-lorn swains, in whose character and countenances the 
faculty and sign for Modesty is scarcely discernible. The truly 
modest person shows the presence of purity of thought, expres¬ 
sion, and conduct by bodily cleanliness and neatness of attire, 
by chaste and pure language, and decorous and appropriate 
demeanor. On the contrary, the mock-modest person perceives 
immodesty in what is natural and in what is not intended to wound 
the sensitiveness of the really pure-minded. The mock-modest 



Fig. 55.—JOHN WILLIAM DRAPER. (Chemist, 
Physiologist, Author, Historian.) 

Born in England, 1811. Conspicuous facial sign, 
Modesty, shown by depth of line running down the 
centre of the upper lip. The law of the straight line, 
square, and curve governs this physiognomy. A quiet, 
calm expression of conscious power pervades this face. 
All of the signs of a good constitution are present. 
The lower third of the countenance discloses the signs 
for Conscientiousness, Firmness, Economy, Self¬ 
esteem, Love of Young, of Home, of Patriotism, 
Benevolence, Amativeness, and Hospitality most de¬ 
cided. The nose is Constructive ; in it we observe the 
signs for Sublimity, Human Nature, Mental Imitation, 
Analysis, Ideality, Veneration, Executiveness, Self-will 
large. The faculties of Language, Color, Form, Size, 
Locality, Observation, Memory of Events, and Reason 
are pronounced. Credenciveness is small. A highly 
moral and able character. 







448 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


and prurient-minded person is angry at Nature for having made 
us of flesh and blood, and thinks that the only way to remedy 
her immodest mistake is to ignore the facts of our physiological 
construction altogether. To this class belong those who are 
shocked if one use the term 44 bowels” to describe the intestinal 
part of the body, and who think to misname it 44 stomach” is a 
more refined way of speaking. This same class of people make 
themselves ridiculous in the eyes of the sensible and truly modest 
by speaking of that class of Nature’s manifestations which are 
proper to mention, by a misuse of terms, and so call attention to 
the innate immodesty and pruriency of their own minds. 

Modesty has its mental adaptation as well as its physical and 
moral aspects. Those who are mentally modest will show it by 
their unobtrusive manner, by shrinking from public notice, and, if 
they have done a very meritorious deed, will prefer that it should 
not be referred to in tlieir presence. If given to art or literature, 
they will seek to hide, under a nom de plume, their identity. 

Many modest and retiring women have performed noble, 
charitable, and valorous deeds which have made them world-re¬ 
nowned ; yet with this publicity they have retained their womanli¬ 
ness and purity of life. Joan of Arc, impelled by the love of 
humanity and of patriotism, donned male attire and led the armies 
of France to victory; yet there has never been aught charged against 
her purity, although the superstitions of the age in which she lived 
led to her being tried for sorcery and burned at the stake. Her 
portraits show a face of great purity and modesty. Florence 
Nightingale, a modest and refined English woman, was a devoted 
nurse to the soldiers during the Crimean war. She became cele¬ 
brated for her charity and courage, yet retained her maidenly 
purity and refinement, and always shrunk from praise or notoriety. 

True heroism is always modest, for gentleness, kindness, and 
bravery must be blended in order to form heroism. Modesty in 
man is as becoming as in woman. Mothers need to cultivate and 
develop this trait in boys particularly, who should be taught to 
guard their speech and avoid all vulgar phrases and expressions. 
Boys need to learn that refinement of language and decency in 
action are not 44 sissy ” and that moral purity is one of the manliest 
of virtues. Every one must feel the necessity for special training 
for boys in this direction. 1 have been often horrified in passing 
through the streets by the profane and even obscene language 
which fell from the lips of very young boys, those, too, who were 
members of respectable families, thus showing that special training 
and direction on this point is most necessary. 

The modesty of many members of the animal kingdom will 


MODESTY. 


449 


contrast well with the vulgar, immodest, and low practices of some 
uncivilized races of men, and will compare favorably with the con¬ 
duct of the better classes among civilized people. Travellers and 
missionaries, who have dwelt among the Maoris, of New Zealand, 
and the Fijians, tell us that they have “no sense of sexual 
decency, modesty, chastity, virtue, purity, propriety, or shame; 
no marriage tie or rite; no family arrangements; no love, maternal, 
paternal, conjugal, parental, filial, or fraternal; no idea of pater¬ 
nity or of other relationships.”* In conjugal love and fidelity, the 
lowly dove is far above these wretched human beings, and is cer¬ 
tainly the peer in this respect of the most civilized. I have no 
space to note the countless anecdotes recorded of the maternal, 
paternal, and fraternal love shown by various races of animals, all 
tending to prove that in these sentiments, as well as in others, 
many animals are superior to large numbers of men. 

The Modesty of many classes of animals is quite markedly 
in contrast with the love of publicity of many persons, both in 
civilized and uncivilized races, and is noted by Dr. Lindsay. He 
remarks that 

Certain menagerie or other captive animals show a decided dislike 
for publicity, to being stared at or looked at, or to being made a show of. 
Thus, the male hog-deer of India is highly nervous in the presence of visitors. 
When forced out of its house in the London Zoological Gardens it betrays 
immediate and considerable excitement, “ dashing about the enclosure as if 
frantic, leaping high in the air” (Wood). And such behavior is not to be 
wondered at in the case of many animals that in a state of Nature go forth 
only in the night, or that are naturally solitary and unaccustomed to the 
disturbing sounds and sights of menagerie-life. Possibly, in some cases, 
their sense of personal modesty is shocked ; their love of domestic privacy 
is violated, or there is simply an aversion to strangers, depending upon a 
natural shyness or coyness. Barbarous and other animals resent the intru¬ 
sion of strangers, jealously guarding the privacy of their homes (Cassell), j* 

These extracts will serve to show that animals possess a sense 
of decency, modesty, and conjugal fidelity,—virtues popularly sup¬ 
posed to be the exclusive attributes of man. I might continue the 
collation of evidence indefinitely, but sufficient is noted to prove 
that Modesty is not an exclusively human trait. 

Blushing , which is popularly supposed to indicate the pres¬ 
ence of Modesty, is not an exclusively human act, but is exhibited 
by various animals, and is often the result of other causes than 
Modesty or sensitiveness. On this point Dr. Lindsay remarks 
thus:— 

Blushing is not peculiar to man, though it is much more readily seen 
in him by reason of the color of his skin and the bareness of his face. 

* Mind in the Lower Animals, J. L. Lindsay, M.D., vol. i, p. 165. 
f 1 bid., vol. ii, p. 298. 


29 


450 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Color-change in the skin of various animals may be regarded as an equiva¬ 
lent to blushing, while the feelings which give rise to the blush of man are 
expressed in other ways in other animals, though not less eloquently, e.g ., 
shame and Modesty.* 

Experience leads us to know that blushing is not always a sign 
of Modesty. It proceeds from a variety of causes, yet general 
sensitiveness of the nerves of the skin creates a delicacy of appre¬ 
hension, and thus leads one thus constituted to express many emo¬ 
tions by blushing. Guilt is often thought to be indicated by 
blushing, but it is quite as just to suppose it the proof of inno¬ 
cence, for any sensitive or honest person will blush as quickly from 
emotion produced by the suspicion or accusation of guilt as he 
would from the consciousness of guilt; indeed, I think that the 
blush in this case would be the best proof of innocence, for sensi¬ 
tive, refined persons are rarely so demoralized as to do mean, 
criminal acts, and coarsely constituted persons do not blush as 
readily as those with fine skins when under suspicion. 

All sudden color-changes are produced by variations in the 
circulation of the blood, and sudden pallor is as often observed in 
the countenance as reddening of the skin. It is the result of 
sudden emotion or of sudden morbid pathological changes in the 
body or mind. This phenomena is common alike to man and 
animal, and may be an indication of innocence under false accusa¬ 
tion or it may proceed from guilt confounded, or fear, or other 
emotions. That this peculiarity is common to animals has been 
noted by Dr. Lindsay. He observes:— 

Pallor, anaemia, or blanching of the face from fear may be seen, es¬ 
pecially in certain bare-faced monkeys (Sutton); while exciting emotions, 
such as passion, produce in them reddening, flushing, suffusion.” j* 

Downcast looks are thought to be indicative of Modesty and 
shyness, while many believe them to be signs of guilty conscious¬ 
ness. They are exhibited as the result of both purity and guilt. 
Dogs hang their heads and cast down their eyes when detected in 
wrong-doing, as well as when reprehended wrongfully. Shy, 
country-children, upon meeting strangers, hang the head, and also 
when reprimanded for naughtiness. Shy, coy" maidens look down 
and through their eye-lashes in a furtive manner; but shyness must 
not be confounded with slyness , for the two traits present often the 
same appearances or what are judged to be similar. Many sly 
people have a fashion of casting down the eyes and giving sidelong 
glances. This action is the method which a sly person^ takes to 
deceive, by pretending not to look, while he or she really watches 

* Mind in the Lower Animals, Lindsay, vol. i, p. 113. f Ibid., vol. ii, p. 261. 


MODESTY. 


451 


in a covert manner out of the corners of the eye. This act and 
its interpretation are in accord with physiognomic laws which de¬ 
clare that all crooked or oblique looks, lines, gestures, or forms are 
evidences of crooked, unreliable characters. 

I once knew a man who was attracted to a girl simply because 
she had a trick of casting down her eyes and peeping at him from 
the corners. He believed this “ artfully-artless ” trick to be the sign 
of excessive modesty, simplicity, and shyness. He married her, 
and lived to learn that this particular form of “shyness” should 
be spelled “slyness.” 

There have been instances of persons, both male and female, 
who have been so sensitive and shy as to cause them to shut them¬ 
selves away from intercourse with society. Such persons are to be 
pitied, for their shyness is a sign of a morbid or diseased condi¬ 
tion. Where this morbid feeling leads to avoidance of the oppo¬ 
site sex only, we may expect to find deficient development of sex¬ 
uality and a corresponding absence of its associated sentiment, 
Amativeness. This is nearly always the case when shyness is 
indicated in this particular manner. 

Bashfulness amounts in many cases to a disease, and one can 
but sympathize with young persons of either sex who are affected 
by excessive diffidence. 

Where coyness, shyness, bashfulness, and diffidence are 
exhibited after the age of youth they must be considered either 
as indicative of morbid states of mind or as affectations, and 
“affectation,” says some witty writer, “is the endeavor to make the 
impoverished seem wealthy.” In other words, affectation of 
extreme Modesty is the effort to cover its entire absence. 

Shyness is unbecoming in young ladies and gentlemen past 
twenty, for it is a youthful or defective state of mind,—one which 
experience and development of the intellect will remedy. If it 
does not, then it denotes deficient sense, or deficient strength of 
the nervous system, or of some other part of the organism; and 
when it does not proceed from either of these causes, it is an 
affectation, and therefore thoroughly detestable in the one imi¬ 
tating it. 

In this instance the law which physiognomy formulates with 
respect to infantile appearances is made apparent. The law in 
regard to juvenile or infantile traits or forms, when exhibited in 
adult life, is stated thus:— 

All forms, traits, or appearances which belong to infancy, im¬ 
maturity, or youth, when exhibited in the adult, argue similar 
traits and characteristics as are common to infancy or youth. Lisp¬ 
ing, stammering, halting speech, downcast looks, extreme shyness; 


452 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


small, undeveloped mouth ; undeveloped nose or chin ; rounding, 
infantile forehead, or any other form or habit natural to childhood, 
when observed in the adult, are evidences of immaturity of some 
sort. This law is explained elsewhere in detail, hence unneces¬ 
sary co recapitulate here. Suffice it to say that bashfulness, blush¬ 
ing (except where the skin is uncommonly thin and sensitive), 
continued beyond the age of youth, are evidences of undevelop¬ 
ment of some portion of the organism or of a lack of mental 
energy. When constant blushing is exhibited in adult life we 
must conclude that there is a great sensibility of the centres of 
emotion; in other words, of the ganglia connected with the inter¬ 
nal organs, and this centrifugal nervous force, sent from the great 
centres of emotion, expends itself upon the nervous surfaces of 
the nerves of touch, situated all over the external skin-covering, 
and are more particularly discernible in the face, neck, and near 
all the external orifices of the five senses. It is rational to con¬ 
clude that the face and neck, where are situated so- many important 
ganglia and nerves, as are essential to the manifestation of sight, 
sound, scent, taste, and hearing, would be most uncommonly sen¬ 
sitive, and express every shade and degree of change in mental 
and moral, as well as physical, conditions. For this reason the 
face is the most reliable portion of the anatomy by which to read 
character,—far more comprehensive than an examination of the 
outlines of the bony case of the brain, which changes only by 
years of age, and has not the assistance of the finer nerves of 
sense and of the delicate and most expressive facial muscles to as¬ 
sist in interpreting character. When we come to deal with the 
emotional conditions such as are expressed by blushing and by 
certain tones of the voice, as in acting and in the great crises of 
feeling and other emotional expressions, we can only comprehend 
them fully by reference to their origin, viz., by analysis of the 
source of the emotions, the ganglia of the great visceral structures, 
and their agents, the glands and muscles. It is not just that the 
physiognomist should dogmatically assert that his observations are 
true. This might satisfy him , but would not be satisfactory to the 
scientific inquirer; neither would such dogmatism be just to so 
grand and noble a science as the science of Man. A portion of 
the organism which can disclose every slight and instantaneous 
change within the hidden recesses of the body must appear to the 
thoughtful the most useful portion by which to discover thought 
and feeling, and transient as well as permanent states. Not only 
so, but it must possess great malleability, and be capable (by its 
nervous and muscular connections with the brain and the great 
chain of nerves leading to the visceral organs, as well as to the 


MODESTY. 


453 


spinal column) of being fashioned and shaped into the form toward 
which the most habitual states of mind tend. Constant sadness, 
as all know, makes tense the muscles, while joy relaxes them, par¬ 
ticularly those about the mouth and eyes; while the lachrymal 
and salivary glands, as well as the heart and organs of respiration 
all conspire together, while under the influence of emotions, to 
change the expression of the face; and, if certain states of feeling 
or ol reflection are long continued or oft-repeated, they leave per¬ 
manent expressions on the features , particularly of the muscular 
portions of the face. The bony structure always discloses the more 
solid and permanent traits, and the function of digestion decides 
by its action the form of the cheeks and the general fullness or 
leanness of the entire countenance. The greatest of anatomists, 
those who might be presumed to know more of the sources of the 
emotions than others less well informed as to the structure and 
operation of the bodily organs, hold opinions in regard to the face 
quite in harmony with many of my own. Sir Charles Bell, for 
example, observes:— 

The man was wrong who found fault with Nature for not placing a 
window before the heart in order to render visible human thoughts and in¬ 
tentions. There is, in truth, provision made in the countenance and outward 
bearing for such discoveries.* 

Sir Charles Bell has little to say, however, as to the origin of 
blushing. Later scientists have given the subject more attention. 
What he does say is pertinent, and I quote it in verification of the 
principle which I endeavor to elucidate, viz., that it arises from 
excitement of the emotional centres. He observes:— 

We think of blushing as accompanying shame, but it is indicative 
of excitement. There is no shame when lively feeling makes a timid youth 
break through the restraint which modesty and reserve have imposed. It 
is becoming in youth; it is seemly in more advanced years in women. 
Blushing assorts'well with youthful and effeminate features , while nothing 
is more hateful than a dog-face that exhibits no token ot sensibility in the 
variation of color.j* 

Individuals with very thick skins and insensitive nerves never 
change color, for the reason that they never feel as deeply as those who 
possess the opposite structure; hence, they are incapable of express¬ 
ing sympathy or excitement in this manner. I think it unjust to 
the canine tribe for Sir Charles Bell to term unresponsive human 
countenances “ dog-faces.” Dogs often exhibit Modesty when 
greatly praised, and hang their heads and drop the eyes, just as 
children do under excessive approbation and attention. Even 
negroes blush, for it has been observed where the scar of a wound 

* Anatomy of Expression, Sir Charles Bell, p. 82. t Ibid. 


454 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

has left a white cicatrix that this part reddened when under the 
influence of rage. We have no evidence that dogs and other 
animals do not blush under their skins , like the negro, under 
excitement. 

Poets in all ages have sung of the potent effects of blushing 
as evidence of modest, chaste, and youthful feeling. The phrases, 
“blushing bride,” “the blushing maiden,” “the youth flushed 
with innocence,” etc., show us that this particular form of sensi¬ 
bility has been looked upon as expressive of the more youthful 
and innocent feelings of humanity, and the face that cannot 
change somewhat in color, upon great provocation, expresses either 
an unfeeling or an unthinking character. 

FORCE. 

Definition. —Physical strength, physical courage, boldness, 
spontaneous resistance, opposition, resentment, strong or pas¬ 
sionate temper, decided will, coolness in danger, self-protection, 
spirited conduct and language. Force, combined with Conscien¬ 
tiousness and Intellect, creates Executiveness. 

An excess leads to undue use of the muscular system, as in 
athletics, etc., which tends to shorten life. Unbalanced by Caution 
it creates rashness and causes wanton destruction, wars, murder, 
quarreling, fighting, bickering, scolding, teasing, and tantalizing 
language. 

A deficiency creates timidity and cautiousness, and causes 
weakness of will and spirit. Those thus characterized will use 
very mild language, will be entirely too meek and humble, and 
unable to resent wrongs by forcible words or blows. 

Facial and Bodily iSigns. —The principal facial signs of 
Force are large, convex eyes; round or oval face, large mouth, 
heavy and wide lower jaw, wide nostrils, square jaws, strong and 
square bones; low, broad forehead; round head, heavy eyebrows, 
an abundance of coarse hair, and round, muscular ears setting 
well out from the head. The bodily signs are shown by broad 
shoulders, thick neck ; rounded, muscular limbs; muscular hands, 
broad chest; short, thick feet; arched instep. There are several 
sorts of Force, one class shown by strong and square bones, 
together with strong muscles; another variety is shown mainly by 
muscular development. 

Description of Force. —The normal use of the faculty of 
Force is exhibited in constructive energy , yet it is also the power 
used by man to destroy as well as to rebuild. Its origin and main 
base of supply is the muscular system. Within this system there 
are more than five hundred single muscles, and in the face thirty- 


FORCE. 


455 


six pairs and two single muscles. This great number of facial 
muscles assist all the expressions of Force, rage, and destruction, 
which are often seen in action in the human countenance, in 
motion, and in language of a forcible, energetic, or belligerent 
nature ; hence, this faculty is not limited to one single sign, but is 
manifested by means of the entire muscular system, and this in¬ 
cludes the involuntary muscles, such as the heart and stomach, as 
well as the voluntary muscles which are found in every part of 
the body. The only method by which we can understand the 
operation and effect of Force in the human body and face is by 
the investigation of the muscular system. We are thus enabled 
to understand how so great a variety of movements and expres¬ 
sions can be produced by the movements of the facial muscles 
alone, while movements of the muscles of the trunk, limbs, and 
hands reveal other peculiarities of this faculty. The rounding 
outline of the individual in whom Force is pre-eminent announces 
his ability for useful, constructive operations, as well as his capa¬ 
city for destruction. The faculties in combination will decide 
which direction this trait will take. 

Those possessed of round muscles are the most vigorous, 
efficient, and powerful in action, whether in work, play, love, or 
fighting, and this formation of the muscles rounds out not only 
the sides of the head above the ears, where the “organ” of Force 
is said by phrenologists to be located, but it also rounds out the 
head at the base of the brain, where another “organ” is said to 
be located, viz., Amativeness. Now, Amativeness and Force are 
both the best developed in muscular persons, and more particu¬ 
larly in those who possess round muscles, and this peculiar forma¬ 
tion of the muscular system rounds out every part of the human 
body ; not only the head and ears, but also the nose, the limbs, 
the fingers, the body, and neck, so that a glance at any one por¬ 
tion of the frame in which round muscles are dominant will reveal 
the construction of all parts, and also denotes the presence of 
Force, Amativeness, Constructiveness, and many other muscular 
traits . 

Force is one of the most essential faculties of the human and 
animal organisms. Its adaptation is primarily to the destruction 
of beasts for food, to fishing and hunting, to obtain the means of 
subsistence; also to the building of habitations. Without this 
forceful, destructive tendency humanity could not progress, as, 
for example, in the blasting of rocks, levelling roads, cutting 
canals, and in all the operations essential to the progressive devel¬ 
opment of the country, all of which involve destruction before the 
process of building can be commenced. 


456 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

Force has its mental use as well as physical aspects, and the 
energy which springs from a fine development of the muscular 



Fig. 56.—REV. WM. A. SUNDAY. (EVANGELIST.) 

Conspicuous facial and bodily sign, Force; shown by the large convex eye, 
large nose, square jaw, energetic expression. Note especially the set teeth and 
well-knit frame. The law of the straight line and curve governs the face. 
The signs of Firmness, Alimentiveness, Love of Young, Mirthfulness, Appro- 
bativeness, and Self-esteem are very pronounced in the Chemical Division. 
Resistance, Force, Hope, Human Nature, Imitation, Acquisitiveness, Vene¬ 
ration, Self-will, Credenciveness also show the high development of the 
Architectural Division. The Reasoning Faculties, or Mathematical Division, 
show high development in Time, Causality, Comparison, Intuition, all of which 
contribute to the remarkable success of this evangelist. 


system is just as essential to the preacher or moral reformer as it 
is to the laborer. Martin Luther, whose portraits exhibit this 
faculty in a high degree, had need of great physical force and 





FORCE. 


457 


courage to promulgate and enforce the doctrines of the Refor¬ 
mation. William Jennings Bryan is a man of powerful physique, 
which enables him to set forth in an emphatic manner his 
moral precepts. No development of the brain purely will 
afford the strength necessary to carry forward great mental 
labor, and all men, whether in the pulpit, in the reform field, on 
the platform, or stage, require a large development of muscle 
in order to impart heat, ardor, and enthusiasm to their hearers 
and followers, for, as I have shown, these traits are evolved 
from the muscular system, and are exhibited most decidedly by 
those in whom this system 
is dominant, or one of the 
dominant systems. Henry 
Ward Beecher was an ex¬ 
cellent illustration of this 
class of enthusiastic, mus¬ 
cular men. He was able 
not onlv to enlighten his 
hearers by his mental pow¬ 
ers, but also had the ability 
to arouse their enthusiasm 
to a very high pitch. 

Daniel Webster, the re¬ 
nowned orator, possessed 
this faculty largely, and his 
fine muscular build con¬ 
tributed to make his mental 
efforts more effective. 

Men with large brain 
of high quality are often 
able to write well, yet no 
man deficient in muscle is 
able to excite feeling and 
enthusiasm in his hearers, or 
to lead a great reform in the 
face of violent opposition. Billy Sunday and Homer Rodeheaver,the 
evangelists, are largely indebted to the development of the muscular 
system for their power to awaken the interest of the masses,—the 
one by his voice in oratory, the other by his voice in singing; both of 
these gifts are derived from the action of the muscles of the larynx 
and of the limbs and hands in gestures. Their capacity to excite 
faith in their followers proceeds from the magnetic influence of 
their muscular systems, and the method which they pursue in 
converting the masses proves that they depend more upon appeals 



PIG. 57.—WILLIAM J. BRYAN. (STATESMAN, 
Writer, lecturer.) 

Conspicuous facial and bodily sign, Force, 
shown by large convex eyes, wide mouth, square 
jaw, energetic expression, large and high nose, 
large nostrils, broad shoulders, deep and broad 
chest, strong bones, well-knit muscles. The law of 
square and angle governs the face. Firmness and 
Conscientiousness, Love of Home, Country, Friend¬ 
ship, Self-esteem, Approbativeness, Acquisitiveness, 
Economy, Hope, Memory of Events are strong 
traits and well developed to a high degree. This 
face portrays strong conviction of thought and 
ideals and shows why this statesman, having large 
Self-esteem and Firmness and Conscientiousness 
developed, cannot easily be convinced that any ideals 
or plans which he would advance to be wrong. 




458 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


to the imagination, credenciveness, and faith of their hearers than 
to appeals to their intellect and intelligence. Now, magnetism is 
a real, tangible force evolved from the muscular system, and is 
quite as marked and telling in its effects upon the minds of people 
as is a blow upon the body. 

The primary aspect of Force is, as has been seen, physical 
merely, and is of the greatest importance in this department. Its 
secondary aspect is mental, and here too it is of great benefit to 
mankind. A large brain (no matter how high its quality), with¬ 
out good muscles and lungs, is a positive detriment to its possessor, 
for one thus endowed has not the power to enforce his thoughts 
nor strength to sustain that continuous, mental labor which is re¬ 
quired by those who would gain a livelihood by the intellect alone. 
The sensitiveness and timidity of such persons, together with their 
pale and bloodless countenances, narrow shoulders, and small 
hands and limbs, are proof positive to the beholder that they will 
never lead the world in thought or action. 

When we consider the fibrous nature of certain parts of the 
brain-structure, as observed in the dura mater and other portions, 
we would naturally infer that a large development or fine quality 
of the muscular system would lend force, vigor, and spontaneity to 
the mental operations of those thus endowed. This is, in fact, 
what we do observe in all men of talent in whom the brain system 
is assisted by a good muscular system. The fibroid nature of the 
dura mater reveals the fact that they all rely upon muscular or 
fibroid substances in the brain for power and strength of their in¬ 
tellectual processes, but, when Nature has endowed a man with a 
good brain development and also with an excellent muscular sys¬ 
tem, it can be readily seen what an advantage this combination 
would impart to his mental labors. It is reasonable to suppose in 
this case that the fibroid nature of the dura mater would not only 
be of a stronger but denser quality than if the muscular system 
were deficient. Other portions of the brain are of a fibroid nature, 
and when these are of a superior quality the operations of thought 
should exhibit greater vigor than if these portions were constructed 
of a weaker quality of muscular tissue. 

The faces of all talented divines, poets, artists, architects, in¬ 
ventors, orators, warriors, and men of action generally, disclose 
many of the facial signs for the muscular system. These classes 
are characterized by a thick neck, fullness of the eyes, thickness of 
the muscle at the junction of the nose with the forehead (sign for 
Self-will,—this sign is one of the most pronounced signs of the 
muscular system), curving outward of the lower jaw-bone, and 
width of the nose just above the alae; the eyebrows somewhat 


FORCE. 


459 


arched, and the forehead in front inclined more to a perpendicular 
than to a receding outline. 

The faculty of Force, which we are now considering, is the 
base of mental courage, but not of moral courage. The latter 
resides in the integrity of the osseous system, while intellectual 
courage proceeds from a good development of the brain assisted 
by the muscular system. Physical courage is the direct product 
of a fine development of the muscular system. That this is so is 
evidenced by the muscular powers of the athlete and prize-fighter, 
the oarsman, sea-captain, sharpshooter, and ball-player. All these 
classes possess coolness in danger, and resolution, as well as prompt 
action in sudden crises, such as accidents on sea or land, in panics 
and riots. Many steamship engineers and sea-captains are of the 
muscular build, being relatively short, broad, and round. These 
men exhibit great coolness, resolution, promptness of action, and 
possess other qualities of a social and domestic nature which inhere 
in the muscular system. 

How useful the faculty of Force is to men of mental powers 
is well illustrated in the following from the pen of Dr. Cross. Pie 
remarks:— 

Thus we see that whatever slight advantages Nature may bestow in pity 
upon the weak and timid, }^et the courageous and the strong are the favorites 
to whom she has intrusted the intellectual concerns of the world. Courage 
is as necessary to the direct promotion of science as to its indirect promo¬ 
tion by the acquirement of plentiful supplies of food and the maintenance 
of personal safety; for a timid philosopher is as unfit for the pen as is a 
timid soldier for the sword.* 

The right development of the muscular system should be con¬ 
sidered a religious duty. Lack of Force endangers and shortens 
life, reduces the mental powers to a minimum, makes cowards and 
sneaks, creates timid, sickly children and inefficient fathers and 
mothers. 

I have been much interested in watching the conduct of little 
girls trained in a gymnasium. I find that, although of tender 
years, they possess great coolness when in unsafe positions, and that 
they are ready with trained brain and muscles to jump out of, or 
off from, any place which seems to them to be dangerous; and this 
they do promptly and without direction, gauging by the trained 
eye the distance to jump, and in this way their courage, will-power, 
coolness, self-possession, and strength are enhanced a thousand¬ 
fold. They form a decided contrast to those children who, un¬ 
trained, timid, and irresolute, when placed in danger either become 

* An Attempt to Establish Physiognomy on Scientific Principles, John Cross, M.D., p. 146. 


460 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


maimed or lose their life, owing to their defective muscular power 
and feeble will. 

All children should be thoroughly trained in gymnastics. 
More especially should girls be thus trained, for all may become 
wives and mothers, and certainly development of the muscular 
powers is one of the most essential conditions for motherhood. A 
resolute will is most important in the rearing of children; through 
lack of this faculty and of necessary force in the mother, many a 
bright boy has gone down to perdition, wrecked by the soft-headed, 
soft-hearted, emotional mother, without power enough to enforce 
the slightest law or command. Our penitentiaries are recruited 
more from the ranks of those who have been spoiled with over- 
indulgence than from those who have been reasonably disciplined 
by parents possessed of some strength of mind and force of char¬ 
acter. Had I a weakly, timid, vacillating child I would have it 
trained systematically in a good gymnasium. If there was none 
convenient I would have a horizontal bar erected out of doors, and 
compel daily, systematic practice upon it. Parents can procure 
works at any book-store on the subject, with description of exer¬ 
cises and plates of apparatus for the same. These exercises assist 
in developing spirit and courage as well as lung-power, and this 
tends directly to mental power. Were I called upon to advise 
how to strengthen a feeble brain I should advise systematic exer¬ 
cise in gymnastics and elocution. No course of study can give 
that vigor to the thoughts and brain which development to the 
muscular system imparts, but the greatest improvement is mani¬ 
fested when the lungs are strengthened and enlarged by long-con¬ 
tinued breathing exercise, by rowing and swimming, etc. The 
practice of elocution is another most excellent way to impart force 
and vigor to the timid and diffident. Where Force is present in a 
large degree, it is exhibited by a clear, positive, and ringing enun¬ 
ciation. It is one of the finest traits for an orator or public 
speaker to possess. Indeed, all artists, as well as scientists and me¬ 
chanics, depend upon a good degree of Force to carry forward their 
operations. The teacher must possess a fair degree of Force to be 
able to enforce law and to inspire his pupils with respect for his 
management. Children instinctively feel the want of or the pos¬ 
session of power in a teacher and conduct themselves accordingly. 
Force gives vim, energy, and spirit, and these assist the teacher’s 
efforts in imparting knowledge, and in keeping the children’s 
interest aroused. A dull, listless, inert manner in a teacher nulli¬ 
fies in a measure his educational efforts. 

An unbalanced degree of Force is quite as disastrous in its 
effects upon the human family as its normal action is beneficial. 


FORCE. 


461 


Unbridled, unrestrained passion, which is so often observed in very 
muscular people, leads to terrible crimes, to cruelty, revenge, suicide, 
and murder. Those who possess a quick and violent temper 
should guard against its excess, and compel the intellect to govern 
by deliberately planning, while in a cool mood, to suffer wrong 
rather than allow the temper to get the upper hand. The evil 
effects wrought upon the system by overindulgence of passion are 
terrible to contemplate, for violent passion often leads to disorders 
of the heart, apoplexy, and other distressing complaints. On the 
contrary, weakness of Will, or lack of Force, leads one to accept 
imposition without resisting it, and such persons often suffer great 
pecuniary loss rather than stand up and contend for their rights, 
and often act a part which seems mean, cowardly, or criminal 
rather than force themselves to do what should be done. Those 
deficient in Force often agree to what their sense of right and 
reason declare to be improper because they cannot oppose and 
give a decided negative, while those possessed of a great degree of 
this faculty speak out in a most decided and spontaneous manner, 
and often intrude their feelings and convictions in a way more 
vigorous than elegant. 

A large degree of Force gives to the voice clearness and 
resonance. The reason of this is obvious, for all of the parts 
of the organism involved in the production of tone are within the 
muscular system; hence, where this system predominates clear 
and forcible enunciation will be exhibited, as muscle not only 
assists language but is indicative of the presence of will-power. 
The English are a muscular race, and are noted for the mellow, 
clear, and decided tones of their voices. They speak in cAes^-tones. 
The American, less well endowed with muscle, speaks in a high 
nasal or head-tone. So surely does the build of the body give 
quality to the speech that a good observer may not only name the 
nationality from the tones of the voice, but should also be able to 
describe existing mental and pathological conditions from hearing 
one speak. Not only this, but, conversely, he should be able to 
describe the dominant systems of the speaker and the form or out¬ 
line of his body from the tones of his voice. 

Color is of great service in determining in what degree Force 
will be exhibited. Where this faculty is large and the color of 
the hair and eyes dark or black, the temper will be hot, quick, and 
often ungovernable, and be long in subsiding when once aroused; 
with a like degree of muscular development where the color of the 
hair is light, the eyes blue, and the skin white and red, the temper 
will be less violent and more easily controlled. The chemical law 
that intense color and great heat are always to be found associated 


462 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


applies to the human organism as well as to all other departments 
of Nature. Yet white heat indicates a higher temperature than 
red heat, and those who turn white under the influence of rage 
are most to be dreaded. Not only will they be more dangerous to 
others, but their excess of force will react upon themselves, and 
often result in serious consequences to their health. Red-haired 
persons, possessed of large Force, will, if aroused, exhibit very 
sudden and violent passion, yet it will subside as quickly. 

Combinations with other traits reveal how Force acts in differ¬ 
ent individuals. Those with large Conscientiousness and large 
Force will defend the right and oppose wrong conduct and measures 
with vehemence and power; with large Approbativeness, will 
stand up for reputation; with large Love of Young, will defend 
children with spirit and ardor, not only their own children but 
those needing a protector. I was once walking in the street with 
a lady possessing both these faculties in a large degree, when 
suddenly we heard the loud screams of a child issuing from a 
dwelling near by. The lady with me immediately went into the 
house without invitation and confronted a mother with an uplifted 
whip, chastising in an unreasonable manner her daughter, a girl 
of a dozen years of age. My friend commanded her to cease, and 
took the whip from her hands, and by talking quieted her rage, 
and by a judicious course of argument with her got her cooled 
down to reason, and discovered that this most terrible punishment 
was the penalty for a very slight offense. The mother exhibited 
dark complexion and possessed more Force than parental love, 
while the child’s defender was a lighter woman with a good deal 
of Force and courage, yet with larger parental love than the 
mother, although not a mother herself. In this case, Force com¬ 
bined with parental love (which is also a force) sufficed to quell a 
violent and dangerous temper. All faculties are forces. Each 
faculty sends out a positive force, and manifests its power through 
the perfection and vigor of the several organs of the body, or by 
means of the development of the bones, the nerves, the muscles, 
etc. The more perfect their development, the more powerful their 
action. 

Those with large Force and small Caution are rash, foolhardy, 
love quarreling, and are always in fights and disputes. Short-nosed 
persons, with a moderate or large muscular system, if possessed of 
dark hair and eyes, are quarrelsome, rash, and heedless; always in 
trouble of some sort and are constantly antagonizing all about 
them. And this same forceful rashness leads them into acts which 
often eventuate in ill health. 

Those who possess small Force should never attempt business 


RESISTANCE. 


463 


requiring nerve, push, and pluck, for they cannot stand opposition 
and rebuffs. They are too weak to succeed except in the most 
sheltered positions, and always need an overseer; and are incapable 
of taking a commanding position. And this suggests the necessity 
of building up in youth a good muscular system by methodical 
exercise of all the muscles of the body. Girls and women can 
gain strength by housework, if not too laborious, while boys can 
conserve health by chopping wood, scrubbing floors, weeding the 
garden, and by cleaning the stable and yard. All these works are 
good for girls and boys, yet no exercise will compare in efficiency 
with systematic gymnastic training under an intelligent teacher. 
Systematized exercise develops equally all of the muscles, while 
many pursuits develop one set of muscles and leave the rest 
unused. 

RESISTANCE. 

Definition. —Aggression, opposition, argument, courage, 
bravery, endurance; love of violent amusements, such as ath¬ 
letics, etc. 

An excess results in bullying, useless argument, scolding, 
idle contention, teasing, fighting, revenge, and brutality. Those 
possessing an excess are characterized by coarse skin and coarse 

hair. 

A deficiency renders one timid, weak, spiritless, and incapable 
of self-defense, and creates a fretful, whining, complaining dis¬ 
position. 

Facial and Bodily Signs .—A large, round nose; large nostrils; 
curving of the lower jaw-bone; rounding out of the sides of the 
forehead; compressed mouth and closed teeth while in action; 
short, wide teeth, and tushes. 

The bodily signs are shown by a short, thick neck; general 
development of the round muscles, more particularly in combination 
with square bones. This affords the best structure, both for 
aggression and defense. 

The signs for capacity for mental resistance are shown by 
large size of the nose and general outward curving of the lower 
jaw, and prominent chin, as observed in the faces of eminent 
orators and reformers. The physiognomies of Mirabeau, French 
orator, and of Frederick Le Maitre, French actor, are excellent 
illustrations of the sign for mental resistance. 

Description of Resistance. —This faculty, like all the others 
found in the human organism, is difficult to designate completely 
by any single word in our language. Sometimes it shows itself 
by a combative disposition; at others, by resisting assaults, by 


464 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

courage, intrepidity, resolution, and by thoroughness. It gives 
force to mental energies and physical prowess; it assists the 
preacher, moral reformer, and temperance lecturer to enforce their 
ideas in a vehement manner. It also is the power which, when 
perverted, gives the pugnacious and quarrelsome their force and 
combative disposition. It is indispensable to every character; it 
gives presence of mind and coolness of judgment in danger. There 

is scarcely a day in our lives 
in which we have not need to 
invoke its power in some form 
or other. Life is one long 
round of resistances. .We 
resist aggressive infringement 
of our natural and acquired 
rights; we resist the elements, 
and erect barriers to protect 
ourselves against the assaults 
of wild beasts; we resist the 
encroachments of disease by 
applying the remedies with 
which Nature’s great labora¬ 
tory has supplied us; in short, 
Resistance gives us the power 
to live under all circumstances. 
Without it we could neither 
gain a livelihood nor retain 
our health. Its excess leads 
to aggression, bullying, fight¬ 
ing, and war. Some observers 
give, as one sign of Combat¬ 
iveness, Resistance, or Cour¬ 
age, the ears standing well out 
from the head. Another sign 
of the aggressive phase of 
this faculty. is known by 
shaking of the head from side 
to side and forward and back¬ 
ward while engaged in an 
energetic conversation. A short, low nose, with a high and thick 
pug end, is one evidence of pugnacity. Nearly all the noted 
prize-fighters whose portraits I have observed have this description 
of nose, and a very short, thick neck, with great muscular powers 
generally; but moral courage and resistance spring from an excess 
of Conscientiousness, and are mightier forces than that sort of 



Fig. 58.—MARTIN LUTHER. (Priest, Author, 
Reformer.) 


Born in Saxony, 1483. Conspicuous facial 
sign, Resistance, shown by the large and fine 
development of all the facial features, together 
with a short neck, broad chest; large, round mus¬ 
cles, and square bones. The law of the straight 
line, square, and cube governs this powerful and 
noble face and body. The immense amount of 
Resistance which Luther needed to oppose the 
powerful Roman hierarchy at the inception of the 
Protestant Reformation ' could not have been 
derived from intellectual or moral power alone. 
It required all the elements of a first-class physique, 
along with his strong moral sense and great men¬ 
tality. The signs for all the domestic traits are 
most noticeable, Amativeness, Love of Young and 
of Country, and are not inferior to Conscientious¬ 
ness, Firmness, Self-esteem, Modesty, Sanativeness, 
Hospitality, Alimentiveness, Bibativeness, Appro- 
bativeness, and Friendship. The signs for Pneuma- 
tiveness, Color, Force, and Resistance show that 
he possessed Courage of all sorts, mental, moral, 
and physical: while the mental traits of Cautious¬ 
ness, Analysis, Human Nature, Sublimity, Con¬ 
structiveness, Veneration, Executiveness, Self- 
will, Language, Order, Memory of Events, Reason, 
and Intuition are all large. Both the head ana 
body are solid and cubical in form. 




RESISTANCE. 


465 


combativeness or resistance which proceeds from muscular develop¬ 
ment merely. Executiveness, shown by height of the nose, lends 
to the character the ability to combat argument and opinions. 
Every faculty has its own peculiar force and mode of expressing 
power. These different methods of showing force must be 
analyzed by the reader, else confusion will ensue, and motives will 
not be comprehended fully. The only method by which we can 
analyze a trait is to observe 
the action of the mechanism 
through which it makes 
itself manifest. Now, as the 
muscular svstem is the main 
instrument by means of 
which Resistance is shown, 
it follows that we must look 
to this system and its de¬ 
velopment for knowledge 
on this point. Roundness 
or curving, as elsewhere ex¬ 
plained, always indicates the 
predominance of the mus¬ 
cular system; . hence it is 
that when we find the nose 
thick its entire length, as is 
often observed in belligerent 
characters, we know that 
the muscular system of the 
entire body is well devel¬ 
oped, — so significant are 
minute facial indications. 

Not only does fullness 
of the nose prove the pres¬ 
ence of muscle, but it dis¬ 
closes the fact that the large 
viscera, the heart, lungs, and stomach (all muscular or fibroid 
organs), are large and vigorous. The heart and stomach are 
hollow muscles, the heart being capable of more work than any 
other muscle of the body. The rounding out of the head above 
the ears is another sign of muscular power, and this rounding 
form of the head is one reason why the ears of courageous men 
and animals stand so far out. And, again, large projecting ears 
are signs of muscular power, as they are composed mainly of 
muscle and cartilage. 

The short, round, thick neck, another sign of Resistance, is 



Fig. 59.—GROVER CLEVELAND. (Statesman, 
Governor, and President.) 

Conspicuous facial and bodily sign, Resistance, 
shown by a large nose, wide nostrils, width of jaws, 
thick neck, large muscular development; broad, 
square shoulders ; broad and deep chest. The law of 
the straight line and square governs this physiognomy. 
This gentleman’s face reveals great determination, 
and Courage of all sorts, mental, moral, and physical. 
The vegetative system gives great strength of consti¬ 
tution ; while the mental qualities are of a high order. 
The signs for Human Nature, Analysis, Constructive¬ 
ness, Acquisitiveness, Veneration, Executiveness, 
and Self-will are very marked. The sense of Order, 
Time, Memory of Events, and Reason are large; while 
the faculties of Conscientiousness, Firmness, Econo¬ 
my, Love of Home, Patriotism, Amativeness, Love of 
Young, Self-esteem, and Friendship are most decided. 
A character that would be able to meet and withstand 
great crises. 


20 



/ 


466 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

evidence of muscular formation, for muscle tends to shorten limbs 
and features, and this member is greatly relied upon both by man 
and animals in combating and resisting. The action of the 
muscles of the neck and chest proves this. 

The ram, the stag, and bull, all courageous and ferocious 
creatures, make use of the head for butting, and in this exercise 
the neck is contracted when about to spring upon their opponent. 
Butting is not confined to animals. The Southern negro uses this 
method in his endeavors to resist his antagonist, and men calling 
themselves civilized sometimes use this method of fighting. 

Compressing the mouth and closing the teeth while engaged 
in active operations, whether peaceable or otherwise, facilitates the 
tension of the muscles concerned, as well as the action of the heart 
and lungs, for, says Dr. Cross:— 

It may be proper to remark that all the dangerous passions produce 
and are expressed by violent expiration , while the emotions of fear are ex¬ 
pressed by long inspiration. 

In preparation for the immediate performance of any weighty enter¬ 
prise we draw in a full breath, and by shutting the glottis hold it in. The 
glottis then serves a most important part in the performance of any mighty 
enterprise by enabling us for a time to dispense with the motion of respira¬ 
tion—by converting the whole chest from a hollow to a solid structure—by 
giving a mechanical advantage to some of the principal muscles of the arm, 
and by directly increasing the vitality. All this assistance the larynx 
affords toward any fair and noble undertaking, but where the angry and 
offensive passions have a place in the undertaking, then the delicate musical 
larynx, being unable to sympathize, throws wide the glottis, and allows the 
ebullition of passion to get vent, and the energy, dangerous from such a 
prompter, to get exhaustion in violent expirations. It is not because the 
angry man is so rapid and violent in his exertions that he is so frequently 
overcome by his cooler antagonist, but because the energy is soon exhausted 
by the violent expirations of rage.* 

Those whose Resistance takes the form of Combativeness or 
Contrariness shake the head from side to side, or forward or back¬ 
ward, when in earnest conversation. They also step heavily and 
with force, close doors with a bang, set down articles with empha¬ 
sis, drop or throw down their boots and shoes in a noisy manner. 
If a door or anything else resists their immediate efforts to move it 
they apply force directly, never stopping to observe the situation, 
and note if ingenuity may not accomplish the desired purpose 
without resort to force. 

In argument they take the opposite side spontaneously, and 
will argue against the plans intended for their own welfare, seem¬ 
ingly because they cannot help it. One person told me that she 
always felt like opposing anything which I proposed for her good, 

, *An Attempt to Establish Physiognomy on Scientific Principles, John Cross, M.D., pm 
lo^i loo. 


RESISTANCE. 


467 


yet, after considering it, and being perfectly convinced that it was 
for her highest good, she would often adopt ideas and plans which 
she had instantaneously combated. She said, when questioned 
as to her reason for doing so, that “she just felt contrary without 
any reason for it.” 

The impulse to “pull back” seems to be ever present in these 
characters, and this is yet another proof of the muscular origin of 
Resistance, for no other part of the organism has the contrariety 
of motion that characterizes the muscles which move backward 
and forward upon the bones to which they are attached, and which 
also permit as much freedom of action in one direction as in 
another. All persons endowed with a good muscular system are 
not always contrary, for other faculties come in to modify this 
trait, but muscular people having the best apparatus lor the ex¬ 
pression of contrariness display it more generally than those with 
the bony system predominant. A good illustration of this differ¬ 
ence in the two classes of persons is found by comparison of those 
animals in which the same differences of structure are observable. 
The carnivorous class, those in whom the muscles predominate 
over the bones, present the same contrary, changeable, fickle dis¬ 
position which is characteristic of muscular people. The lion, the 
tiger, the lynx, the cat, and all other animals of this formation, are 
given to contrariety and shift and change about with great rapidity, 
and they are less capable of being trained than the bony animals. 
This causes Contrariness , yet does not produce Obstinacy. This is 
the property of those possessed of excess of bone, as seen in the 
bull-dog and ass. Yet the horse, the dog, the camel, and elephant, 
possessing relatively more bone than muscle, are less contrary, 
more reliable in regard to stability of purpose, more tractable, 
docile, and teachable. 

There are, of course, great differences existing in the several 
breeds of the same animals. Particularly is this the case in the 
dog tribes, the greyhound, poodle, and terrier presenting quite 
different appearances of structure than the St. Bernard, the bull¬ 
dog, and mastiff. The latter, although exhibiting a formidable 
and dangerous appearance, is tractable, gentle, and, unless his mas¬ 
ter or his master’s property is attacked, remains good-natured. 
Like men endowed with great strength, he is not quarrelsome or 
given to use his powers unnecessarily, either by barking or attack¬ 
ing strangers, while smaller dogs of less strength and courage will 
bark and yelp, and by their noisy demonstration endeavor, like 
human braggarts , to gain a character for courage by simple noise, 
when they have neither the spirit nor strength to overcome an 
antagonist. There is a deal of human nature in dogs, and we 


468 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


can all pick out the different types of our human friends among 
them. 

Mental resistance is not so marked in its manifestations as is 
physical resistance. It seems more adapted to overcome obstacles 
and assist the individual in hewing his way to success, whether it 
be in the political arena, in the conflict of opinion in debate, in the 
determination and force necessary to the orator and actor in delin¬ 
eating forcible characters, or in promoting those great reforms which 
at their inception always meet with immense opposition, and which 
must be opposed with tremendous moral force and intellectual 
courage in order to insure their success. 

One of the most noticeable features in the faces of the great 
dramatic orators and actors is the curved lower jaw , or, as I choose 
to designate it, the “dramatic jaw.” The curving of the jaw is 
produced by the curving of the muscle, which causes the relatively 
smaller bone to curve with it, and curving of the muscles indicates 
not only constitutional vigor but also creative powers. Curving 
of any portion of the features of the face denotes superior consti¬ 
tutional vigor, hence the power to resist disease as well as circum¬ 
stances, enemies, climate, etc., is indicated by this formation. 
Dr. Redfield, in his system of physiognomy, very justly terms the 
high, curved nose the “aggressive ” nose, but he fails to give its 
philosophy, or to show that such a nose is associated with a power¬ 
ful visceral structure like that of the carnivorous animals, which are 
particularly aggressive. Their noses are broad, nostrils wide, and 
their muscular systems predominant. In discerning and analyzing 
the signs of character we are very much indebted to the animal 
kingdom for our knowledge, for by comparison with their forms, 
colors, and qualities we are able to verify much in the human 
family which would be otherwise obscure. Cuvier observed that 
“the bodies of animals are experiments ready prepared by Nature 
for man,” while Dr. Cross remarks on this subject that “the lower 
animals, taken as a whole, constitute a rough field of physiog¬ 
nomical inquiry calculated to promote the science in its more 
refined and dignified application to the human race.”* 

Large, prominent teeth indicate the spirit of opposition. The 
same appearance in animals denotes like characteristics, while horns, 
tusks, and tushes are tokens of its excess, and announce ferocity, 
cruelty, and brutality, as is witnessed in the behavior of the 
rhinoceros, the rhinaster, the wild boar, the buck, and the stag. 

One phase of mental resistance is shown in debate by caus¬ 
tic, acrimonious, and sarcastic language, and by the expression of 
impassioned, vehement, and denunciatory sentiments. 

* An Attempt to Establish Physiognomy on Scientific Principles, John Cross, M.D., p. 11. 


SECRETIVENESS. 


469 


When one is wanting in Resistance he is tame, mild, and 
conciliatory in speech; he relies upon this tone to win and con¬ 
vince. The most morally-inclined persons with small Resistance 
will not defend their beliefs with any degree of power, preferring 
to be thought cowardly rather than take a bold stand for principle. 
Such individuals are often charged with deceit, treachery, and 
want of truth because unable to stand up and speak out decidedly 
at the right time. This class are wholly incapable of defending 
friends and children, preferring rather to shield them and keep them 
out of danger than to battle for their rights in any way. 

Cursing, swearing, and threatening are vulgar forms of its 
excess. Uncivilized races generally exhibit many of the signs of 
physical resistance. In these races savagery and brutality are 
indicated (as in the most brutal beasts) by a thick, coarse skin; 
coarse, thick hair, and dull eyes. The bear and wild boar are 
illustrations of this grade. The eyes of a celebrated lion-tamer, 
attached to a menagerie which I attended, were dull and brutal in 
expression. When I questioned him as to the capacity of savage 
beasts to yield to the power of love or kindness, he replied : “ They 
only understand a good beating and respect nothing but superior 
force.” I think this is also true of brutal people. 

Tusks and tushes in animals are signs of savage resistance 
and belligerency, and are never observed in the mouths of the 
most noble and peaceable animals. Whenever a tusk is exhibited 
in a human mouth it is indicative cf lack of feeling or some form 
of cruelty or malignancy in the disposition. Fortunately, such 
appearances are rare in the human family. 

SECRETIVENESS. 

Definition. —Reserve, reticence, policy, concealment, evasion, 
and watchfulness. It creates a scheming and managing disposition, 
often on a very small scale. 

An excess tends to slyness, selfishness, cunning, deceit, suspi¬ 
cion, falsehood, treachery, craft, and artfulness. 

’A deficiency creates artlessness, want of tact, imprudence and 
indiscretion in speech, and too much frankness in the discussion of 
one’s affairs. 

Facial and Bodily Signs .—Compressed and thin lips; small 
mouth; half-closed, peeping eyes; very small eyes; shy and sly 
glances out of the corners of the eyes; furtive, stealthy looks, and 
long lashes, all indicate different degrees of Secretiveness. Broad, 
flat nostrils are a sign of secrecy common to negroes and many un¬ 
developed races and certain carnivorous animals. A very subdued 
tone of voice and a mumbling, indistinct utterance characterize 


470 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 



secretive individuals. They never enunciate loudly and clearly 
except when they are acting a part, and this unaccustomed loud¬ 
ness should be a warning to others. Arched feet and long, 
curved claws also betoken Secretiveness, as seen in the feline tribes 
and among the larger beasts and birds of prey. 

. Description of Secretiyeness. —Secretiveness in the animal 
kingdom is most developed in the lower classes of the carnivora, 
viz., in those beasts and birds to which Nature has denied either 
great strength of intellect or great bodily vigor. The deduction, 

then, to be made in this 
case is that Secretiveness 
is a trait of inferiority, de¬ 
signed as a compensation 
for some deficiency of mind 
or body; hence, Secretive¬ 
ness is given to hide the 
defect and enable the timid 
and weak animal to both 
avoid and prey upon his 
enemies. Without craft 
and slyness such characters 
as the snake, the fox, the 
rat, the coon, the opossum, 
the hare, and similar beasts 
would be entirely unable 
to gain a livelihood. Na¬ 
ture therefore gives them a 
stealthy, cunning, and sus¬ 
picious disposition, which 
in their case is a great 
protection and assists them 
in acquiring food. 

The logic derived from the observation of this trait in the 


Fig. 60.—MRS. M. 

Principal facial sign, Secretiveness, shown by the 
thin, compressed lips and furtive expression of the eye. 
The entire expression of this face gives one a good idea 
of a secretive character ; the lips alone announce that 
this is a dominant trait. The wide-spread nostrils are 
secondary signs of Secretiveness. Firmness and Con¬ 
scientiousness are not largely developed. Approbative- 
ness, Friendship, Self-esteem, Alimentiveness, Color, 
and Force are well-defined. Of the mental traits, Cau¬ 
tion, Acquisitiveness, Locality, Veneration, Size, Form, 
Calculation, and Memory of Events are noticeable. 


animal holds good in its application to the human being. In all 
characters celebrated for their intellectual and moral power we*find 
Secretiveness at its minimum, and replaced by intelligence, reason, 
strength, and conscience, together with practical and mechanical 
abilities, which serve to maintain the individual and to enable him 
to deal with his fellows in a conscientious, unselfish, intelligent 
manner. Secretiveness in a normal degree is an important factor 
in human character. Without a due degree of secrecy we could 
not be just to our friends nor plan and manage our own affairs with 
interest to ourselves. A well-balanced mind, possessed of conscien¬ 
tiousness and good reasoning faculties, will find little use for great 


SECRETIVENESS. 


471 


Secretiveness for the reason that such minds possess a mental opu¬ 
lence which furnishes them with resources for every emergency, 
without recourse to concealment, trickery, lying, or deceit. Char¬ 
acters like George AA ashington or Abraham Lincoln, for example, 
could maintain themselves in every position and emergency without 
constant use of this trait. Lincoln possessed a native tact and 
shrewdness which aided him in many great crises. He also was 
large in conscience,—another valuable assistant. 

The physiological peculiarities of secretive men, as well as of 
secretive animals, are simi¬ 
lar. The flexor muscles 
are tense and the glandular 
system somewhat defective, 
and these defects of struc¬ 
ture cause such functional 
action as to greatly affect 
and modify the characters 
of those thus affected. In 
secretive persons all the 
sphincter muscles are 
closely drawn. The orbic¬ 
ularis oris, the muscle 
which assists the mouth in 
opening and closing, is 
tense. The commissure of 
the eyes is small, giving 
that half-closed, peeping, 
furtive appearance to the 
eyes seen in many sus¬ 
picious, secretive, and crim¬ 
inal faces. The thinness 
of the lips is caused by 
defective glandular devel¬ 
opment. Smallness of the 
eyes is owing to a relatively 

undeveloped state of the muscular system, while the broad, flat 
nostrils observed in undeveloped races and animals announce 
relatively large breathing apparatus, for secretive, stealthy acts 
require ability for controlling the breath while in active opera¬ 
tions, and powerful inspiration is essential in the act of springing 
upon and seizing prey. The same mechanism assists in holding in 
and prolonging the emotions in all sly, secret, and dangerous enter¬ 
prises. Long lashes are indices of timidity,—a mild species of 
Secretiveness,—yet they afford a safe retreat for a melting pair 





Fig. 61.—FRANCOIS MAXIMILIEN JOSEPH ISI¬ 
DORE ROBESPIERRE. (Lawyer, Orator, 
Revolutionist, Tyrant.) 

Born in France, 1759. The law of imperfect curva- 
tion governs this countenance. The principal facial 
sign is Secretiveness, shown by small mouth, thin lips, 
and imperfectly curved nostrils. The lower jaw and 
the nostrils show imperfect curvation or departures 
from the normal standards of form. The signs for Firm¬ 
ness, Conscientiousness, Benevolence, Amativeness, 
Love of Young, Mirthlulness, and Friendship are all 
below the average. Cautiousness is large; so, also, are 
Human Nature, Veneration, Executiveness, Language, 
Self-will, Observation, Form, Size, Locality, Memory of 
Events, and Reason. The entire expression of the lower 
part of the face is petty and contemptible, while the 
upper part shows a strong, selfish, dogmatic will, with 
considerable mental ability. 


472 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


of lovely eyes when embarrassed by the fulsome flattery of a too 
ardent lover. 

I have observed the faculty of Secretiveness large in many 
really good persons, yet destitute of some useful faculty in so large 
a degree that this trait enabled them to bide its deficiency from 
. most people; but scientific physiognomy will not only unveil the 
innocent possessors of Secretiveness, but will reveal the guilt of the 
criminal, and both locate his defect and show for what it is the 
compensation. One of the most estimable women whom I have 
ever known possessed this trait in an inordinate degree, yet to a 
friend in whom she had confidence she would unfold all her 
thoughts, but let another person come into the room she would 
instantly become silent. Her need of this trait arose from the fact 
that she was deficient in many practical faculties and was excess¬ 
ively slow in all her movements and mental efforts. She had 
a very large brain, with small lungs, yet thought and moved 
too slowly for practical purposes. The reader can readily see 
that had she been a garrulous, frank, outspoken woman every 
one with whom she came in contact could have taken advantage 
of her plans, and in this case she would have been entirely at the 
mercy of designing persons, with whom she could not cope by 
reason of her inability to think and act as quickly as the average 
person and also through her lack of practicality. 

Another subject has large Secretiveness. His defect con¬ 
sists in an utter lack of ability to reason upon or comprehend ab¬ 
stract ideas. Yet show him anything of a mechanical nature, such 
as machinery in motion, or explain to him mechanical principles 
which he can see in operation, and he is very intelligent in such 
matters. He is always cautioning his wife not to “ talk so much,” 
saying that she will “ never succeed,” etc. He knows it will not 
do for him to talk freely, else he would soon betray his ignorance, 
and so believes that all should be reticent. He passes in his circle 
for a very wise man, and his acquaintances speak of him as a 
“ knowing chap,” “ a deep fellow,” and “ one who can keep his 
mouth closed,” etc., etc. 

Those who have a large share of Secretiveness always feel that 
they cannot be found out, that their ideas are securely hidden be¬ 
cause they do not talk much, hence they think that their plans are 
perfectly secure from the knowledge of all. 

A closely-drawn or pursed-up mouth is an evidence of Secre¬ 
tiveness, if the mouth be small and the lips thin. As the large 
mouth and large eye are indicative of volume of language, so 
the converse of this denotes a lack of linguistic power. All orators 
exhibit very wide mouths and full lips. 


SECRETIVENESS. 


473 


Suspicion is the natural outcome of Secretiveness, for a man 
who is concealing his ideas and plans suspects that others are acting 
from the same motives; hence, he believes all expressions of kind¬ 
ness cover some ulterior design, and thinks that offers of sincerity 
are all pretense, and that those who make such offers are actuated 
by selfishness. 

A man, in order to be successful in secret plots and intrigues, 
must possess a large intellect and a great knowledge of human 
nature, else his plans will show upon the surface and all his 
strategy be detected. Such a man was Richelieu, a French states¬ 
man and a cardinal of Rome. His face would never have deceived 
a scientific physiognomist for the reason that his Secretiveness and 
its compensations were all written in Nature’s hieroglyphics upon 
his face and body. His voice, too, was low and indistinct, and 
altogether he would have stood a self-confessed intriguer in the 
presence of a good physiognomist. No need in such cases to ask 
permission to feel the skull, measure the head, etc.; a few glances, 
and—behold ! the mask is off! One law of physiognomy (most 
potent in deciding character) shows that those faculties which are 
dominant or most used are the most apparent in the human coun¬ 
tenance, and this explains why astute, crafty, politic, and selfish 
persons will, under the light of this science, stand revealed, while 
they believe themselves to be the most secure. 

A moderate degree of this trait assists one in being prudent, 
and causes him to restrain his desire to speak of his* own or other 
people’s affairs when it would be detrimental to their interests to 
do so. “ A fool,” says Solomon, “ uttereth all his mind, but a wise 
man keepeth it till afterward.” One peculiarity of cunning people 
is that they always like to know the business and affairs of others, 
while they never return a like confidence. Beware of such persons, 
for they will ever prove detrimental. 

Actors, as a class, have very large Secretiveness. It is to them 
a most essential trait. It enables them to completely hide their 
own personality—their voice, their walk, and their natural ges¬ 
tures—and assume the entire personality of the character which 
they wish to personate. To novelists like Katharine Anna Green, 
who writes excellent detective stories, it is most essential. It en¬ 
ables them to keep back the part of the plot upon which the story 
hinges and hold the reader in suspense, and retain the interest 
and mystery until the denouement. Wilkie Collins’ physiognomy 
indicates this trait, as do the faces of many other authors. 

Secretiveness is very large in the English, and shows in their 
exclusiveness and suspicion of strangers and travelers. It is much 
less in the Americans, who are very free, frank, and communicative 


474 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


to strangers. The French are also frank and polite, and enjoy the 
pleasure which foreigners take in their free conversation. 

Secretiveness is large in most priests and physicians. In these 
it is a cultivated trait, and is most essential to them, for the honor 
and interests of thousands of families- are in their keeping, which 
to betray would be evidence of great villainy. An open-mouthed 
physician is to be avoided. 

Persons who love to arrange surprises and carry them through 
successfully possess this faculty. Humor is Secretiveness and Wit 
combined. It is almost universal among Americans, who also 
enjoy practical jokes,—another form of this faculty. Americans 
love keen wit, pointed repartee, humorous stories and anecdotes. 
America has furnished more professional humorists than any other 
country, and the jokes and sayings of Josh Billings, Mark Twain, 
Artemus Ward, and Bret Harte are repeated the world over. The 
English, too, are noted for a fondness for humor, but of a different 
sort than that which pleases American audiences. A gentleman 
who has lectured both in England and America told me that he 
was obliged to change his jokes and stories for English audiences. 
“They seemed,” he said, “not to comprehend the sharp, keen, 
pointed jokes which delighted the Americans.” He was obliged 
to produce heavier, more solid and ponderous ones for the English. 
All of which accords with the nature of these two peoples. The 
English are more solidly built, with more muscle and bone and less 
sensitive nerves than the Americans; while the latter are keen, 
sharp, and quickly apprehensive; hence, an incisive, keen-cutting 
joke or story would be in consonance with their formation and 
mental construction. 

The French have developed many crafty, astute, secretive 
statesmen and officers. The spirit and genius of their former 
monarchical government were probably the great formative agencies 
in their development, although it is not strongly characteristic of 
the French as a race. Talleyrand, whom Hayden terms “that 
patriarch of artifice and dissimulation,” was a statesman of this 
sort, and overmatched all his opponents in state-craft. He was 
possessed of a wonderful degree of the faculty of Human Nature, 
and an impostor would have to be finished indeed who could 
impose upon him, for the smallest flaw in his manners, looks,-or 
conversation would reveal the imposition to this crafty and observ¬ 
ant statesman. It is related that a gentleman once presented him¬ 
self to Talleyrand, claiming to be the accredited representative of 
a foreign court. As his papers of credit appeared to be all right, 
Talleyrand gave him the usual courteous reception and invited 
him to a banquet, seating him at his right hand. During the 


SECRETIYENESS. 


475 


banquet he observed that his guest helped himself to olives with 
his fork instead of with his fingers, as was the custom in his 
circle. Upon seeing this he suspected that the man was an impos¬ 
tor, and dispatched a courier to the place from whence the gentle¬ 
man had professed to come, and found his suspicions verified. The 
etiquette of the table in polite society at that time required that 
olives should be taken with the fingers. Talleyrand at once saw 
that this man was unaccustomed to the usages of a society so 
rigorous in its etiquette, hence he knew that this slight infraction 
marked him decisively as belonging to another grade. One moral 
of this is that so long as governments are built upon tyrannical 
foundations, as was the government of France, their statesmen will 
have to occupy themselves with observation of very small "affairs in 
order to keep it going. 

Napoleon Bonaparte was most remarkable for his Secretive¬ 
ness. In him it was the compensation for a lack of moral principle 
and humanity. He was intensely selfish on a large scale. Sir 
Walter Scott says of him that “when Napoleon thought himself 
closely observed he had the power of discharging from his counte¬ 
nance all expression save that of an indefinite smile, and presenting 
to the curious investigator the fixed eyes and rigid features of a 
marble bust.” Napoleon was a good actor. Of him Pope Pius 
VII said he was in turn “ comediante” and “ tragediante ” (come¬ 
dian and tragedian). He was certainly untruthful, unscrupulous, 
and selfish, and, according to Madame de Bemusat, who lived in his 
family, and who has written memoirs of Napoleon, “he thought 
any one a fool for speaking the truth when they could make a lie 
serve.” Such a character has need of the check which Secretive¬ 
ness puts upon the tongue, for openness of speech would have 
prevented his making his way in the world, and probably prevented 
his obtaining even a livelihood, for those who frankly avow such 
immoral sentiments as did Napoleon are shunned and feared. 

Generals need a good degree of Secretiveness in order to 
enable them to hide their designs and surprise the enemy. Yet 
too large an amount works against and defeats its own purpose. 
Those generals who have flourished in history as successful in war¬ 
fare were all endowed with a good share, and General Grant, like 
Napoleon, evinced far more than the average, and this surplus was 
undoubtedly the compensation which Nature made to hide some 
grave deficiency. “ Watchful Waiting,” the phrase put out by 
Woodrow Wilson, has been discussed in every section of this 
country, and is the action of this faculty, but does not meet with 
the average American ideas of frankness who prefer the wide 
publicity in methods of expression and action. 


476 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


There is an old saying which states that “it takes a rogue to 
catch a rogue.” This is good physiognomical philosophy, lor 
one law of this science declares that “one is best enabled to 
judge of those principles in others which are strongest in him¬ 
self,” hence it is that in such characters as Fouche, the Chief 
of Police under Napoleon, and Allan Pinkerton, a celebrated de¬ 
tective of Chicago, we observe the faculties of Secretiveness and 
Human Nature very large. It was these traits in combination with 
large Feason that enabled them to enter into the feelings and 
minds of the criminal classes, and so to understand and detect 
their criminal stratagems. The faculties of Human Nature and 
Secretiveness are both well defined in the physiognomies of habitual 
and successful criminals, while in the characters of hypocritical 
confidence-men we find a large share of Agreeability, which, added 
to the other two traits, enables them to get on the good side of 
their intended victims, by a plausible, persuasive, winning manner, 
and thus make them an easy prey. Secretiveness aids them in 
keeping their own plans secret, while agreeability assists them in 
singing that song of the crafty yet polite member of the useful 
Araclmida family:— 

“ ‘Will you walk into my parlor?’ said the spider to the fly ; 

‘ ’Tis the prettiest little parlor that ever you did spy.’ ” 

And while this pleasing ditty is being sung by the confidence- 
operator, a good physiognomist might be making out a physiog¬ 
nomical chart to present to him as a reward of merit for the fine 
exhibition of tact, industry, ingenuity, and agreeability displayed 
in the praiseworthy object (!) of getting an easy living by the 
mere exercise of his natural powers. 

There is no better method of detecting these smooth and 
fluent conversationalists than by the rules of physiognomy. Ask 
them to let you feel their phrenological developments, and they 
would fly from you; but engage them in a short conversation, 
and while thus employed the entire character of a very secretive 
individual is laid bare, for, as before remarked, an excess of any 
trait makes a very decided impress upon the face and form, as well 
as upon the voice, the walk, the gestures, and general appearance. 

Prudent, politic persons use the minimum of Secretiveness, 
and by wise evasions avoid the prying busybody, yet avoid telling 
falsehoods at the same time. In this instance, intellect, ingenuity, 
and truth work together to protect their interests, for all have 
concealments which are essential to their welfare and success, yet 
not necessarily dishonorable. The merchant must be able to con¬ 
ceal his methods from others, else they might take advantage of 


SECRETIYENESS. 


477 


them and so forestall him in his enterprises. The lawyer must 
conceal his clients’ affairs and his own methods of procedure until 
matured. The professional man must use all honorable means to 
protect by secrecy the affairs of others which have been intrusted 
to his honor. Secrecy is both necessary and useful, and all well- 
balanced characters must avail themselves of its powers. Its 
excess is, as I have shown, the resource of timid, weak, criminal, 
or immoral characters, and is exhibited by weak, thievish, skulk¬ 
ing animals, the prototypes of their sneakish human brothers. 
Timid children, like timid animals, make use of Secretiveness to 
avoid dangers. Fear makes them cowardly. Parents can make 
them liars or truthful, according to the methods employed. A 
method which I adopted with my children seemed a very excellent 
way to cultivate truth, by substituting reward instead of penalties 
for disobedience of rules confessed. For example, I made some 
slight reward the incentive for the avowal of wrong-doing, such 
as breaking rules, destroying china, or accidental violations of 
decorum, etc. My children would bring to me quite readily a 
piece of broken china, and state how it occurred in the frankest 
manner possible. For this avowal I would always give a slight 
reward, at the same time expressing my sorrow at the loss and at 
the heedlessness which caused it. In this way I made it for the 
children’s interest to be truthful, hence they were never afraid to 
tell the whole truth to me. Moral cowardice in children can be 
corrected by treating them in a friendly and confidential manner, 
thus robbing the confession of their little faults of the dread of 
penalties. Let children see that you believe in them, yet show by 
your manner that you suffer by their concealing their delinquencies 
when they commit them. Hold them up to a high standard of 
truth by example. Let them have confidence in their parents’ 
integrity, and thus you will stimulate their imitation as well as 
principle. When children are too frank, show them how the 
family interests suffer by relating family matters which should not 
be detailed to strangers; also how silly it is to be constantly telling 
every thought as fast as it comes into the mind. Cultivate their 
morality by leading them to see how wrong it is to relate what has 
been told them in confidence. You will thus establish in early 
life a habit of prudent reticence which too frank and too trans¬ 
parent children need. 

Large Secretiveness, combined with large Reason and Caution, 
makes men very adroit in concealing their real ideas and purposes. 
Such persons express themselves in a very politic and guarded 
manner, so much so as to mislead others through their lack of 
precision and directness. With small Conscientiousness combined, 


478 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


they will invariably lie and cheat, first laying plans to cover up 
their tricks. 

Where Secretiveness is about of an average degree the char¬ 
acter will exhibit a prudent self-control, yet under provocation will 
free the mind and give others the benefit of thoughts in regard to 
them, but with large Cautiousness will hold back somewhat for 
fear of consequences. Those possessed of moderate Secretiveness 
are remarkably frank, and not afraid of showing their methods or 
of speaking their thoughts; they will not use much policy nor 
evade open expression; yet, with large Caution will look ahead, 
and are reasonably circumspect in their dealings and speech; 
with large Acquisitiveness and Conscientiousness, will speak and 
deal honorably and regard others with confidence; with Force 
added, are abrupt and speak out decidedly, and with Friendship 
large they are inclined to assist friends in business as well as 
socially. 

There are very many curious ways in which Secretiveness is 
exhibited. Some with large Secretiveness will conceal many sides 
of their nature, as, for example, their love affairs or their sym¬ 
pathetic thoughts, yet will be open in matters pertaining to 
business or duty; they will defend the interests of morality 
and urge reforms in a very bold and vigorous manner, and so 
convey the idea that they are wanting in the softer traits. I 
once knew a very tender-hearted, sympathetic man, who, to 
conceal what he considered a weakness, always assumed a blunt, 
gruff, and abrupt manner of speech, and so earned for himself 
the name of the “ grand growler ” in his circle, yet I knew 
him to be more sympathetic and charitable than many soft- 
spoken men. 

Secretiveness, when it assists men to be diplomatic, politic, ju¬ 
dicious, and honorable, is an excellent quality, but when it leads 
to trickery, dishonesty, lying, and double-dealing it should be re¬ 
strained. Where there is too much frankness, a too confiding 
spirit, it reacts upon the character and works injury; hence, pru¬ 
dence and circumspection should be cultivated. Remember that 
as long as life lasts you will have time enough to tell all that 
you know, but once having told a secret it cannot be recalled. 
Be free with friends, but guarded with strangers and indifferent 
acquaintances. 

Take the poet’s advice :— 


“Aye, free, off-han’ your story tell, 
When wi’ a bosom crony, 

But still keep something to yoursel’ 
Ye’ scarcely tell to ony.”—B urns. 


CAUTIOUSNESS. 


479 


CAUTIOUSNESS. 


Definition . — Vigilance, foresight, prudence, providence, 
anxiety, watchfulness, wariness, care-taking. 

An excess is shown by melancholy, anguish, cowardice, irreso¬ 
lution, bashfulness, shyness, timidity, fright, over-anxiety, terror, 
suspicion, despair, nervousness, forebodings, fretting, and useless 
fears. It tends to sickness, disorders of the nerves and of the 
biliary system, to insanity and suicide. 

A deficiency is characterized by rashness, boldness, assurance, 
impudence, audacity, and imprudent and injudicious language and 
conduct. 


Facial and Bodily Signs.—Length and breadth of the nose is 
the sign for the highest degree of Caution. Length merely of the 
nose indicates that sort of Caution manifested by very timid human 
beings and animals. Long and thin ears, long and thin neck, 
and long and thin legs are also some of the bodily signs of 
Cautiousness. 

Description of Cautiousness. —The most reliable facial sign 
of Cautiousness is shown by the length of the nose. Its location 
is admirably adapted to the preservation of the body, presiding as 
it does over all the functions of digestion and guarding the 
avenues of approach to the stomach by its keenness of scent, 
which soon detects qualities of food un suited to the sustentation 
of the body. Not only does it act as sentinel to the stomach, but 
by virtue of its anatomical structure it guards the lungs from 
noxious vapors, gases, and all improper atmospheres. Its length 
assists in warming the air to a considerable degree before it strikes 
the lungs, while the vibrissm, or small hairs with which the inte¬ 
rior of the nostrils is furnished, prevent injurious particles from 
entering the lungs. 

The fact of the length of the nose being the principal sign 
for Caution has been noted by other physiognomists. Dr. Cross 
observes on this subject that 


The nasal apparatus is the porch of respiration and the sense of smell 
is the sentry; hence, it may be laid down as a general rule that atmospheric 
air is wholesome or unwholesome in proportion as its smell is agreeable or 
disagreeable. As odorous effluvia tend upward, so the nose comes to be 
percipient of substances entering the mouth, and it is found that food is 
wholesome or unwholesome in proportion as the smell is grateful or ungrate¬ 
ful. The sense of smell, therefore, is superintendent of the breath and 
assistant superintendent of the food. The nose, then, stands in a double 
relation,—in the relation of porch or sentinel to the lungs and in the relation 
of assistant sentinel to the stomach and assistant forager to the mouth.* 

* An Attempt to Establish Physiognomy on Scientific Principles, John Cross, M.D., p. 215. 


480 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Short noses are not so efficient in guarding these functions as 
long noses. There are several reasons for this: In the first place, 
the nose is not only an indicator of animal organization, but it is 
likewise the chief facial exponent of intellect and of physical as 
well as of mental energy ; hence, the longer, higher, and broader the 
nose, the more judgment and prudence will be displayed, for length 
and breadth of nose in man and beast is exhibited only by the most 
superior characters. 

A nose which is higrh as well 



as long and broad is best 
adapted to the function of 
scent, for the reason that 
the olfactory nerves have 
room for greater expan¬ 
sion, hence the nasal gan¬ 
glion is more powerful 
than where its space is re¬ 
stricted. Those races that 
possess the broadest, high¬ 
est, and longest noses 
exhibit the most prudence, 
foresight, and watchfulness, 
and entertain as well the 
broadest views of life and 
its affairs. The Hebrews, 
among the civilized races, 
possess in a remarkable 
degree all these attributes. 
So far-sighted is their in¬ 
tellectual grasp, and so 
broad are their views of 
worldly affairs, that the 
majority of them are well 
provided with this world’s 
goods, and beggars of their 
race I believe are wholly 
unknown. I have never seen or heard of one. They also 
possess all the physiological traits which accompany this for¬ 
mation, exhibiting predaceous energy, keenness of scent, and fond¬ 
ness for fine odors and flavors. They are good judges of food and 
immoderately addicted to the pleasures of the table. They also 
exhibit various mental traits which often accompany large Ali- 
mentiveness, viz., rapacity, love of domination, and marked social 
and domestic qualities. 

The same traits are characteristic of the carnivorous class of 




Fig. 62.—SIGNOR CRISPI. (Prime Minister 
of Italy.) 

Conspicuous facial sign. Cautiousness, shown by 
length and breadth of the nose. The law of the straight 
line and curve governs this face. The development of 
Cautiousness as displayed in this countenance gives evi¬ 
dence of an astute and far-sighted character. The do¬ 
mestic traits are well defined and the intellectual of 
the first class. The signs for Firmness and Conscien¬ 
tiousness are of average size. Patriotism, Love of 
Home, Love of Young, Amativeness, and Benevolence 
are well manifested; while Human Nature, Ideality, 
Sublimity, Acquisitiveness, Constructiveness, Analysis, 
Mental Imitation, Veneration, Executiveness, Self- 
will, Observation, Language, Reason, Memory of 
Events, and Intuition are very large. Altogether they 
form the portrait of a very "capable executive, and 
judicious individual. 



CAUTIOUSNESS. 


481 


animals, as distinct from the graminivorous class. The nose and 
nostrils ol the lion, the tiger, the dog, and other carnivorous 
animals are broad, high, and long as compared to the noses of 
the sheep, the giraffe, the deer tribes, the rabbit, and hare. The 
former are aided by their sense of scent and superior strength 
and intellect, while the latter have to depend more upon their 
activity or timidity than strength for their safety and livelihood. 

The ganglia of the olfactory or nasal nerves are furnished 
with a coloring pigment, and, according to the laws of color 
which obtain in the human 
as well as in the animal 
organisms, the more color, 
the more power. It will 
be observed that the car¬ 
nivorous class of animals 
are quite dark in colors, 
or, if mixed, the darker 
hues predominate; there¬ 
fore it is logical to infer 
that they are better adapted 
to scent, and can scent at 
a distance better than the 
long, thin-nosed, grami¬ 
nivorous animals. All Na¬ 
ture confirms this principle 
of form. The greyhound 
possesses a long, thin, 
watchful, timid nose, but 
is comparatively destitute 
of the sense of scent. 

Rev. J. G. Wood says of 
this animal:— 



Fig. 63.— JOHN FOX. (Author and Divine.) 

Born in England, 1517. Conspicuous facial sign, Cau¬ 
tiousness, shown by disproportionate length of nose. 
The law of the straight line and angle governs this face. 
Truthfulness and sincerity certainly shine forth from 
these eyes, which are set true and straight under the 
brow. The chin is hidden, yet comparative anatomy as¬ 
sists in discovering what is beneath the beard. Conscien¬ 
tiousness, Firmness, Love of Home, Love of Young,- 
Amativeness, Benevolence, and Patriotism are large; 
while Friendship, Approbativeness, Alimentiveness, and 
Bibativeness are only average in development. The men¬ 
tal powers are excellent. The signs for Mental Imita¬ 
tion, Analysis, Ideality, Sublimity, Acquisitiveness, Con¬ 
structiveness, Veneration, Executiveness, Self-will, 
Form, Size, Observation, Calculation, and Language 
are large. The nose, broad at the bridge, discloses 
logical capacity. Altogether, a moral, upright, and 
intelligent countenance. 


The narrow head and 
sharp nose of the greyhound, 
useful as they are for aiding 

the progress of the animal by removing every impediment to its passage 
through the atmosphere, yet deprive it of a most valuable faculty,—that of 
chasing by scent. The muzzle is so narrow in proportion to its length 
that its nasal nerves have no proper room for development, and hence 
the animal is very deficient in its powers of scent. The same circumstances 
may be noted in other animals.* 


The noses of all carnivorous animals are relatively broad, 
especially at the point where are located the olfactory ganglia and 
plexuses,—that is to say, at and near the junction of the nose with 

* Wood’s New Illustrated Natural History, p. 51. 

31 






482 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


the forehead, where branches and filaments of the olfactory nerve 
ramify upon the septum and nostrils, and here assist the sense 
of smell, as this is the peculiar office of this nerve. Therefore, 
where we observe breadth of the nose above the “bridge,” and 
also where the nostrils are very broad, as in the lion and in many 
human beings, we shall find superior power for guarding the 
avenues of approach to the great vital cavities,—the stomach 
and lungs,—hence Cautiousness, foresight, and judgment are the 
result. 

The long, high, thin or narrow nose discloses Cautiousness, 
but of the timid sort, as observed in the formation of the noses 
of all or most of the herbivorous tribes. The long-eared hare 
and rabbit are illustrations of the sort of Cautiousness given to the 
timid and weak. They possess long, sensitive ears which convey 
sounds to them, not only from a long distance but those which are 
made near them, and their superior powers of activity enable them 
to easily elude their pursuers, whether human or animal. The 
long-necked giraffe is another excellent illustration of this trait. 
The superior length of its neck aids the animal to look over inter¬ 
vening obstacles and thus it insures its safety by flight, which is 
its method of self-protection, being relatively weak and timid like 
other long-eared, long-legged animals. Another wise provision of 
Nature is seen in the entire absence of voice. Wood states that 
“ the giraffe has never been heard to utter a sound, even when 
struggling in the agonies of death.” Were the giraffe a noisy 
animal he would be always in danger, by calling attention to 
himself and thus be exposed to the attacks of wild beasts. The 
camel evinces a good deal of cautious foresight, and exhibits its 
physiognomical indication by long legs, slim neck, long nose, and 
broad nostrils. The reindeer is a wary and sagacious animal, and 
possesses the sense of scent in a greater degree than any other 
animal. Its width of nostril is quite a conspicuous feature. The 
fallow deer, the red deer, and wapiti evince great Cautiousness, 
and their long ears, long necks, and long, slim legs are the 
outward indications of the timid, sensitive, and cautious mind 
within. 

Lavater, in his criticism of animals, speaks of the “art and 
discretion exhibited in the proboscis of the elephant.” This is a 
most just observation, for watchfulness and foresight are the 
peculiar attributes of this animal, and sound judgment as well. 
Nature, in creating so huge and bulky a creature, was obliged to 
give such traits as would enhance its safety. What then could she 
give but a large degree of Cautiousness, Judgment, and Foresight] 
All these faculties are exhibited in a marked manner by these 


CAUTIOUSNESS. 


483 


animals in India, where they are employed in various mechanical 
and warlike enterprises, where their tine qualities of mind are 
used to advance man’s interests. In this creature, caution is 
balanced by reason, hence he is not suspicious, but watohful. 
“In all work,” says Mr. Wood, “which requires the application 
of great strength combined with singular judgment the elephant 
is supreme.” 

Cautiousness is a universal faculty and is useful in all the 
walks of life, giving vigilance, providence, and discretion to charac¬ 
ter. It is allied to Alimentiveness, for it assists in looking ahead 
and by foresight accumulates and stores up for a rainy day. It 
is an assistant of Acquisitiveness, as it guides this faculty in the 
acquisition and care of money, property, etc. All of the higher 
mental faculties are indebted to its influence in causing them to 
refrain from hazardous and risky enterprises, in order to prevent 
future trouble. Cautious persons seek advice from those who have 
had experience, while short-nosed, incautious characters rush into 
all sorts of dangers and enterprises in a reckless fashion, unheed¬ 
ing the warnings of those more experienced. If possessed of 
small Caution and large Force and Resistance and only average 
Reason, they will be constantly embroiled in disputes and quarrels, 
because unable to control the temper, and, possessing no Caution, 
will give loose rein to the tongue and sometimes to the fist and 
pistol. Those of this combination are perpetually meeting with 
what they term “accidents,” in which they succeed in getting cuts, 
burns, and falls, and are often engaged .in disastrous adventures. 
Bullies, braggarts, and loose, unreliable talkers are lacking in 
Caution. 

An excess of Caution is more universal in America than among 
Europeans. It is caused by the greater degree of delicacy of the 
nervous system which this climate produces and which causes 
fear, apprehension of bodily injury, timidity, and nervousness. 
Women are far more cautious than men. The conservative nature 
of woman, as the mother and care-taker of the young and guardian 
of the family, results in more caution and also adds foresight and 
prudence, and for this reason most mothers are better able to 
disburse the family funds than the father. The anxiety for the 
future welfare of the family causes care and providence in the 
disposition of money and in storing up for emergencies. Children 
are usually more cautious than adults, and in many its excess creates 
groundless fears and great mental suffering. Weak, timid children 
should be trained in a gymnasium with the view of making them 
more courageous, strong, and self-willed, which result can be pro¬ 
duced by developing all the muscles until they dominate or equal 


484 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


the nervous system. Driving, rowing, swimming, and all athletic 
sports assist in developing courage and give force and decision to 
the character. Associating with the strong and courageous is 
another method of imparting confidence to the irresolute. It 
engenders a desire to imitate, and, as the weak admire the strong, 
they will endeavor to follow their example if thrown constantly in 
their society. 

It is a law of human nature that all admire most those quali¬ 
ties in others in which they are themselves deficient. I have 
known many weak and timid women become expert and courage¬ 
ous horsewomen by practicing driving, when formerly they had 
suffered tortures in a short drive for fear of some accident. Nothing 
overcomes fear as thoroughly as experiment and intelligent com¬ 
prehension of the nature of the thing feared. Children are often 
injured beyond recovery by forcing them into the water against 
their wish. When it is desired that they should be taught 
bathing and swimming they should be allowed to enter and leave 
tiie water at their own pleasure, and gradually, by easy stages, they 
will lose all fear of it, particularly if they enter with more cour¬ 
ageous children. They should never be “ ducked ” to furnish 
amusement for some “tease,” who thinks it great fun to hear the 
poor little things scream. Such methods are criminal , and should 
never be pursued with timid children. Frightening them by 
bug-a-boo stories also increases their fear and induces nervous 
disorders. 

A good, sound whipping as a punishment hurts a child far 
less than threatening them with mysterious and occult beings, 
or shutting them up in dark rooms, for these methods have been 
known to produce convulsions and loss of reason. The force of 
example is well illustrated in the conduct of two mothers whom 
I knew in my childhood. One, on the approach of a thunder¬ 
storm, took her children out upon the porch and watched with 
great enjoyment its approach, and entered the house only when 
driven in by the rain. They all seemed to derive great pleasure 
from the scene. The other mother, on the approach of a storm, 
gathered her children together in an agitated and terrified manner 
and plunged them between feather beds under the mistaken notion 
that “lightning never strikes feathers.” They would remain thus 
half stifled and emerge weak and trembling only after the storm had 
passed. The children of the latter family upon reaching adult life 
pursued precisely the same methods in their families, and thus 
trained their children to be cowards instead of training them to be 
courageous. 

Shyness is one manifestation of Cautiousness. A sensitive, 


CAUTIOUSNESS. 


485 


nervous system by its keenness of sensation causes one to be careful 
and watchful of dangers, and also promotes care for health through 
dread of suffering. 

Slyness is often caused by extreme Caution, and is cultivated 
in children by injudicious methods of discipline, by too many 
penalties, and by constant threatenings for all sorts of small offenses. 
Secretive children are also sly, but this is spontaneous and inherent, 
while many children are made sly by their parents’ threats of 
penalties and constant fault-finding. 

The normal action of Cautiousness is manifested in the highest 
degree by persons possessed of good intellects and practical facul¬ 
ties. In the faces of such persons will be observed length, breadth, 
and height of the nose. In these cases Caution takes on its 
highest phase of action , and a common-sense view of affairs is ex¬ 
hibited, and reason, judgment, and prudence preside over all their 
mental processes. 

When Caution is indicated in an individual as a compensa¬ 
tion for the lack of some other important faculty, decision and 
judgment will be less promptly manifested, hence all the acts will 
be slower and more uncertain, and as great a measure of success 
as in the former cases must not be expected. An excessive length 
of nose in relation to the other features denotes excessive Caution, and 
also shows it to be the compensation for the absence of some other 
faculty. By observing the relative proportions of the features this 
deficiency can be easily discovered. In some subjects it is caused 
by deficient Self-esteem. In these cases a short upper lip will dis¬ 
close the reason. In other characters there may be deficient Con¬ 
scientiousness. A narrow chin will reveal this want. If Reason 
is feeble the nose will not be broad and high, but may be high, 
thin, and narrow, especially at the “bridge.” 

Absence of the practical faculties is often shown by a com¬ 
pensatory degree of Caution. Where a knowledge of human na¬ 
ture is deficient, Cautiousness is often present and protects the 
character from too great confidence in others; hence, suspicion is 
the result and thus acts the part of protector; or, if Friendship 
be lacking, reserve and guardedness in dealing with others will be 
displayed. In some instances, where the brain is very large and 
slow in its action (by reason of smallness of the thoracic system), 
the mental processes are correspondingly feeble and dull of ap¬ 
prehension. Here Caution comes in and assists the character by 
its prudential outlook, and thus averts and avoids dangers by that 
slowness of mind and body which is at the same time a failing 
and a compensation. Self-control and self-denial, restraint and 
prudence are the results of a normal, balanced degree of Caution, 


486 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Rashness, imprudence, and foolishness show the lack of this most 
useful trait. 

“Reader, attend ! whether thy soul 
Soars fancy’s flights beyond the pole, 

Or darkling grubs this earthly hole, 

In low pursuit, 

Know, prudent cautious self-control 

Is wisdom’s root.”—B urns. 


HOPE. 



Definition. —Anticipation, expectation, joyousness, confi¬ 
dence, cheerfulness, buoyancy of spirits, belief in future success 

and advantages, prospect¬ 
ive good, inclination to 
believe and work on in 
spite of innumerable ob¬ 
stacles. 

An excess imparts en¬ 
thusiasm and gives belief 
in impracticable plans and 
projects; inclines one to 
speculations, and “sees 
millions” in every inven¬ 
tion and enterprise in 
which one becomes inter¬ 
ested. 

A deficiency causes 
lack of success, hopeless¬ 
ness, melancholy, gloomy 
thoughts, and dejection, 
and is often accompanied 
with liver complaint, and 
tends to dementia, insanity, 
and suicide. 

Facial and Bodily 
Signs .—The most prom¬ 
inent facial sign for Hope 
is the downward projection of the septum of the nose below 
the aim, or wings of the nostrils. Brightness of the eyes; 
bright, clear-colored, and fresh complexion; full cheeks, plump 
body, springy step, vivacious and cheery manner are also indica¬ 
tions of the presence of Hope and are caused by activity of the 
liver. Drooping of the corners of the mouth, dullness of the eyes, 
together with a thick skin and muddy complexion, point to en¬ 
feebled action of the liver and a consequent deficiency of Hope. 
Where the septum does not project below the aim, or where it 


Fig. 64—ELLEN TERRY. (Actress.) 

Born in England, 1848. Conspicuous facial sign, 
Hope, shown by downward projection of the septum of 
the nose. The law of the curve and straight line gov¬ 
erns this face. The dominant expression of this coun¬ 
tenance is sharpness, keenness, penetration. The signs 
for Firmness, Conscientiousness, Love of Home, Pa¬ 
triotism, Economy, and Benevolence are exceedingly 
well defined. Love of Young and Amativeness are con¬ 
spicuous. The nose exhibits the signs for Hope, 
Analysis, Ideality, Mental Imitation, and Human Na¬ 
ture highly developed. Constructiveness, Acquisitive¬ 
ness, Veneration, and Self-will are marked. Observa¬ 
tion, Form, Size, and Language are large, and altogether 
combine to produce a first-class artistic mind. The 
quality is exceedingly fine. 



HOPE. 


487 


recedes above the sides of the nostrils, we have an unfailing indica¬ 
tion of a week and torpid liver, together with a mind tinctured with 
hopelessness and despondency. The modifying effects of Mirthful¬ 
ness and Approbativeness often assist this condition and partially 
neutralize its depressing influence. 

Description of Hope. —The methods formerly employed by 
sentimentalists in treating of the affections, emotions, and passions 
in a poetic, romantic, and metaphysical manner have led to most 
erroneous ideas in regard to the origin and physiological basis of 
mental powers. To those who have been accustomed to view the 
mind, with its numerous 
powers and passions, such 
as love, hope, imagination, 
etc., as an entity separate 
from the body and con¬ 
nected with another vague 
entity termed the “soul,” 
floating about somewhere 
in space, the connection of 
the emotions and passions 
with physical organs will 
seem like sacrilege. To 
this class let me state that 
a thorough analysis of 
natural laws will alone free 
them from this error, and 
the poetic flights of the 
rhapsodist upon the nature 
of love, hope, etc., will not 
seem half as enchanting 
as a cool, keen, scientific 
analysis of these traits. It 
is easily demonstrated that 
Hope is most largely devel¬ 
oped in those who possess 
a vigorous and normally- 
acting liver. Where this 
viscus is normally active the eyes are bright, the skin clean and 
clear, the voice cheerful, the brain active and analytic (according 
to the grade of intellect manifested in each individual), the step 
brisk, and the disposition hopeful and confident and ready to 
attempt any difficult project. Hope is a grand sustainer of life, 
and when we transmit to offspring a vigorous, normal liver we 
endow them with a precious inheritance. 



FIG. 65.—PAUL GUSTAVE DOPE. (HISTORICAL 
and Allegorical Painter.) 

Born in France, 1833. Principal facial sign, Hope, 
shown by downward projection of the septum of the 
nose. The law of the straight line and curve governs 
this countenance. The social faculties are well rep¬ 
resented in this face. Alimentiveness, Hospitality, 
Friendship, Approbativeness, Love of Home, and Pa¬ 
triotism are all well defined. In the nose the signs for 
Hope, Analysis, Sublimity, Ideality, Mental Imitation, 
Human Nature, Constructiveness, Acquisitiveness, 
Veneration, Executiveness, and Self-will are highly de¬ 
veloped ; while Prescience, Credenciveness, Observa¬ 
tion, Form, Size, Color, Calculation, Locality, Order, In¬ 
tuition, Artistic Judgment, and Reason are exhibited 
in a talented degree. Dore was one of the most original, 
weird, awful, quaint, and prolific of artists. The hair, 
by its form and manner of growth, denotes artistic 
capacity. The quality is very fine. 


488 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Hope buoys up the mind under adversities and troubles of all 
sorts and shows a silver lining to every cloud. It makes one be¬ 
lieve in “a good time coming,” and thus encouraged one works 
with a will, and hence is enabled to bring about just the state of 
affairs hoped for. Hope is noticeable in the physiognomies of 
most very aged persons. It directly promotes longevity, not only 
by the vigorous action of the liver, but by the sustaining power of 
its associated sentiment , which is ever pointing onward and upward. 
Hope is most decided in the countenances of all eminent artists, 
actors, poets, litterateurs, and inventors. In disease no faculty so 
sustains and encourages the patient, and in this manner an active 
liver and the sentiment of Hope together are instrumental in pro¬ 
moting recovery. In fact, the action of every well-developed organ 
is remedial, not only by reason of its physiological action, but also 
through its effect upon the mind,—a reciprocal action which is now 
getting to be better understood than formerly. The science of 
physiognomy teaches that if we would live more nearly in accord 
with hygienic law we should have very little use for doctors. 
This faculty and function can be kept in a normal condition by an 
intelligent and persevering course of diet and sensible modes of 
dressing. Sufficient fruit-juices should be taken into the stomach, 
and sugar, except as found in fruits, grains, and vegetables, should 
be avoided. Then, too, the clothing should be sufficiently loose and 
easy in order to give the lungs, heart, and liver room for needed 
expansion. We can no more induce a hopeful, cheerful state of 
mind by inculcating hopefulness as a duty than we can become 
truly conscientious by studying truth as a moral sentiment merely, 
without regard to the condition of the liver and kidneys. Con¬ 
scientiousness proceeds from a well-developed and normally-acting 
kidney system, and Hope from a well-developed liver. If we 
attend to the physiology of these two organs, I fully believe that 
the associated sentiments of Conscientiousness and Hope will take 
care of themselves, and evolve a moral and hopeful disposition as 
a consequence of normal and healthy action and development. 
Man is certainly created perfect, or we should have no normal type 
or standard of any organ or function. The imperfections we ob¬ 
serve are all of man’s creating, caused either by willful or ignorant 
violations of natural physiological laws. If it were not for the 
action of a law which endeavors to make each newly-created being 
return to a normal standard, the race would have run out and 
become extinct ages ago—through an exaggeration of diseases 
and misuse of the organs. 

Dr. Felix Oswald happily expresses this law in the following 
words. 


HOPE. 


489 


He observes:— 

Every birth is a hygienic regeneration. The constitutional defects 
which degenerate parents transmit to their offspring are modified by the 
bequests of an older world. 

Where the septum of the nose is observed to be even with the 
alae, or wings, we shall find, first, an organism with a small liver, 
or an inert condition of the liver, together with a steadily-increasing 
tendency to melancholy as age advances ; also, oft-recurring bilious 
diseases. In such individuals, the mind reverts to disease, disaster, 
death, and similar gloomy subjects. They can see no hope in any¬ 
thing. Every business enterprise is, in their minds, foredoomed 
to failure. They hardly think it worth while to commence any 
project, so certain are they of non-success. The only remedy for 
these victims to an inherited weak liver is an active, stirring life, a 
dietary suited to their condition,—abstention from sugar,—together 
with plenty of active out-door exercise, and the companionship of 
the joyous, cheerful, and light-hearted. This course may not com¬ 
pletely eradicate the abnormal tendency toward melancholy, but 
will make life more enjoyable, more useful, and successful. 

The localizing of the principal facial sign for the liver is note¬ 
worthy. Its position between the local signs for the heart and 
lungs (wide nostrils) teaches us somewhat of its physiological 
relations, inasmuch as the action of the heart and lungs is greatly 
assisted by the action of the liver; and as all these organs are so 
placed and connected in the body as to mutually assist each other, 
so we find in the intimate placing of their signs in the face a re¬ 
markable proof of Nature’s method of throwing out physiognomical 
signals which are confirmed by both logic and observation. 

Temporary disorders of the liver result in gloomy, depressed 
conditions of the mind, while restoration of its functions brings a 
return of the usual cheerfulness. So different are the mental effects 
of a disordered liver from those produced by a diseased heart or 
lungs that medical writers in all ages have noted them, yet have 
failed to connect them with physiognomical signs. Of the differ¬ 
ences in mental states induced by disorders of these different 
organs, Dr. Maudsley observes:— 

I come now to the thoracic organs. The heart and the lungs are 
closely connected in their functions so that the}^ mutually affect one 
another. Some diseases of lungs greatly oppress and trouble the heart, 
yet there is reason to believe that they have their special effects upon the 
mind . How, indeed, can we think otherwise, when we contrast the sanguine 
confidence of the consumptive patient with the anxious fear and apprehen¬ 
sion exhibited in some diseases of the heart?* 

* Body and Mind, Henry Maudsley, M.D., p. 85. 


490 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


The following, previously quoted from Dr. Maudsley, is to the 
point, and I here reproduce it in order to emphasize the intimate 
relation existing between the function of the liver and the mental 
sentiment of Hope . He remarks :— 

Anger, disappointment, and envy notably touch the liver, which in its 
turn, when deranged, engenders a gloomy tone of mind, through which all 
things have a malignant look, and from which, when philosophy avails not 
to free us, the restoration of its functions will yield instant relief.* 

A good, clear, fresh-colored complexion is one sign of the 
presence of Hope. It is incumbent upon us, if we would enjoy 
this truly religious sentiment , that we study and work to prevent 
clogging of the biliary system, for hopelessness and dejection are 
opposed to a truly religious state of mind. Hope in the future is 
an especial attribute of the religious belief of all civilized religions ; 
some savages even share with the most advanced races this univer¬ 
sal sentiment of a blissful future state as the inheritance of the 
righteous, and, as I have shown, Hope is a sentiment which not 
only assists us in combating disease, making health more firm and 
sure, promoting longevity, but also carries forward the mind to 
higher and more exquisite enjoyments of anticipation in the con¬ 
templation of scenes of heavenly rest, purity, and progression. In 
these sentiments it seems to me all right-minded and benevolent 
persons must share, whether Christian, Hebrew, Pagan, Agnostic, 
Spiritualist, or Liberalise The following poem expresses the 
Indian’s belief in the future, and proceeds from a development of 
the faculty of Hope:— 

I go to tlie Isles of the Great Manito, 

Whose shores through the mist I distinguish e’en now ; 

I shall hunt in the mountains and fish in the streams 

Of the land that I often have seen in my dreams. 

/ 

There shall I hold in my fondest embrace 

The braves and the chiefs of my nation and race ; 

They shall applaud me, and welcome their son, 

And boast of the heroic deeds he has done. 

Spirit of evil, thou never canst. go 

To the far happy land of the Great Manito ; 

Spirit of evil—spirit of pain— 

Farewell—we never shall meet again. 

There is in the above as fine expression of future rewards and 
enjoyments as is to be found in the beliefs of the most advanced 
religionists. 

There is every reason to believe that Hope as a sentiment 
assists in prolonging life, while at the same time it looks for a 
future state of happiness. The faces of nearly all of the aged 

*Body and Mind, Henry Maudsley, M.D., p. 38. 


HOPE. 


491 


whom I have observed have the sign for Hope and the liver well 
defined. How can it be otherwise when we see how essential to 
good health is the continued activity of the liver. 

Hope is a sustainer of life and health by causing the mind to 
continually anticipate good results, and by preventing the mind 
from apprehending disasters. This thought is well expressed in the 
following:— 

“Had some good angel op’d to me the hook 
Of Providence and let me read my life, 

My heart had broke when I beheld the sum 
Of ills which one by one I have endured.” 

All the conditions of life require and must have in them a 
large share of the element of Hope. This is as true of our 
pleasures in anticipation as it is of business enterprises, intellectual 
labors, artistic successes, and domestic durability. The business 
man needs its inspiring influence to buoy him up when putting 
his thousands into a business venture, yet he must have a balance 
of the practical faculties and reason, in order that he shall not be 
too sanguine of success in face of improbabilities; and if business 
reverses come, and all seem lost, Hope comes to the rescue and 
puts him on his feet again, and anticipates better fortune next time. 

As an active liver keeps the brain clear and unclouded, it 
gives a sense of power and a desire for enterprise,—for pushing 
ahead in adventurous schemes. An active liver clears the brain 
to the extent of causing one to be inventive, ingenious, and fertile 
in resources. Not only is this remarked in business men, but it.is 
pre-eminently the attribute of artists, writers, sculptors, actors, and 
the creative classes generally. Large Hope assists the dominant 
tastes and faculties, whether these faculties tend to art, science, or 
commerce. Hope is one of the impelling forces in discoverers, 
navigators , travelers , and adventurous spirits , who are always 
looking for 

“Some liappy island in the watery waste,” 

and often find what is desired through the exercise of that perse¬ 
verance which Hope has inspired. “ Hope tells a flattering tale,” 
and if they fail in one enterprise they see something just as allur¬ 
ing in the next one, and, whether it be California gold or South 
African diamonds, they always see a fortune just ahead to be had 
for the taking. It is sad, however, to see one unbalanced by ex¬ 
cessive Hope, for this leads to failure and disappointment. Those 
who have an excess should take counsel of more practical persons, 
and have for a partner one who has a balanced degree of reason 
and experience. 


492 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


The physiognomies of the majority of successful artists, actors, 
merchants, and leaders of great enterprises exhibit large Hope. 

Those whose Hope is greater than Caution, with deficient 
Practicality, rush into wild speculations, and of course meet with 
heavy losses or disasters. Those possessed of large Hope, Self¬ 
esteem, and Approbativeness, together with good reasoning 
faculties, are capable of great enterprises, and will take hold reso¬ 
lutely and carry the work through; with large Acquisitiveness, 
they will lay successful plans for money-getting; and with Hope 
allied to Conscientiousness, Credenciveness, and Veneration, they 
will exhibit great religious and moral character, and will look 
forward to a future state of enjoyment with an unfaltering con¬ 
fidence. 

Whatever trait is useful and ennobling to the human race 
has its place in the physiognomy, and sets a sign of beauty there. 
The sign for the liver and Hope causes the outline and propor¬ 
tions of the nose to be more beautiful than where it is lacking. 
The noses of most eminent writers, artists, poets, and enterprising 
persons generally present this peculiar formation of the septum of 
the nose. The numerous classic works of art in paintings and 
statuary exhibit this formation. The masters of art, taking their 
models from the most talented people, of course found this peculi¬ 
arity present, and reproduced it without understanding either its 
mental or physiological significance and importance. In this in¬ 
stance, art-beauty and scientific beauty are in accord. 

Examine the countenances of Julius Caesar, general; Sarah 
Siddons, actress; Arkwright, inventor; Lavater, physiognomist; 
Canova, sculptor; Adam Smith, philosopher; the first Duke of 
Marlborough, warrior and statesman; Sir Isaac Newton, scientist; 
Sir Matthew Hale, jurist; Thomas Jefferson, statesman; Thomas 
Moore, poet; Corneille, poet; William Blake, painter, and we shall 
find that they all exhibit the sign for Hope. There are thousands 
of other eminent men and women whose countenances indicate its 
presence. Let the reader make observation of large numbers, and 
note among his acquaintances those possessed of great Hope, 
and he will observe its accompanying physiological and mental 
peculiarities. 

The faculty of Hope is shared with the animal kingdom, as 
their acts testify. They are capable of expectation, both of 
rewards, pleasures, and punishments. Dogs look forward to the 
return of their masters and anticipate their approach with every 
demonstration of delight, and exhibit their sense of Time, also, 
by going a distance in the direction from which they usually 
return. 


ANALYSIS. 


493 


ANALYSIS. 

Definition .—The ability to separate, classify, and suggest 
changes and note differences. Analysis, according to Webster, 
is “the tracing of things to their source and the resolving of 
knowledge into its original principles.” It tends to practicality, 
ingenuity, invention, resource, and fertility of expedients. 

An excess gives a tendency to be hypercritical, captious, and 
fault-finding without reason. 

A deficiency is shown by inability to separate, classify, and 
re-arrange ideas and principles, also the elements and constituents 
of literary, musical, and art ideas; and in mechanics it shows by 
failure to comprehend the elements of mechanical forces and their 
combinations and effects. 

Faded and Bodily Signs .—The presence of good analytical 
ability is shown by the drooping downward of that portion of the 
nasal septum just forward of and adjoining the principal mental 
sign for Hope,—that is to say, the centre of the nasal septum. 
Another and a secondary sign is shown by a slightly receding 
forehead, together with a high and relatively long nose. Although 
many musical noses are short, yet they indicate the sort of analysis 
adapted to the comprehension of musical laws and principles. 
Mechanical analysis is best developed in those in whom the bony 
system is slightly in the ascendency, combined with a good mus¬ 
cular development. Analysis of a practiced phase is also observed 
where the bony system is one of the dominant systems. The 
physiognomies of Porta, Julius Caesar, Byron, Dickens, Shakes¬ 
peare, and Sir Walter Scott exhibit large Analysis. The sign for 
Analysis lies close to the sign for the liver and thus indicates its 
origin. Where the septum does not project below the alae or sides 
of the nostrils it denotes a torpid liver and a deficiency of analytical 
power. 

Description of Analysis. —The ability for analyzing is 
universal in civilized races and not lacking in the animal. It 
endows the character with the ability to suggest inventions, 
improvements in art, mechanism, music, human nature, and litera¬ 
ture. It assists the chemist, the mathematician, and astronomer. 
It is accompanied by a fertile, suggestive, criticizing mind, and is 
ever ready with expedients and resources. Its action is affected by 
the development of the liver, yet not in the same degree as is Hope. 
The physiognomies of La Place, Dr. John Hunter, Dr. Jenner; 
Canova, the sculptor; Sarah Siddons, actress; and Boebling, en¬ 
gineer, all exhibit this sign well defined. The faces of thousands of 
others eminent in all the active walks of life bear the facial record of 


494 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


this trait in unmistakable characters. Its physiognomical base is not 
to be doubted. That the high development and normal action of 
the liver give clearness to the inventive mental processes, all 
ingenious and fertile-minded characters attest. Show me a man 
with a weak, undeveloped, torpid liver, and I will show you a 
character that is deficient in the capacity to invent or to analyze 
well in active art or science. Even temporary inactivity of the 

liver, in those who have 
inherited a normal devel¬ 
opment of this organ, pre¬ 
vents for the time being 
that clearness of thought 
and power to reason upon 
principles which are char¬ 
acteristic of the mind in 
a state of perfect health. 
Although it may not cloud 
the memory nor the sense 
of Locality, of Language, 
of Music, of Form, of Ven¬ 
eration, of Modesty, of Love 
of Young, or other facul¬ 
ties, yet the power to sug¬ 
gest, invent, and mentally 
classify will be weakened 
for the time being, or until 
the functional activity of 
the liver is restored. 

The capacity for ana¬ 
lyzing is most essential to 
scientists, such as chemists 
and physicians. It assists 
by its suggestive power 
the discovery of new prin¬ 
ciples and combinations. 
It is one of the indispen¬ 
sable traits toward a correct 
comprehension of Human 
Nature, whether in the physician or physiognomist. I could not 
conscientiously recommend any one to attempt either of these pro¬ 
fessions who was greatly deficient in this gift. It is adapted to 
the comprehension of natural laws and unfolds the mechanical 
workings of all departments of Nature, and leads to discoveries of 
the occult and latent principles controlling the sources of light, 





Fig. 66.—JOHN RUSKIN. (Author, Art Critic.) 

Born in England, 1819. Conspicuous facial sign, 
Analysis, shown by downward projection of the centre 
of the septum of the nose. The law of the straight line 
and curve governs this face. The domestic faculties in 
this character are unevenly developed. Firmness is 
measurably deficient, but Love of Home, Love of 
Young, Patriotism, and Benevolence are all well defined, 
while Friendship is only of average size. Self-esteem is 
large. It is from the size and shape of the nose added to 
high quality that we derive our knowledge of the mental 
power and bias of this artistic mind. The nose is of large 
size, nostrils wide and nose thick at the lower third, as all 
artistic noses are ; it is high at the bridge, showing power 
for command, and the septum is drooping. Let us trans¬ 
late these forms and this combination into character: 
Height of the point of the nose from the plane of the 
face shows Human Nature; the droop of the septum, 
Hope and Analysis; at the under, the express tip, we find 
Mental Imitation large; while in close contiguity are 
the signs for Ideality, Sublimity, Constructiveness, Ac¬ 
quisitiveness, Veneration, Executiveness, and Self-will 
all conspicuous; and Language, Observation, Locality, 
Size, Form, Memory of Events, Prescience, Order, arid 
Time are well delineated. The hair in the arrangement 
above the forehead shows inventive capacity. Alto¬ 
gether the make-up of a fine artistic character. 





ANALYSIS. 


495 


heat, and motion. It is the faculty which is the chief agent in 
discoveries in electricity, biology, mathematics, and astronomy, 
which every day startle the world by their accuracy and impor¬ 
tance. Many uneducated persons have, with the assistance of this 
trait, been able to make inventions of great importance, and if one 
cannot get an education a large endowment of this faculty almost 
takes its place, and its constant exercise will cause one to be¬ 
come intelligent in many 
branches of knowledge. 

Such a one was William 
Murdock, whose biography 
has been written by Samuel 
Smiles in his work on “ Men 
of Industry and Inven¬ 
tion.”* This man arose 
from the condition of a 
poor, uneducated Scotch 
mason, and became the 
inventor of the application 
of coal-gas as an iliumi- 
nant and of other commer¬ 
cial uses, and also of very 
many inventions in con¬ 
nection with steam-engines. 

He was the able assistant 
of James Watt, working 
with and assisting him for 
vears in his inventions. 

He became one of the 
world’s benefactors through 
a constant and practical 
exercise of his analytical 
powers. It is worthy of 
remark, however, that his 
talent came to him as an inheritance transmitted through a line of 
ancestors who had been mechanical for generations, thus proving 
that a trait intensified by the exercise of many generations, when 
transmitted, often displays itself in the form of an instinct , and 
gives the capacity for spontaneous and instinctive expression, as 
witness the compositions of Mozart at four, Meyerbeer at six, and 
of Goethe, the poet, at six. Also the mathematical genius of Zerali 
Colburn, who, at six years of age, was able to “divine,” as one 
might say, the answers to vast sums, and this without any previous 

* Men of Industry and Invention, Samuel Smiles, p. 118. 

f This cut is by permission of D. Appleton & Cq m New York. 



Fig. 67.—MATTHIAS JACOB SCHLEIDEN.f 
(Chemist.) 

Born in Germany, 1804. Conspicuous facial sign, 
Analysis. The law or the straight line, curve, and cube 
governs this face. The domestic and moral virtues are 
amply represented in the lower part of this face. The 
nose and forehead (particularly the lower part of the 
forehead) are most striking. In the nose are the signs 
for Hope, Analysis, Mental Imitation, Human Nature, 
Constructiveness, Acquisitiveness, and Veneration very 
large. The region about the eyes discdoses a wonderful 
development, for here Observation is immense and Pres¬ 
cience uncommonly large, while Locality, Weight, Form, 
Size, Language, Music, Time, Order, Memory of Events, 
Reason, and Intuition combine in such large degree 
as to enable the character to manifest the highest sci¬ 
entific gifts,—the powers of intuitive insight and dis¬ 
covery of the forces of Nature and their application 
to human necessities. 


496 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


education,—a proof of inherited analytical power , which in his 
case worked spontaneously and without knowledge on his part as 
to how he produced the results. In all youthful prodigies, whose 
minds work spontaneously and who exhibit effects which are in 
others attained only by years of practice and experience, their 
talents are of the nature of instinct , and act as automatically as 
does the newborn infant in the act of sucking or grasping. 

The human family exhibits many instincts, some not of as 
high a grade as are shown by animals. Yet, when they reveal 
themselves in the spontaneous acts of genius, the fine self-conceit 
of man attributes them to something higher even than reason, 
when, in fact, precocious genius is always shown by an instinctive 
or automatic manner of doing things,—a method which is popularly 
considered to be the special attribute of the animal kingdom when 
exercised in a similar manner by the latter. Genius or spontaneous 
action is well illustrated by the spider, ant, and bee in their 
beautiful and ingenious constructions. The architectural and 
mathematical principles exhibited by these several species have 
been transmitted to them from ancestors who possessed these 
talents. 

I have never examined either portrait or bust of any greatly 
talented person, or a genius in art, science, or mechanics, that was 
deficient in the sign for Analysis. A word of caution is here 
added to those who prepare drawings for works of biography and 
ethnology: Too little attention is given to the details of the two 
most prominent features of the human organism, viz., the nose and 
ear. Many artists seem to think that any form in the shape of a 
human ear will do for any given portrait, whereas the truth is, that 
the ear of every person is as different and as individualized as is the 
nose or mouth. Not only is this the case, but each ear on the 
head of any given person is quite different and distinct in its shape 
from the other ear. So great is this disparity that, in examining the 
two ears of any subject, one would scarcely believe that they could 
belong to the same head; while the minute details in the shape of 
the nose, more particularly about the tip and septum, are often 
entirely ignored by even the most talented painters. Now, it is 
these minute variations in form which disclose great and important 
characteristics. The physiognomist must see these fine shades and 
grades of form portrayed in marble or on canvas before he can 
describe accurately the character intended to be represented, hence 
the drawing for works of ethnology must be most correctly deline¬ 
ated in order to present the most faithful exposition of character. 

The power of Analysis is greatly called into activity in the 
investigation of human character. Nowhere is it of such impor- 


ANALYSIS. 


497 


tance, and, as we have no way for discerning and discovering char¬ 
acter, both mental and physical, as certain as by the examination 
of the human face, so it is apparent that the most minute details 
and variations in form and size must be closely scrutinized and 
analyzed before a final verdict can be given. 

This trait is equally useful in art, in mechanics, and science. 
One of its most efficient uses is in the comprehension of the human 
body and mind. Any face which shows a deficiency of this faculty 
is not well adapted to the study of science, more particularly that 
of human science as shown in evolution, psychology, and physiog¬ 
nomy. No original thinker, actor, artist, poet, or painter is defi¬ 
cient in this trait, and this is why the noses of these classes pre¬ 
sent such a variety of shape and peculiarity of structure in the 
region of the septum and tip of the nose, and also about the lower 
third of the nose, which in imaginative and constructive charac¬ 
ters is quite developed in size and form as compared to the noses 
of commonplace and ordinary individuals. 

So surely is Analysis the sign of a high and perfected people 
that it is never seen in the physiognomies of undeveloped races, 
such, for example, as the natives of many parts of Africa, New 
Holland, and also in the countenances of congenital idiots. It is 
also a distinguishing difference between the more highly evolved 
or talented and original characters and the very ordinary, un¬ 
imaginative, and non-inventive persons among the civilized races. 
It is one of those traits which a developed humanity has evolved 
along with many other high faculties. This circumstance is one 
proof of the high improvability of the race, assuring us that there 
are yet greater heights to which character can attain. The many 
grades and degrees of this faculty observed among different indi¬ 
viduals of the civilized races, ranging all the way from a total de¬ 
ficiency to a highly-marked degree, show us that its development 
is still going on, and that as physiological evolution progresses the 
human mind develops in the same ratio. The bodies of the lowest 
races are in just the same defective state as are their minds. An 
examination of their bodily and facial features will confirm this 
statement. We have only to use our powers of observation, anal¬ 
ysis, and comparison, if we desire to verify any appearance in the 
human body or face which seems obscure. Our senses were given 
for this purpose, and when we refrain from using our powers in 
any department of our nature we decrease our ability in that direc¬ 
tion. “Use increases capacity,” hence we should not rely entirely 
upon others for moral support, logical deductions, comparison, 
or analysis, but put forth our own efforts, and thus by continu¬ 
ous attempts in higher directions develop a higher morality, more 

32 


498 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


mental acumen, and greater accuracy of all our powers and 
capacities. 

In studying the science of physiognomy, each one should 
observe for himself, and note whether the signs I give correspond 
with his own observations. If they do not appear to do so, he 
should renew his investigations until his observations are verified 
or disproved by incontrovertible evidence. Scientists are not in¬ 
fallible ; yet it is not unreasonable to presume that one who passes 
a life-time in the study of a particular department of Nature should 
know more about it, and collect more extended and accurate 
knowledge on the subject than the casual observer. Yet even 
these may discern phenomena which have escaped the notice of 
more attentive persons. All should endeavor to contribute some¬ 
thing to physiognomy and leave their discoveries as a legacy to 
generations yet unborn. It is in this manner that the great as¬ 
tronomers co-operate and leave their observations to be added to 
and built upon by those who follow. 

The direction which analytical power will take in each case 
is shown by other faculties in combination. If one possess the 
artistic combination, like Canova, he will best analyze artistic 
works. If the mechanical traits predominate, he will be adapted 
to the criticism and invention of mechanical objects. If the 
dramatic traits are pre-eminent, the analysis of character will he 
exemplified. If Color, Form, Size, and Imagination are domi¬ 
nant, we shall find exhibited the works of a Titian, a Carlo 
Dolci, or a Caracci. If the musical sense is greatly developed, 
Analysis assists in the separating and resolving into their con¬ 
stituent elements the principles of music. Where the literary 
faculties are large, it assists by simile, parable, allegory, and figures 
of speech the writings of the literary character. 

There are so many sorts of analytical power, and so many 
grades also, that it is impossible to represent them all by writing. 
They must be studied in the living subject. 

The situation of the sign for Analysis is noteworthy, and, 
taken in conjunction with its nearest neighbors, is highly signifi¬ 
cant and corroborative of its use and purpose. The sign for 
Mental Imitation adjoins Analysis, and is located just forward of 
it, while Ideality, Imagination (aesthetic taste) are quite close, 
and Sublimity, Human Nature, and Constructiveness are all in 
close proximity. Truly a wonderful group! This collection of 
signs thus arranged reveals to us why it is that the noses of artists, 
poets, inventors, musical composers, actors, litterateurs, and discov¬ 
erers are all so developed about the tip and septum, for here are 
congregated a band of noble assistants to the fine arts and useful 


MENTAL IMITATION. 


499 


professions. The development of this part of the nose discloses 
the course of evolution by ethnic characteristics, and teaches us 
that the noses of the most talented and the most useful of all the 
finer races advance into prominence and in complex configuration 
according as the character is enriched by the physiological devel¬ 
opment of the race. The impoverishment, mentally as well as 
physically, is disclosed more by the nose than by any other feature, 
although phrenologians would have us believe that the forehead 
presents greater proofs of the presence of intellect. I shall show 
before I finish these pages that large size of forehead is not proof 
of great intellect, and that, taken alone, it will not verify any such 
assumption; while the nose, taken alone, will not only disclose the 
kind of intellect with which one is endowed, but will also reveal 
its activity and give a correct idea of the respiratory, circulatory, 
and digestive powers as well. 

So much has been observed and recorded of the analytical 
powers of every species of animal that it is difficult to select in¬ 
stances to illustrate their possession of this trait, which the arrogance 
of man has assumed to be an exclusively human faculty. The 
Rev. J. G. Wood has collected a large number of anecdotes relat¬ 
ing to the mental and moral characteristics of animals, from which 
I extract the following, as showing that fertility of resource, 
ingenuity, and adaptability of means to ends are extended through¬ 
out the animal kingdom. He observes:— 

While a friend of mine was last week superintending his workmen in 
a wood, he observed his dog, a retriever, busily occupied in collecting mouth¬ 
fuls of hay and withered grass, and carrying it all to one spot. On going 
to examine it he found the deposit made was on a closely-coiled hedgehog. 
The dog, having attained his evident purpose of rendering the spines harm¬ 
less, proceeded to take up the heap with its contents, and then set olf tri¬ 
umphantly toward home. 

To this he adds:— 

No human being could have acted in a more judicious manner, and 
had a man saved his lingers by enveloping the hedgehog in grass he would 
not have felt particularly flattered if told that he had acted by instinct and 
not bv reason.* 

MENTAL IMITATION. 

Definition .—The capacity for imitating mental efforts, as in 
art, poetry, literature, science, and mechanism; the ability to 
imitate the voice, the walk, gestures, and human passions, as in the 
drama and in oratory; copying the appearances of Nature by the 
painter’s brush or sculptor’s chisel; the propensity to imitate the 

*Man and Beast, Here and Hereafter, Rev. J. G. Wood, p. 29. 


500 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


dress and customs of associates, and to “ catch the manners living 
as they rise” of those by whom surrounded. 

An excess of Imitation divests one of all originality, and, like 
the parrot, causes one to become the echo of others. 

A deficiency of imitative power makes one non-progressive 
and incapable of improvement by observation of the manners and 
customs of others, or by imitating superior methods in art, busi¬ 
ness, manners, dress, literature, etc. 

Facial and Bodily Signs .—The most pronounced facial sign 

for Mental Imitation is 
shown by the downward 
projection of the tip of the 
nose, just under the signs 
for Ideality and Sublimity, 
and forward of Analysis. 

The signs for Physical 
Imitation, or the capacity 
to imitate the voice, ges¬ 
ture, position, and move¬ 
ment, such as dancing, 
gymnastics, singing, acting, 
skating, and all athletics, 
are shown by a wide 
mouth, full lips, rounding 
limbs, muscular and flex¬ 
ible hands and tapering 
fingers, together with flexi¬ 
bility of the entire muscu¬ 
lar system. These latter 
signs denote that phase of 
the faculty of Imitation 
which assists dramatic ex¬ 
pression, oratory, and ath¬ 
letics generally, and can 
be instantly detected by the graceful attitudes and easy motions 
of the body and limbs. 

Description of Mental Imitation.— Close and extensive 
observation of the physiognomies of the most talented, creative, and 
original people discloses the fact that the nose at its lower part 
about the tip presents an appearance quite different from that 
observed in the noses of infants and of undeveloped races, and of 
those in civilized life who are stupid or commonplace, or wanting 
in originality and literary and artistic ability. The logic to be 
deduced from these phenomena is that there is a clear and distinct 



Fig. 68.—PETER CORNEILLE. (Dramatist and 

Poet.) 

Born in France, 1606. Conspicuous facial sign, Men¬ 
tal Imitation, shown by development of flesh under the 
tip of the nose. The law of the straight line and curve 
governs this countenance. The signs for Firmness, 
Conscientiousness, Love of Home, Patriotism, Benevo¬ 
lence, Approbativeness, Mirthfulness, Alimentiveness, 
Love of Young, Amativeness, Friendship, Color, and 
Modesty are all conspicuous. In the nose the signs for 
Mental Imitation, Hope, Analysis, Human Nature, 
Ideality, Acquisitiveness, Constructiveness, Sublimity, 
Veneration, Executiveness, Self-will, Form, and Size 
are large; while Observation, Language, Memory of 
Events, Order, and Intuition are well defined. The hair 
is in waves and rings,—a truly poetic condition. 


MENTAL IMITATION. 


501 


relation between the development of this part of the nose and the 
grade of intellectual development of the race or individuals among 
whom these appearances are discovered. Small, inferior, sharp- 
pointed noses, without literary or artistic talent, and a finely- 
developed, broad-tipped nose, with literary and intellectual endow¬ 
ments, are the indications by which these two distinct formations 
are known. 

What is the base of supply of Mental Imitation'? is the ques¬ 
tion which concerns us here and now. The muscular and brain 
systems are undoubtedly 
the origin of this faculty. 

To assure ourselves of the 
truth of this postulate we 
have only to look to the 
ethnic peculiarities of those 
races of men and animals 
which are lacking in Mental 
Imitation, and we shall 
find absence of both mus¬ 
cular and brain develop¬ 
ment, as well as sensitive¬ 
ness of the nervous system. 

Furthermore, if the tip of 
the nose, for example, is 
unusually developed in a 
race or individual it is 
logical to infer that it has 
more complex nervous re¬ 
lations and a more ex¬ 
tended nervous apparatus 
than are found in noses that 
are relatively small and 
undeveloped. I do not 
know that this has been 
demonstrated by actual ex¬ 
periment by dissections, but 

I do know that it is good physiological and anatomical logic, for 
Nature never evolves a feature without furnishing adequate 
nervous mechanism, as well as muscular and venous supports, 
when required to perform a certain task. Every sign in the face 
has a very long tale behind it,—has a physiological history, which 
must be read in order to understand its origin. Now, development 
of the nose, more particularly of the point of the nose, is revealed 
only in those races whose general development (by evolution) 



Fig. 


69.—WILKIE COLLINS. 

Novelist.) 


(Dramatist and 


Born in England. Conspicuous facial sign, Mental 
Imitation. The law of the straight line and curve gov¬ 
erns this physiognomy. The appearance of the upper 
portion of the face gives us a tolerably good idea as to 
the formation of the lower third, where are situated the 
signs for the moral and domestic traits. These are all 
well developed. The writings of Mr. Collins prove that 
these sentiments held a large place in his nature. The 
mental signs in the nose are most clearly defined. Hope, 
Analysis, Mental Imitation, Ideality, Sublimity, Con¬ 
structiveness, Acquisitiveness, Veneration, Executive¬ 
ness, and Self-will are most decidedly developed ; while 
Prescience, Form, Size, Observation, Locality, Lan¬ 
guage, Music, Order, Memory of Events, and Intuition 
combine to make this mind a first-class power in the 
literature of fiction. 



502 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


lias advanced to a very high grade as compared to the lowest 
races, hence we are justified in ascribing the*development of the 
power to copy mental efforts to, first, general development of the 
entire body and mind, and, second, to a special development of 
this particular capacity for art, literature, etc. Now, these branches 
of human knowledge must have not only the assistance of sensi¬ 
tive nerves, but also the aid of well-developed flexible muscles ; 
therefore, the signs for Mental Imitation are found located in and 
revealing themselves by the muscles and nerves of the point of the 
nose, and in the muscles rounding out at the side of the forehead 
and in the orbicularis oris, or the muscle around the mouth which 
assists it in opening and closing, together with the levator zygo- 
maticus major and minor muscles, and muscles of the face which 
pull the orbicularis up and down. 

Here is given in brief the origin and physiological meaning 
of the signs for Mental Imitation. The signs in the nose and 
forehead are the indications of the capacity for thought, for the 
creation of mental imagery, as in plays, fiction, essays, history, etc.; 
while the signs in the mouth , limbs , and hands are evidences of 
the physical phase of imitative talent, and indicate the ability to 
copy the walk, gesture, attitude, and position, as well as the power 
to reproduce vocal effects, both human and animal. 

The singer, elocutionist, and orator must have a fine mus¬ 
cular development in order to produce well-modulated, sonorous, 
and long-continued vocality. They must have, also, sensitive, 
musical ears in order to receive and imitate the sounds which they 
reproduce. The ventriloquist relies upon a peculiar construc¬ 
tion of the muscles and cartilages of the vocal organs and acute¬ 
ness of hearing. The best actors possess round muscles. These 
are essential to the expression of the most graceful attitudes and 
gestures. The voice in its pitch, modulation, and changes in imi¬ 
tating the vocal characteristics of various characters is dependent on 
fine flexible muscle for its power. It may be argued by those who 
are not closely observant and highly analytic that Irving, the actor, 
is thin and not muscular. Now, the fact is that he possesses long 
and flat muscles and square bones. This combination would seem, 
to one not experienced in analyzing anatomical differences, that 
he was not muscular, as flat muscles never produce the fullness 
and roundness of contour which characterize the round form of 
muscle. Yet, the muscle in him is relatively greater than the bony 
structure; hence, his power for gesture, vocality, etc. The reader 
may look for the nasal sign for Mental Imitation in the physiog¬ 
nomies of Dickens, Lotta, Bernhardt, Ellen Terry, Edwin Booth, 
Dore, Byron, Guido, Beni, Tom Taylor, Tourguienieff, George 


MENTAL IMITATION. 


503 


Eliot, Harriet Martineau, and hosts of others of the literary and 
artistic classes. 

All features are subject to the modifying action of the law 
of quality ; hence, in reading a character the quality must be taken 
into account before pronouncing upon the capacity of any indi- 
vidual. Then, too, the other traits in combination must be noted 
in order to know which particular branch of Mental Imitation will 
be manifested in a given subject. The quality of Mental Imitation 
exhibited by a professional “ negro minstrel,” for example, would 
not be comparable to the quality of a Salvini nor a Booth. 
Neither would the writer of crude verses be found equal in texture 
to the gifted Mrs. Hemans. We must study and consider quality 
as well as size in all cases. The man who is mainly imitative of 
the voice, walk, and gesture of a negro or Irishman merely would 
not rank nearly so high as he who could portray with accuracy 
and fidelity the character of an Othello, a Hamlet, or a Richelieu. 
Some persons possessed of a certain degree of Mental Imitation 
are incapable of any higher form than the merely physical part 
of imitation, and exhibit a taste for athletics, marksmanship, rowing, 
ball-playing, gymnastics, etc. In such subjects the sides of the 
forehead will be observed to curve outward, showing the develop¬ 
ment of the round muscles, which are always indicative of a more 
sportive and playful character than are the flat muscles. 

The term Mental Imitation as here employed does not mean 
that the mental efforts of other individuals will be copied, but that 
imitation will pursue those lines of mental labor to which their 
natural capacities are best adapted. They will excel in descriptions 
by pen and brush of Nature’s works, originate thoughts in regard 
to character, government, science, and history. Yet the faculty 
tends to the reproduction of the mental efforts of ancestors or 
others. 

In society, this form of imitation leads to the copying after 
and following the manners, language, and dress of others. Teachers 
depend upon the imitative faculty in their scholars to reproduce 
the mental efforts which they exhibit in teaching. It does not 
necessarily follow that this imitation shall be a servile and exact 
• copy of the teacher’s model. If this were the way in which 
imitation showed itself, every child would be the precise model 
of its teacher. The individuality of each person is preserved while 
studying to imitate the manners and expressions of others, and in 
all persons of any considerable degree of original analytic power 
these imitations appear as original, through the transmutation 
which they have undergone while being digested and wrought out 
by other minds. All those who are possessed of a fair share of 


504 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


individuality originate their own style of saying and doing, while, 
the very mediocre follow a set pattern and become mere copyists of 
their teachers and those whom they strive to imitate. Genius creates 
on so large a scale and in so distinct a manner as to be worthy of 
the term original. The grand creative minds in all departments 
of art, science, and literature have served as models for thousands, 
yet are unapproachable. True genius and talent are never afraid 
of plagiarism, for individuality is stamped so strongly upon the 
works and thoughts of master-minds as to make perfect imitation 
impossible. 

The signs for literary and artistic faculties are so closely 
grouped together about the tip of the nose as to make the task 
of* deciphering the mental hieroglyphics here located a matter of 
very close observation. A life-time would scarcely suffice to 
describe all the meanings of this one feature. Every person 
presents a different combination of traits, and close scrutiny of 
even a dozen noses will soon show the student of physiognomy 
that he has a fine field for Mental Imitation and Analysis if he 
would separate and then put together into one character the traits 
which this feature alone reveals. It would show to the student 
how certain traits influence his actions and how certain other traits, 
discernible in the nose, modify other faculties found in combination. 
“Nosology” alone is a great science, and when one wishes to 
enter the field of physiognomical research, with the view of teach¬ 
ing it, he must be a student of many other sciences before attempt¬ 
ing to expound this one. A high knowledge of anatomy and 
physiology, evolution, hygiene, and heredity must be had before 
the crowning study of all sciences is attempted. To approach 
the temple of human science by any other route will result in 
ignorance and failure. I have shown that every faculty has a long 
physiological story pertaining to its origin and progress, hence 
every good teacher must be conversant with such history in order 
to teach it in its entirety and in order to understand its full 
import. What is here written is not intended to discourage 
readers from teaching and imparting to their children and friends 
what they have learned and mastered of the science. I am speak¬ 
ing more directly to those who would pursue physiognomy as a 
profession. Little children can and should be taught the indica¬ 
tions of signs in the face by their parents, also the meaning of 
outlines, of colors, or sizes, and the different characteristics per¬ 
taining to the several formations of bone, muscle, fat, nerve, etc. 
A father walking with his son in the public streets can utilize the 
opportunity and teach him the meanings revealed by the several 
shapes of the shoulders, heads, limbs, and walk of those before 


MENTAL IMITATION. 


505 


him, and thus commence the education of this science in youth, in 
order that the child shall grow up to man’s estate armed with such 
knowledge of his associates as will enable him to cultivate those 
characters most desirable and most in harmony with himself, and 
avoid those who would prove a detriment to him in business, society, 
or in marriage. In order that children shall not be slavish imitators, 
parents and teachers should instruct them to do everything as nearly 
in a spontaneous manner as possible. They should urge them to 
try experiments after receiving a few hints or suggestions from 
those more experienced; yet, to imitate the nice manners, fine 
conversation, graceful walk, and appropriate gestures of their 
associates is most commendable. 

This is one of the normal uses of Imitation. It tends to im¬ 
provement. Reading biography and imitating the methods and 
habits of inventors and navigators are excellent uses of this pliant 
faculty. After reading the life of Lady Jane Grey I was so stim¬ 
ulated to be as learned as she in languages that I learned in child¬ 
hood the Hebrew alphabet, which I found at the head of the 
Psalms in the book of “Common Prayer;” the Greek letters, 
which I discovered in a college text-book; while the French and 
German alphabets I learned from children of those nationalities. 
As I had no teachers, I could not then advance very far in this 
direction, but I have always been stimulated to mental efforts by 
reading or hearing of the labors of others; hence, biography is an 
excellent study and stimulus for children as well as adults. 

The successful writer of children’s stories and games must 
have large Imitation in order to imitate and reproduce the feelings, 
language, and manners of the young. Like the actor, lie must be 
able to enter into and sympathize with the feelings of those he 
would depict. Imitating the facial expressions, gestures, and walk 
of any given character will produce the sort of feeling or senti¬ 
ment appropriate to that gesture, walk, or expression of that char¬ 
acter. Let one throw the face into the expression adapted to the 
representation of languor, joy, sorrow, rage, or fear, and it will be 
impossible for him to divest himself entirely of each of these feel¬ 
ings while thus engaged. Sir Charles Bell has remarked this, 
and I have often made the experiment myself and can vouch for 
its truth. Imitation of any passion or emotion, or of any particu¬ 
lar character, brings with it, in a certain degree, the feelings of* that 
emotion or passion. 

Animals of both high and low grade possess the faculty of 
Mental Imitation as well developed as that of physical imita¬ 
tion. Among the various dog tribes some are trained to per¬ 
form in public, and do so with a great deal of skill. Others are 


506 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


bred to the chase and use a great deal of reason, self-denial, 
and analytical power in adapting themselves to new conditions 
under new circumstances, and show great fertility of mental re¬ 
source in assisting their masters. Birds are taught to sing and 
whistle and imitate the notes of other birds, while the parrot and 
mocking-bird are wonderful examples of the power of Mental 
Imitation in animals. Hr. Lindsay mentions the case of a paro¬ 
quet that could speak several languages, and swear when it was 
enraged in both French and English. Of ants, it has been re¬ 
marked by Darwin that “ so high is their intelligence that in many 
senses they may be ranked with man.” Elephants show a very 
high degree of both Mental and Physical Imitation, being trained 
to assist in many mechanical labors and in warfare, where they show 
great ingenuity. Orangs have been trained to imitate human beings 
at table, and spread their napkin over their breast, sit upright, 
and take the cup, fork, spoon, and knife with all the dexterity if 
not the grace of a gentleman. Even tleas have been trained to 
perform in public, and small birds are taught to draw up water in 
little shells attached to a string when thev want to drink. The 
fact that nearly every sort of animal and insect possesses both 
Mental and Physical Imitation is well known to all who have 
made any observation of their habits. Animals are possessed of 
all the traits which man exhibits, and surpass him in some of them. 

SUBLIMITY. 

“Look, then, abroad through Nature to the range 
Of planets, suns, and adamantine spheres, 

Wheeling unshaken through the void immense.”— Akenside. 

Definition .—The sense of grandeur and magnificence; no¬ 
bility and loftiness of character; exaltation; appreciation of im¬ 
mensity ; love and perception of the grand and sublime in Nature 
and character; comprehension of broad and vast schemes, plans, and 
systems, whether commercial, financial, governmental, scientific, or 
artistic; understanding of the far-reaching power of God’s laws, 
as evidenced in the immensity of Nature. It is large in astrono¬ 
mers, inventors, mechanicians, epic poets, historical painters, great 
orators, and talented composers, naturalists, and scientists. 

Its excess is shown by an inflated and extravagant style of 
writing and speaking. It also leads to too large plans in business 
which, unless dominated by reason and practicality, end in disaster. 

Its deficiency tends to narrowness of thought and deed, and 
divests the character of a sense of the grand and heroic; its 
absence is shown by low, petty, groveling, and commonplace 
ideas and actions. 1 his class of minds have no conception of the 


SUBLIMITY. 


507 


majesty of Nature, nor can they appreciate and understand the 
motives and character of those who move in the higher realms of 
life. 

Facial and Bodily Signs .—The most decided facial sign for 
Sublimity is seen in the peculiar development of the tip of the 
nose, causing the outer corners at the tip to be rounded and full 
externally to the signs for Ideality. Large, full eyes are a sec¬ 
ondary sign, while symmetry and general high development of 
the body and mind are usually accompanied by a fair share of 
Sublimity. 

Description of Sublimity.— As we have now advanced in 
our investigation of faculties into the literary and artistic group, 
the facial signs for which are situated in the lower third of the 
nose, at and about the tip, and, as we leave behind the study of the 
merely vegetative or domestic sentiments, we shall expect to find 
artistic, scientific, and literary signs in the countenances of those 
whose life-efforts attest the presence of the faculties best adapted'to 
the creation and exhibition of such works. 

Undeveloped persons and races reveal a very slight degree of 
the faculties the signs of which are so prominent here, yet many 
animals exhibit fine, artistic, and mechanical skill in the building 
of their homes and nests, as witness the beaver’s dam, the mole’s 
burrow, and the wonderfully ingenious nests of birds, spiders, 
ants, and bees. By comparing the talents and works of developed 
men and perfected animals with the works of undeveloped men 
and the lower animals, we shall find that evolution is the force or 
factor which has advanced certain races to such states of physical or 
physiological and anatomical perfection as to enable them to excel 
in thought and deed, in plan and performance, those who have 
remained at a much lower grade of physiological development. 

Accordingly, we find that those fine constructive traits, the 
signs of which are seen in the noses of the greatest of the human 
race, are accompanied by bodies whose structure warrants us in 
believing that function and faculty develop pari passu , and thus it 
is that in those endowed with large Sublimity we observe the de¬ 
velopment of a fine quality of the muscles, also a fine and sensi¬ 
tive quality of the brain and nervous system, and this development 
always makes' its impress upon the nose by creating greater breadth 
at the tip. The more we investigate the science of physiognomy, 
the more we shall become cognizant of the fact that advance of 
intelligence is always registered in the nasal organ, and the signs 
here displayed can be corroborated by reference to the structure 
of all parts of the body, as well as by observing the quality of 
the organism, Sublimity being the exclusive faculty of the most 


508 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


developed minds, and being also the trait that is characteristic of all 
those who are endowed with the capacity for comprehending and 
reproducing mental and material pictures of the vast and bound¬ 
less works of Nature, we should naturally expect to find them 
furnished with bodies and faces in marked contrast to those who are 
mean, sordid, servile, miserly, currish, narrow, stupid, and obsti¬ 
nate. That there is a wide difference in the nasal appearance of 
these two classes can be easily demonstrated. Let the reader place 

before him portraits of the 
most distinguished poets, 
painters, actors, heroes, 
orators, astronomers, phi¬ 
losophers, scientists, dis¬ 
coverers, and inventors by 
the side of a similar number 
of sneak-thieves, cowards, 
stupid and commonplace 
persons, and he will find 
that the bodies and coun¬ 
tenances of the former are 
quite different in appear¬ 
ance from the latter; he 
will find that the structure 
of the bodies of the former 
is more harmoniously pro¬ 
portioned ; he will observe 
that the face is more sym¬ 
metrical, and, above all, he 
will discover that the nose, 


conclusions which we draw 
from the above in regard 
to the origin of Sublimity 
are that this faculty is dependent upon an equilibrated and per¬ 
fected development of the mind and body. Now, I do not use the 
term perfected as expressing an absolute condition of perfection, but 
in a relative sense: I mean that one class of those mentioned are 
more advanced structurally,—are on a higher plane of evolutionary 
progression than those who are totally lacking in this trait. 

The mental phase of Sublimity will now be discussed. One 
of the greatest aids to the scientist, who passes his time in project- 


particnlarly at the tip, is 
quite different in appear¬ 
ance every way from that 
of the lower class. The 



Fig. 70.—SIR JOHN FREDERICK WILLIAM HER- 
SCHEL. (Astronomer.) 

Born in England, 1792. Conspicuous facial sign. 
Sublimity, shown by rounclness and width of the tip of 
the nose. The law of the straight line, square, and 
curve governs this face. In this great countenance we 
observe general development, The quality is very high. 
The signs for Conscientiousness, Firmness, Patriotism, 
Love of Home, Love of Young, Benevolence, Economy, 
Alimentiveness, Sanativeness, Self-esteem, and Friend¬ 
ship are well defined; while the mental signs in the 
nose, Sublimity, Mental Imitation, Hope, Analysis, 
Constructiveness, Acquisitiveness, Veneration, Execu¬ 
tiveness, and Self-will are uncommonly conspicuous. 
The faculties which create mathematical and geometri¬ 
cal ability are also large. Observe the signs for Form, 
Size, Weight, Locality, Calculation, Order, Time, and 
Memory of Events; while Reason and Intuition are of 
the highest order. The hair is corroborative of genius, 
being luxuriant and falling in a unique and strongly 
individualized manner. 


SUBLIMITY. 


509 


ing his mental vision through the regions of space, is the faculty 
of Sublimity, or the appreciation of the grand in Nature and the 
illimitable and infinite in eternity. This sense is as useful to the 
astronomer as to the poet, and imparts as much enjoyment to him 
who revels in the knowledge of the infinitely great in this world 
as to the prophet who foresees and foretells the glories of the 
coming of the Kingdom of Heaven. The difference between 
these two persons is that one sees with the natural eye through 
the telescope, and the other 
with the eye of the mind, 
through an exalted con¬ 
dition of the faculties of 
Credenciveness, Veneration, 
and Sublimity. In the case 
of the scientist the eye will 
be found relatively small, 
exact, and sheltered under 
a bony ridge, as are the 
eyes of good mechanics; 
while the eyes of prophets 
will be found large, bright, 
and in a “fine frenzy roll¬ 
ing,” as is often seen in the 
physiognomies of poets and 
religious fanatics. 

Sublimity gives to the 
character the love for the 
grand, majestic, and expan¬ 
sive in Nature, and the 
capacity to appreciate or 
enact the noble, heroic, and 
elevated in conduct and 
sentiment. It is adapted to 
the comprehension of the 
boundless range and com¬ 
pass of Nature’s illimitable space, and this is why it is' found large 
in the character of astronomers, naturalists, and mechanical in¬ 
ventors. These classes of beings must have a trait which enables 
them to comprehend vast and mighty systems of laws, and this no 
narrow-minded person could do. Sublimity is a quality also of 
the patriotic orator, as well as of many of his hearers, whose feel¬ 
ings are aroused to action by the sublime utterances of a Webster, 
a Calhoun, a Patrick Henry, or a Pitt. Whenever the earnest 
orator is warmed to his highest pitch he meets with a ready response 







Fig. 71.—CHARLES DARWIN. (Naturalist, 
Discoverer, and Author.) 

Boni in England, 1809. Conspicuous facial sign. 
Sublimity. The law of the straight line, square, and 
curve governs this face. The signs for the osseous sys¬ 
tem, which is one of the dominant systems of this or¬ 
ganism, assure us that the moral arid domestic traits 
are normal. The nose is uncommonly developed, and 
exhibits large signs for Mental Imitation, Analysis, 
Ideality, Sublimity, Acquisitiveness, and Constructive¬ 
ness ; while Veneration, Executiveness, and Self-will are 
only of average size. Form and Size are very large. Ob¬ 
servation is most uncommonly developed. Locality, 
Order, Memory of Events, Reason, and Intuition are of 
the highest order. The wrinkles of the forehead reveal 
honesty, honor, morality, and genius. Mr. Darwin’s life 
was characterized by usefulness, patient industry, deep 
research, love of truth and purity, and a mild, well- 
balanced disposition. 



510 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


from his listeners and kindles like emotions in their minds. All 
faculties have a dual action,—the one being executive and exhib¬ 
ited by acting or doing, the other being appreciative and mani¬ 
fested by feeling, enjoying, and criticising. While one can write 
a poem, others who cannot thus express their feelings often appre¬ 
ciate and enjoy it more than the one who writes it. 

Sublimity, like Ideality, is an attribute of old and perfected 
races, and its sign is quite generally observed in the faces of the 
Hebrew race. In them (as the majority of them are commercial- 
ists) it assumes the form of vast business enterprises , and when¬ 
ever commercialists indicate the possession of this faculty they will 
invariably undertake grand schemes for the acquisition of wealth, 
as witness the Rothschilds and Baron de Hirsch, who have banking 
houses in many of the large cities of Europe, and who deal on a large 
scale with governments. Their ideas of grandeur will be confined, 
of course, to material tilings, yet when they evince a taste for the 
fine arts it will show itself in a love for oratory and grand music, 
in the building of massive structures, and in the purchase of mag¬ 
nificent works of art, such as colossal statuary, paintings that 
depict battle-scenes or great tragedies, etc. The prophets and 
poets of the Hebrew race, those whose writings express in the 
Psalms of the Old Testament the most exalted sentiments, assure 
us that they possessed an appreciation of the glorious and stupen¬ 
dous works of God. The Hebrew race has given to the world 
some of its sweetest singers, its most gifted dramatists and actresses, 
its grandest composers, its noblest philanthropists, and its most 
princely and successful bankers. Its physiognomical peculiarities 
tell us that it is a developed race, and the proof of this fact is 
within the reach of all who can lay aside prejudice and put scien¬ 
tific demonstration in its place. Among the musical composers 
of the race I may mention Meyerbeer, Mendelssohn, Sir Julius 
Benedict, Sir Michael Costa, and Halevy; of its singers, Pasta. 
Among its tragediennes, Mdlles. Rachel and Bernhardt and Adolphe 
Sonnental; of its writers, the names of Grace Aguilar, novelist; 
Heinrich Heine, Spinoza, Moses Mendelssohn, philosophic writers ; 
Emma Lazarus, poetess; Benjamin D’lsraeli, statesman and 
novelist; and Isaac Adolphe Cremieux, counselor, are well known. 
Among the great philanthropists the names of Sir Moses Monti- 
fiore and Baron de Hirsch will ever stand for all that is sympa¬ 
thetic and magnificently generous. The race has developed many 
fine painters and sculptors, among them Toby Rosenthal, painter, 
and Moses Ezekiel, sculptor, are renowned. Chief among its 
modern orators the fiery Gambetta stands supreme. Its princely 
bankers, the Rothschilds, are world-renowned. 


SUBLIMITY. 


511 


These modern names are more than matched by the host of 
talented Hebrews, gifted in every art and science, who flourished 
in Spain from the eleventh to the fourteenth centuries, the true 
“golden age” of Hebrew intellect. 

Every true poet must possess the sense of Sublimity in order 
to bring his mind in unison with the awful and majestic, as ex¬ 
hibited by Nature in her grandest and wildest moods. The roar 
of the mighty ocean, the rush of the deadly cyclone, the terrific 
thunder-peal and vivid lightning-flash, must arouse the poet to 
that degree of intensity that his soul is stimulated to pour forth in 
grandest verse the exalted expressions which such scenes inspire. 
It is these vast operations of .Nature that have given the impulse 
to the inspired writings of Homer, Hesiod, Sappho, Dante, Shelley, 
and Byron. It was Sublimity permeating every sense which gave 
to Michael Angelo the power to portray the sublime “Transfigura¬ 
tion of Christ” exhibited in the Vatican. It was the same faculty 
which impelled Guido Beni to give to the world the magnificent 
“Aurora,” to be seen in the Palazzo Bospigliozi at Borne, and the 
spirit of this sentiment can be discerned in the message which he 
sent to the Cappucini at Borne, with his celebrated picture of 
St. Michael. He wrote thus:— 

I wish I had had the wings of an angel, to have ascended into Paradise 
and there to have beholden the forms of those beatified spirits from which 
I might have copied my archangel, but not being able to mount so high I 
was forced to make an introspection into my own mind , and into that idea of 
beauty which I have formed in my own imagination.* 

The highest constructive talent without Sublimity could never 
have guided the chisel of Praxitiles or Phidias, produced the 
Colossus of Bhodes, nor left to posterity the pyramids and sphynx 
of Egypt, and other gigantic works of art exhibited in the old world. 

The sense of the sublime is not by any means confined to the 
poet, prophet, painter, and scientist. Many persons unknown to 
fame are gifted with a sense of the majesty and splendor of art, 
Nature, and human character. Were it not so, the poet would 
sing for himself alone, the painter would lack appreciation, the 
orator move no audience, and the scientist would have solitary 
enjoyment of the grand truths of Nature which he discovers. All 
through every community there are beings whose every-day life is 
tinctured with this noble trait, giving them larger views of life, of 
conduct, and of moral heroism, impelling them to act in the large 
and noble charities which disasters by flood, fire, and famine 
originate. Sublimity creates the desire to be the largest merchant 
or manufacturer, or stimulates the deathless ambition of some 

* Painters and Sculptors, Mrs. Clement, p. 496. 


512 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


youthful Edison, Watt, or Fulton, to send his name and inventive 
benefactions adown the stream of time. 

Wherever we find large Sublimity in combination with large 
intellectual and mechanical faculties, the mind will be comprehen¬ 
sive and take a wide range of thought. Such a mind was Newton’s; 
hence it was well adapted to the comprehension and discovery of 
one of the greatest, if not the most important law of Nature, 
viz., the law of gravitation. 

In the speeches and writings of those who possess a large 
measure of Sublimity we find often the most exaggerated and ex¬ 
travagant expressions. In the case of orators and poets this is 
quite appropriate, but in the every-day speech of private life such 
language tends to make one bombastic, inexact, and untrustworthy. 
Such persons should endeavor to tone down their descriptions to 
the plane of truth and practicality. 

The cultivation of Sublimity, where it is deficient, can be 
attempted by visiting and viewing majestic scenery, such as high 
mountains, grand waterfalls, the raging ocean, spacious landscapes, 
listening to fine orations, inspecting the noblest works of art, and 
by associating with those whose lives, conduct, and conversation 
illustrate the faculty of Sublimity. The influence of locality has 
much to do with the development of this faculty. It is larger 
relatively in those who occupy mountainous regions than in those 
who live in the plains, unless they live near the ocean and feel 
the influence of its mighty, rushing waters. This develops and 
strengthens the sense of infinitude, and imparts more expansive 
ideas than are exhibited by those who live in narrow valleys or 
flat, level spaces. 

Those who exhibit a large degree of Sublimity will, as a rule, 
in selecting a site for a residence, manifest it by building on an 
eminence where they have a view of the surrounding country. 
They will be the happier and more contented by the indulgence 
of this sentiment. It will prevent loneliness and often supply the 
place of human companionship. Where this trait is small and 
the practical faculties dominant, a convenient place will be the one 
most sought. 

The combinations of traits found with Sublimity influence 
man in many ways. With large Ideality, Language, and Con¬ 
structiveness, a taste for poetic composition will be exhibited; with 
large Veneration, he will bow in adoration before the mighty 
manifestations of God’s power; with large Locality added to large 
Sublimity, he will enjoy traveling, and will make great efforts 
to visit the most noted scenes, such as the Alps, the Yosemite, 
Niagara, the Garden of the Gods, etc., and will in communion 


SUBLIMITY. 


513 


with such scenes feel “ mightily lifted up ” and overpowered by the 
stupendous architecture of God; with Human Nature added, he 
will love to listen to heroic deeds, and, with large Conscien¬ 
tiousness and Veneration, will enjoy the writings of the great 
moral and religious reformers, and will participate in moral move¬ 
ments for the benefit of mankind; with a mechanical mind and 
large Time and Calculation, he will display a taste for astronomy, 
and, with Constructiveness added, ability for invention. 

The higher animals, no doubt, share with men in a limited 
degree this sentiment, for surely the fleet deer and chamois occu¬ 
pying the mountain heights must possess a higher comprehension 
of vastness than the cattle confined to a plain or a barn-yard. The 
recognition of man as a superior being on the part of our domestic 
animals imparts to them ideas of superiority akin to the sublimity 
of feeling which actuates man in his belief in a Deity and in 
hero-worship and in his veneration for the great. 

The position of the facial sign for Sublimity is significant of 
its office in the human mind. Its nearest neighbor is Ideality, 
while Human Nature, Mental Imitation, Analysis, Hope, and 
Constructiveness are in close proximity, thus showing the character 
of the company in which Sublimity is found. These faculties are 
all natural allies, and assist each other. 

Sublimity and Ideality grace the speech and writings of all 
great minds, while the orator, sculptor, and painter are indebted to 
them for the beauty and grandeur which distinguish their works, 
and which render them immortal. The inventor, too, must needs 
have a large share of Sublimity in his composition in order to be 
able to comprehend the vast and complex chain of laws which 
connects all departments of Nature. He must be able to realize 
the universality of their application, and know how to apply the 
laws of mathematics, chemistry, force, resistance, motion, gravity, 
equilibrium, polarization, pneumatics, hydrostatics, acoustics, pyro- 
nomics, magnetism, and electricity. These sciences are vast and 
complex, and governed by natural mechanical laws, the principles 
of which must be understood by the inventor and by the intelligent 
mechanic. The action of these laws extends throughout space, 
and the force of gravity, together with the laws of centripetal and 
centrifugal motion, not only hold the entire solar system true 
in space, but are the controlling principles in the mechanism 
made by the hands of man. It is thus shown that in the invention 
of machinery and in the application of the great mechanical forces 
of Nature the discoverer and inventor must possess sufficient of 
the faculty of Sublimity to enable him to comprehend the far- 
reaching results and action of these laws, powers, and forces. 

33 


514 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


An examination of the physiognomies of the most celebrated 
inventors, discoverers, architects, and mechanics will disclose the 
lower third of the nose well developed and the sign for Sublimity 
most decided. How can it be otherwise, when we know that 
minds of the highest order only are capable of comprehending and 
applying the grand principles revealed in Nature’s laws'? For 
this reason I claim that the greatest minds of the age, those most 
conducive to a high civilization, are the inventors, mechanics, and 
scientists. They rank higher than artists, musicians, sculptors, 
painters, poets, and actors in usefulness, in breadth of intellect, in 
integrity, and in the knowledge of God’s immutable and eternal 
laws. Their characters must be based on Conscientiousness in 
order to be in harmony with the truths of Nature , for one with 
small Conscientiousness cannot enter into the spirit of the truths 
of Nature to the extent that one can who has large Conscientious¬ 
ness added to large mechanical abilities. Let the reader scan the 
physiognomies of the following-named persons and he will observe 
an excellent development of the sign for Sublimity, varying in size 
according to the several systems of functions in combination. The 
local facial sign for Sublimity may be found in the portraits of Sir 
Christopher Wren, architect; Sebastian Vauban, French civil engi¬ 
neer; Benjamin Franklin, mechanical discoverer; Leonard Euler, 
astronomer; also the Herschels, father and son, astronomers; 
James Watt, inventor; Bichard Arkwright, inventor; Dr. Edward 
Jenner, discoverer; James P. Joule, chemical discoverer; Thomas 
Alva Edison, electrician; Dr. Louis Pasteur, discoverer; James B. 
Eadds, architect; C. H. McCormick, inventor; John A. Boebling, 
civil engineer; Elias Howe, inventor of the sewing-machine; Dr. 
William Harvey, discoverer of the circulation of the blood; Prof. 
S. F. B. Morse, inventor and discoverer. I might mention scores 
of others whose portraits denote the presence of the faculty of 
Sublimity, all of which serves to show that this trait assists the 
useful and practical purposes of life, and is one distinguishing 
feature of developed minds and bodies. 

IDEALITY. 

Definition. —Imagination, taste, love, and appreciation of the 
beautiful in art and Nature; sense of propriety, neatness, and re¬ 
finement ; love of perfection ; capacity for improvement in esthetic 
tastes; desire for finish, completeness, and thoroughness. 

Its excess makes one fastidious, punctilious, squeamish, hyper¬ 
critical, over-nice,—more nice than wise,—and causes loathing, 
disgust, and disdain for the low and vulgar; gives a love for the 


IDEALITY. 


515 


unreal, creates an excess of imagination and gushing sentiment, 
and imparts a dislike for the realities of life. 

Its deficiency is shown by boorishness, lowness, vulgarity, 
coarseness of language and manners, lack of taste and imagina¬ 
tion, and slight appreciation of the beauties of art and Nature. 
Those greatly deficient are wanting in polish and refinement, and 
are unsuited to the study of the fine arts. They also take a com¬ 
monplace or utilitarian view of everything, and some are charac¬ 
terized by an angularity of appearance, awkwardness of manner, 
and eccentricity of conduct. 

Facial and Bodily Signs. —The most reliable, and decisive 
facial sign for Ideality is indicated by width of the tip of the nose. 
This sign is relative. Where the quality of the subject is fine and 
the mental system predominant, the nose does not present as great 
width as when the muscular system is dominant, for fineness of the 
brain and nerve system is always accompanied by relatively less 
size of the facial signs, particularly of the nasal signs. Other and 
secondary signs are known by a straight outline of the nose; fine¬ 
ness of the texture of the skin; finely-arched, long, narrow, and 
even eyebrows; large, bright, clear eyes; graceful walk; elegant 
and appropriate gestures ; clear and sweet intonations of the voice; 
fine, natural manners; aesthetic taste in dress, furniture, adorn¬ 
ments, and surroundings; ideal, poetic, and imaginative language ; 
neatness and good taste in domestic or other matters, and love of 
poetry, flowers, paintings, statuary, etc. 

Description of Ideality.— The physiological basis of Ideality 
is found (as are all the faculties the signs of which are situated 
about the tip of the nose) to be in the general development of the 
quality of the brain and nerve system ; hence, it is the distinguish¬ 
ing characteristic of those persons and races that have attained by 
evolution to a certain degree of fineness and keenness of sensation, 
which puts them en rapport with the finer aspects of the works of 
Nature and of Nature’s imitations in art. 

The sign for Ideality has scarcely a rudimentary appearance 
in the noses of undeveloped races, and many persons in civilized 
races manifest very little sense of the ideal, the imaginative, and 
tasteful. Reference to the noses of such will show either a sharp, 
gimlet-like form at the tip, or, if the end of the nose be flat, blunt, 
and broad, as with the negro, the inherited quality will be seen at 
a glance to be of a low order; the skin and hair will be coarse, 
and the voice, language, manners, walk, and gestures will cor¬ 
roborate the face in its indications. We are now dealing with traits 
of quality , and a progressed evolution always raises the nose high 
above the plane of the face; therefore, wherever the sign for 


516 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Ideality is found large the nose will not only be broad at the tip, 
but it will be relatively high. No feature ol the face so marks the 
presence of mentality of the finer sort as a nose developed in its 
lower third. Particularly is this shown by height and width, to¬ 
gether with that peculiar configuration which shows that the signs 
for Mental Imitation, Analysis, Hope, Sublimity, and Constructive- 
ness are large. Some ideal noses present a square-cut appearance, 
while others that have Sublimity large in combination exhibit a 

rounded appearance at the 
sides of the tip. This is 
more particularly the form 
of the tip of the noses of 
those artists whose sub¬ 
lime works of art, inven¬ 
tion, and discovery have 
immortalized them. The 
reader is referred to the 
portraits of the master¬ 
minds in all these fields 
of labor. 

A secondary base of 
Ideality is to be found in 
that peculiar, fine quality 
of the muscular system 
which gives fineness, flexi- 
hilitv, and sensitiveness to 
its motions, and also that 
degree of flexibility of 
joints as well as of muscles 
which allows a free and 
easy movement of all parts, 
and which has the muscu¬ 
lar sense so developed as to 
aid the automatic motions 
which the musician, painter, 
singer, dancer, linguist, 
actor, elocutionist, orator, and inventor must have to carry forward 
their work. In each of these classes the muscles must be so 
responsive as to become spontaneously automatic, and respond 
intuitively and involuntarily, as it were (after a certain number 
of repetitions), to the sensations which call them forth. 

Another secondary base is found in the high development of 
the sexual instinct, which in its refined state creates love of the 
beautiful of the opposite sex and a desire to reproduce it physically, 



Fig. 72.—REV. PHILLIPS BROOKS, D.D. 
turer, Preacher, Writer.) 


(Lec- 


Conspicuous facial sign, Ideality, shown by the 
width of the tip of the nose. The law of straight 
line and curve governs the face. Economy, Con¬ 
scientiousness, Modesty, Love of Young and Coun¬ 
try, Friendship, Perseverance, Love of Time, Order, 
Memory of Events, Intuition, Pneumativeness, 
Benevolence, Amativeness, Analysis, Hope are all 
strongly developed. All who heard or have read 
the life of Phillips Brooks have felt an inspiration 
from the qualities of this man which give so much 
for such apparent small returns and his life work, 
however, has had far reaching effect, although he 
has passed away some time since. 




IDEALITY. 


517 


or mentally, by pen, brush, or chisel, as in poetry, paintings, or 
statuary, or to enact beautiful ideal characters upon the stage. The 
fundamental desire of Ideality is reproduction or duplication of 
ideal types or images of beautiful men, women, birds, beasts, or 
characters. In this way Ideality is very closely related to the 
constructive, creative powers of the sexual system. 

Ideality, like all other human faculties, is adapted to the 
recognition and enjoyment of the beautiful here in this world, and 
by imagination the mind 
is able to roam to other 
spheres and sing in tones 
of sweetest melody of the 
glories and splendors of the 
life hereafter. In fact, this 
faculty is adapted to per¬ 
fection, and who can doubt 
that ultimate perfection is 
the aim of a progressive 
evolution 1 The teachings 
of science point to this, and 
show us by myriad lessons 
that this is the destiny of 
the human mind and body; 


human existence prove, if 
rightly interpreted. The 
aim and office of Ideality 
is to refine and exalt all the 
• faculties in combination, 

Ideality can be 
pressed by those 
who are keenly sensitive 

and able by virtue of their sensations to receive and reproduce 
by voice, pen, pencil, brush, and chisel the impressions derived from 
Nature and character. All great poets depend upon the power of 
tliis trait, assisted by Language and Constructiveness, to enable 
them to write the songs which arouse the heart of a nation to pa¬ 
triotic endeavor; to raise the mind to loftier aspirations for a higher 
life; to create the most ecstatic enjoyment of the beautiful scenes 
of Nature which the poet paints with his pen when he brings up 


quality. 
best ex 


hence it is a faculty of high 


for both rise or fall to¬ 
gether, as I have shown in 
these pages, and as all the 
sciences which treat of 



Fig. 73.—MR. H. RIDER HAGGARD. (Novelist.) 


Born in England. Conspicuous facial sign, Ideality, 
shown by width of the tip of the nose. The law of the 
straight line and curve governs this face. The basis of 
this gentleman’s talent, the vegetative system, is well 
developed. Conscience, Firmness, Love of Home, of 
Country, and of Young are marked. So, also, are Be¬ 
nevolence, Economy, Alimentiveness, Modesty, Appro- 
bativeness, Friendship, Self-esteem, Hospitality, Pneu- 
mativeness, and Color are manifest. In the nose the 
signs for Ideality, Sublimity, Mental Imitation, Analy¬ 
sis, and Construction are large. Acquisition, Venera¬ 
tion, Executiveness, Reason, and Self-will are most 
apparent; while Form, Size, Observation, Locality, 
Calculation, Time, Order, Memory of Events, and Lan¬ 
guage are conspicuous. Prescience is noticeable, and a 
good degree of Intuition. It is the presence of so large 
a development of the faculties of Prescience, Creden- 
civeness, and Ideality that gives to this author’s writ¬ 
ings their peculiarly weird and strange character. 
Language is most fluent, and, combined with the facul¬ 
ties of Form, Size, and Locality in excess, gives the 
writer power to visualize the singular beings which he 
portrays by his pen. 


518 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


before our mental vision the loveliness of glen and grove, the 
grandeur of the lofty mountain, the beauty of the star-decked 
sky, the sweet serenity of the moonlit vale, or the solemn hush of 
the early dawn when the “lark at Heaven’s gate sings.” All these 
the poet, who is touched with true Parnassian fire, spreads before 
those who are responsive, and with such vividness and reality as to 
bring these scenes out before their enchanted gaze in boldest relief. 
Those who are capable of appreciating these ideal beauties are lost 
in admiration of the skill and genius which, by a few strokes of 
the pen, can impart that supernal enjoyment which is derived from 
the works of Tennyson, Bryant, Whittier, Milton, Wordsworth, 
Shelley, and other great poet-painters. 

Combe very correctly expresses the true use and function of 
Ideality when he writes:— 

It is a faculty purely of enjoyment,—one whose sole use is to refine 
and exalt and extend the range of our other powers ; to confer on us higher 
susceptibilities of improvement and a keener relish for all that is great 
and glorious in the universe.* 


Ideality, like all the higher traits, is not confined to nobles 
or kings, but finds its home in the peasant’s cot and humble dwell¬ 
ing as well. It tells not only that its possessor is refined, but shows 
that some of his ancestors belonged to the “ nobility,” for traits of 
quality are not formed in a generation; and so one not only an¬ 
nounces his own character by what he says and does, but at the 
same time discloses the prominent tastes of his ancestors, near or 
remote, for like produces like, and our deeds do follow us to even 
the tenth generation and beyond. 

Great diversities of degree of this faculty are exhibited by 
different nations. It is not so large in the English as in the French, 
nor so general; the dress and manners of the two races prove this. 
It is more universally characteristic of the Americans than of the 
English, for education, money, and opportunities for travel are 
more accessible to the masses of the former country, and these are 
all potent factors in the culture of aesthetics. Then, too, the great 
admixture of high races in America gives more flexible muscles, 
and these lead to and assist adaptability to new conditions, while 
the strong bones combined with the sturdy, unyielding muscles of 
the English tell directly against that flexibility so essential to ideal 
improvement. It is these staunch elements which make the English 
so enduring, hardy, loyal, overbearing, and immovable, and pro¬ 
duce the set, rigid, brusque, rude manner and conversation which 
Emerson so aptly portrays in his “ English Traits.” These quali- 

* Combe’s Lectures on Phrenology, p. 219. 


IDEALITY. 


519 


ties which make the glory of England prevent the people from 
being as tasteful, polite, amiable, and art-loving as the French. 
The national peculiarity of the structure of the English he thus 
describes:— 

It is the fault of their forms that they grow stocky, and the women 
have that disadvantage,—few tall, slender figures of flowing shape, but 
stunted and thick-set persons. The French say that Englishmen have two 
left hands. They are round, ruddy, and handsome,—at least, the whole 
bust is well formed, and there is a tendency to stout and powerful frames.* 

Of their immovability he observes:— 

He has stamina; he has that aplomb which results from a good adjust¬ 
ment of the moral and physical nature, and the obedience of all the powers 
to the will, as if the axes of his eyes were united to his backbone and only 
moved with the trunk.f 

This description discloses to us that the peculiar staunchness, 
tenacity, integrity, and lack of Ideality of the English is the result 
of their peculiar conformation, possessing short, square bones and 
round muscles, with a good development of the vegetative system; 
they lack the flexibility which long, round bones and round muscles 
produce, together with the creative and imaginative powers which 
accompany the latter and which are peculiarly the endowment of 
the French and Italian, as well as common to all the Celtic race. 
Yet the English have their compensation for this lack of imagina¬ 
tion ; they have the sturdy qualities which make a progressive 
civilization rapid and thorough, viz., veracity, honor, mutual confi¬ 
dence, loyalty to principle, and all the sterner traits which belong 
to an advanced race. Emerson quotes Madame De Stael as saying 
that 

The English irritated Napoleon mainly because they have found out 
how to unite success with lionesty.J 

The French show by their structure that the possession of the 
finer and more ornate qualities is at the expense of the more ster¬ 
ling and responsible ones. They possess a sensitive nervous sys¬ 
tem; long, round bones and long, round muscles—the combination 
which shows the right construction for the fine arts, for poetry, 
acting, painting, and a passion for war, which is led on by one of 
the dominant traits of their structure, viz., Approbativeness, and, 
this trait being a natural one, the glory of France is the true 
Frenchman’s highest ambition. Of course, honesty is found among 
the French and poetic imagination among the English, but these 
traits are relative, taste, politeness, love of ornamentation, and 

* English Traits, It. W. Emerson, p. 71. \ Ibid., p. 122. 

t Ibid., p. 108. 


520 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


imagination being more universally exhibited by the French, and 
veracity, honor, principle, conservatism, rudeness, bluntness, and 
practicality by the English masses. 

The faculty of Ideality, strange as it may seem to some, is a 
great aid to scientists and scientific research, for the mind that 
would soar to Parnassian heights in poetry, or to celestial space in 
astronomy, must be able with the mental vision to see “apparent 
pictures of unapparent natures.” This is the faculty which has 
aided in the discovery of many great natural laws, and the physi¬ 
ognomies of most of the master-minds in invention and science 
exhibit the sign for Ideality large. Applicable to this topic 
Emerson tells us that 

Plato had signified the same sense when he said: “All the great arts 
require a subtle and speculative research into the law of Nature, since lofti¬ 
ness of thought and perfect mastery over eveiy subject seem to be derived 
from some such source as this.”* 

All the great scientists recognize this truth, and it is often 
noted by them in their writings, and the result of German imagi¬ 
nation is given us in the works of their great scientific discoverers, 
who are the grandest generalizers in scientific research. The ca¬ 
pacity for generalizing is, as Emerson very justly observes, “a poetic 
sense.” It is indebted to Sublimity for the vastness of conception, 
and of this trait the insular English have very little. Of their 
science Emerson remarks :— 

But, for the most part, the natural science in England is as void of 
imagination and free play of thought as conveyancing. It stands in strong 
contrast with the genius of the Germans, those semi-Greeks w r ho love 
analogy, and by means of that height of view preserve their enthusiasm and 
think for Europe, f 

The following extract from the writings of Johannes Muller, 
one of Germany’s most gifted naturalists and scientific discoverers, 
elucidates the faculty which is being discussed. He observes 
thus:— 

The Imagination is an indispensable faculty, for it is that which by 
forming new combinations occasions important discoveries. The naturalist 
needs both the discriminating powers of abstract reason and the generaliz¬ 
ing power of the imagination, and that the two should be harmoniously 
inter-related . If the proper balance of these faculties is destroyed the 
naturalist is hurried into chimerical fancies by his imagination, while the 
same gift leads the gifted naturalist of sufficient strength of reason to the 
jnost important discoveries.J 

* English Traits, R. W. Emerson, p. 240. 

f Ibid., p. 253. 

j Quoted frqip the Evolution of Man, E^rnst Haeckel, vol, ii, p. 107. 


IDEALITY. 


521 


This observation of the great scientist is most just, for where 
there is an excess of Ideality the individual imagines unreal, im¬ 
probable, and often fearful as well as beautiful ideas. Dante, in 
his “Inferno,” shows to what extent the imagination can go in the 
direction of the horrible. Milton, also, in his “Paradise Lost,” 
reveals to what limits the unrestrained exercise of the imagination 
may lead one; while the paintings of the old masters teem with 
the representation of demons and angels, of sprites and satyrs, of 
heavens and hells—the lovely and hideous as well as the damned 
and demoniacal. Aside from the immense importance of the 
imagination when used as an agent to beautify and elevate the 
mind and senses, as is done by poetry, pictures, and statuary, it 
forms the basis of the refinements of our every-day life and works. 
The domestic woman who possesses a fair share of imagination 
may not be able to write a poem nor paint a picture, yet will set a 
table with such taste and prepare and serve a meal with such neat¬ 
ness and fitness of decoration as will show that a sense of the ideal 
has toned and softened her nature to that degree that coarseness 
cannot enter into the least detail of her domestic occupations. 
Every community possesses many such characters, and their sense 
of the fitness of things, of propriety, of ornamentation, of nicety 
and neatness throws a charm around all their efforts. They are 
most helpful in elevating commonplace acts of every-day life, and 
their example sheds abroad an influence which is truly refining. 

There are many degrees of this faculty, and the being who 
possesses little of this useful sense is cut off from most of the en¬ 
joyments which Nature and art alike offer in such abundance. He 
is also less useful in the practical walks of life, for as imagination 
gives him no assistance he must hence depend upon teachers , and 
work by rule and method, never discovering nor inventing new 
ways and ideas through the operation of an active imagination. 

The matter-of-fact person is much more helpless than he who 
has even a fair share of ability to imagine how acts and works are 
performed of which he has had no previous experimental knowl¬ 
edge. The matter-of-fact person must be taught all that he does, 
but one with a good imagination can comprehend the duties of 
positions for which he has never been trained, and can fill them at 
a moment’s notice in a very acceptable manner. 

Imaginative children are far more capable of self-amusement 
than those who are matter-of-fact, for they will originate little games 
and give birth to characters, localities, plots, and incidents in a 
very entertaining manner, while the matter-of-fact children must be 
provided with objects and assisted by the suggestion of others in 
order to make a game pass oft satisfactorily. 


522 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Where large Observation and other practical faculties are found 
in combination with a good degree of Ideality, the character will 
exhibit a talent of common sense, with capacity for filling many 
diverse positions with readiness and completeness. Many New 
Englanders possess this combination, which the old ladies term 
“faculty,”—that is, a handiness which enables them without prepa¬ 
ration to perform many diverse and important duties. 

Sharp-pointed, gimlet-shaped noses belong to matter-of-fact ■ 
people, who possess little refinement, good sense, or artistic percep¬ 
tion, and thus are deprived of those enjoyments of Nature and art 
that fill a large part of the life of the idealist. I regard such per¬ 
sons with pity, for they are poor indeed. It requires a great deal 
of money and material to satisfy the latter class, for they cannot 
derive a moment’s entertainment from the observation of the most 
beautiful landscape in the world. Mountains to them are only so 
many dirty rocks; the dewdrops, glistening upon the lawn, are 
only impediments to walking; Niagara, foaming and dashing in 
grandeur down its depths, only elicits from them the criticism of 
the Englishman who, when taken by a romantic friend to visit this 
majestic fall, remarked: “What’s to ’inder it falling'?” Such in¬ 
sensitive souls remind one of the matter-of-fact Peter Bell, of whom 
the poet wrote:— 

“A primrose by tlie river’s brim 
A yellow primrose was to him— 

And it was nothing more.” 

In the case of Ideality, as with all of the higher constructive 
faculties, there are two ways of manifesting its presence. One 
may be executive, and by the help of Constructiveness be able 
to make or create some work of art or beauty, as, for example, 
a poem, painting, or statue; or he may be capable of enacting a 
grand character, such as Bistori or Salvini impersonates, while 
others with less Constructiveness are capable only of appreciating 
the efforts of the former, yet their enjoyment of the beauties and 
excellencies of these works may be and often is greater than that 
of those who create them; one has the talent of creation , the other 
the talent of appreciation. 

The natural allies and assistants of Ideality are Analysis, 
Constructiveness, Mental Imitation, Sublimity, and Acquisitive¬ 
ness. The imagination requires the aid of Sublimity to give 
grandeur to the great imitations of Nature in her most majestic 
moods. It requires also the capacity for separating and analyzing 
the constituent parts of everything which the artist would imitate 
by his mental conceptions of the scenes before him. Constructive¬ 
ness, too, is most essential, for, without the skill of handicraft, the 


IDEALITY* 


523 


power of manipulating materials by the flexibility of the muscles, 
as in acting, oratory, singing, playing, and gesture, the artist would 
stop short at appreciation, and there would be no works of art con¬ 
structed, no songs sung, no characters enacted,—hence no progress 
made in taste and refinement. 

Now, we find that those who possess Ideality and Constructive¬ 
ness with Acquisitiveness are those who construct the fine works 
which ornament our homes and add to our elevation of mind; 
while those who possess Ideality large, with small Constructive¬ 
ness and Acquisitiveness, are the appreciative people who admire 
and buy these works, and who fill the opera, theatre, and forum to 
see and listen to the grand creations of poet, painter, actor, and 
orator. One not understanding the significance of Acquisitiveness 
might not see its relation to the art-faculties. The artist must 
have the capacity for acquiring materials and money to carry on 
his plans, else he would make no effort to procure money, but 
pursue art without reference to gain. The portraits of all the 
great artists disclose this sign very large. It is located next to 
Constructiveness in the nose and adjoins Ideality and Sublimity, and 
is very near Human Nature. It is also most decided in the upper 
eyelid. Let the reader examine the portraits of Guido Reni (who 
was said by liis biographers to be very avaricious and a great 
gambler), John Flaxman, Schiller, Canova, Sarah Siddons, Mdlle. 
Rachel, Rembrandt (who was also very avaricious), Claude Lor¬ 
raine, Titian, Rubens, Raphael, Beethoven, Bach, Weber, Handel, 
Tennyson, Byron, Dickens, and also the faces of all creative 
geniuses, and he will find large Constructiveness and Acquisitive¬ 
ness. In some instances this trait does not take the form of acquir¬ 
ing and amassing money , but it shows its strength by acquiring 
materials for the work required,—not only materials, but oppor¬ 
tunities and occasions. The lover of books seeks to acquire books; 
the lover • of art to acquire art-objects; the seeker after ideas 
searches far and wide for them. Had I pursued dollars .as indus¬ 
triously as I have ideas, and stored them as well, I should now 
have a bank-book instead of a scientific book. I can understand 
the greed for gold by my own greed for ideas. 

Biography is the natural assistant of physiognomy, and in 
studying the faces of the great and wise who are gone we can 
account for all the peculiarities of character noted by their biog¬ 
raphers. I advise my readers to use this channel of knowledge in 
connection with this science, particularly if they can find books 
illustrated with portraits. 

Savage races show by their love of rude decorations that they 
possess at least a germ of the ideal, personal decoration being one 


524 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


manifestation of this trait. The animal kingdom, however, in every 
department exhibits an affluence of the decorative phase of Ideality 
in its show of bright colors and beautiful forms, and, as we reason 
logically that all physical appearances are accompanied by suitable 
mental traits, so we must allow that insects, butterflies, moths, etc., 
are keenly alive to the beautiful in form and color, while birds 
show by their manners that the color-sense, love of music, of form, 
and of atmosphere are pre-eminent in many species. Apropos to 
this, Darwin remarks that 

No doubt the perceptive powers of man and the lower animals are so 
constituted that brilliant colors and certain forms, as well as harmonious 
and rhythmical sounds, give pleasure and are called beautiful.* 

The fact that birds are possessed of a very high sense of form 
and color is proved by the methods which they make use of 
to display to each other their beauties of form, color, and 
voice. Of this sense of the beautiful in birds Darwin observes 
thus:— 

Ornaments of all kinds, whether permanently or temporarily gained, 
are sedulously displayed by the males, and apparently serve to excite or 
attract or charm the females. All naturalists who have closely attended to 
the habits of birds, whether in a state of Nature or under confinement, are 
unanimously of opinion that the males delight to display their beauty. 
Audubon frequently speaks of the male as endeavoring in various ways to 
charm the female. Mr. Gould, after describing some peculiarities in a male 
humming-bird, says he has no doubt that it has the power of displaying 
them to the greatest advantage before the female. It must be a grand sight 
in the forest of India to come suddenly upon twenty or thirty pea-fowl, the 
males displaying their gorgeous trains and strutting about in all the pomp 
of pride before the gratified females.* 

The above not only proves that the birds have a high realiza¬ 
tion of beauty, or Ideality, but that personal vanity or excessive 
Approbativeness is the peculiar attribute of the males , and is 
shown by the number and variety of their numerous extra append¬ 
ages, such as wattles, combs, tufts, shafts of feathers, etc. This 
subject is treated at length in the discussion of “ Approbative- 
ness.” 

The dimpled chin is more commonly seen in man than in 
woman. Nearly all the most celebrated poets, painters, actors, 
and sculptors exhibit a dimpled chin. This is a secondary sign 
of Ideality, but a very important significator, for it is a sure indi¬ 
cation of the love of the beautiful in the opposite sex and bears a 
strong relation to creative art. It assists the artist or poet in 
forming and selecting objects of loveliness and beauty in his 
ideals. 

* Descent of Man, Charles Darwin, vol. ii, p. 337. f Ibid., p. S3. 


HUMAN NATURE. 


525 


The straight outline of the nose is another sign of ideal 
beauty, refinement, taste, and often of poetic feeling. Wherever 
exhibited it will take one or the other of these forms. Large, 
bright eyes, if accompanied by a skin of fine texture, reveal a love 
of beauty and taste; so also do regular, arched, narrow, smooth, 
and finely-delineated eyebrows. All these characteristics are never 
observed in the faces of very coarse or low people. I have never 
seen a dimple in the chin of a Negro, nor any indications of one in 
the physiognomy of a Tasmanian, a Bosjesman, Papuan, Fuegean, 
Patagonian, North American Indian, Caribe, or any of the bar¬ 
barous, undeveloped races, proving conclusively that Ideality is 
farther advanced in many of the animal tribes, such as birds, 
butterflies, and insects, than in the former. All animate nature 
presents these apparent anomalies, and we find by close investiga¬ 
tion that many species of animals exhibit certain senses more acutely 
than even the most advanced races of men. 

Ideality as shown by the dimpled chin is a mark of beauty in 
itself, and is caused by a peculiar arrangement of the menti muscle. 
All art-signs are located in the muscular system, and beauty of the 
human form is due mainly to the outlines caused by the pliable 
and curving nature of muscular tissue. 

HUMAN NATURE. 

Definition .—Intuitive perception of human character by the 
form, size, color, motion, and expression of man; the physiogno¬ 
mist; spontaneous comprehension of physical and mental con¬ 
ditions of health and disease; the natural physician; capacity for 
readily comprehending the laws and conditions of animals, plants, 
and all natural objects; one of the chief faculties of the naturalist, 
chemist, physiologist, astronomer, poet, painter, scientist, novelist, 
actor, and detective. 

An excess causes one to he curious, observing, acute, astute, 
and prying into the habits, thought, and actions of men and 
animals, and all things which manifest character. With a good 
mental development it will lead one to pass his time in studying 
metaphysics, physiognomy, and kindred sciences. No restraint is 
necessary unless one infringes upon time that should be devoted 
to more essential objects. A life-long study, however, should be 
given to this branch of knowledge, according as one’s time and 
circumstances permit. 

A deficiency makes one suspicious of motives, and leads to 
disastrous complications in business, love, and friendship. To 
remedy this natural defect take lessons in physiognomy of some 
capable teacher, or read works on this subject and commence a 


526 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

course of observation and analysis; observe the voice and compare 
it with the actions and walk; learn the meaning of the forms and 
colors of the human face, nose, eyes, forehead, and chin, and 
endeavor to suspend judgment of character until sound, scientific 
knowledge reveals their significance. 

Facial and Bodily Signs .—The most prominent sign for the 
faculty of Human Nature is found in the height or elevation of 
the tip of the nose above the plane of the face, causing it to stand 

far out and above the sur¬ 
rounding part. It assists 
also in giving width to the 
tip in conjunction with 
Ideality and Sublimity. 
Each of these traits adds 
to the development of 
width at this point. Gen¬ 
eral size of the entire nasal 
organ usually accompanies 
a gifted endowment of the 
faculty of Human Nature. 
Fineness of the texture of 
the skin and brightness of 
the eyes are also secondary 
signs. 

Other sims of this 

O 

power are shown by width 
between the eyes (Form) 
and fullness of the ethmoid 
bone at the inner corner 
of the eye (Size). Exam¬ 
ine the physiognomies of 
Aristotle, Lavater, Porta, 
John Locke, Desbarolles, 
Delsarte, Dr. John Hunter, 
and Dr. William Harvey 
for the signs of a talented degree of the faculty of Human Nature. 

Description of Human Nature.— Says Swedenborg:— 

If we cannot read Nature’s secret in her countenance, can we expect 
to divine it from her very brains ?* 

Dissections of all the brains in the universe would afford us 
but little knowledge of character. Neither would the weighing of 
all these brains reveal any natural gifts or tendencies; nor does 



Fig. 74.—MARY ANDERSON. (Tragic Actress.) 

Born in California, 1859. Principal facial sign, 
Human Nature, shown by height of the point of the 
nose above the plane of the face. The law of the curve 
governs this face. Keenness of sensation is one of the 
leading factors in this character. The talent for tragedy 
is shown by the curving lower jaw. The signs for Firm¬ 
ness, Conscientiousness, Pneumativeness,Love of Home, 
and Patriotism are marked. Amativeness and Modesty 
in the upper lip are large, Approbativeness and Friend¬ 
ship in the cheeks well defined, while the signs in the 
nose of Human Nature, Constructiveness, Acquisitive¬ 
ness, Ideality, Hope, Analysis, Sublimity, Veneration, 
Executiveness, and Self-will are remarkably conspicu¬ 
ous; so also are Form, Size, Language, Observation, 
Memory of Events, and Intuition, with the color-sense 
sufficiently developed to give force and magnetism to 
her impersonations. 


* Animal Kingdom, Swedenborg, p. 342. 







HUMAN NATURE. 


527 


the exterior form of the skull give us a complete knowledge of 
character. The human mind is made up of a series of faculties 
having their base and ground of action in 'physical fauctions. 
When these functions are destroyed partially or completely, 
the mental faculties derived from them are partially or entirely • 
destroyed; hence, it must be patent to all unprejudiced minds 
that in order to fully comprehend all the different phases of 
human character we must examine every part of the anatomy and 
every part of the mechan¬ 
ism through which Mind 
is alone able to manifest its 
powers. 

A high degree of the 
capacity for comprehending 
Human Nature is found 
only in the most developed 
persons of the most ad¬ 
vanced races. This faculty 
is one of quality, and be¬ 
longs to a progressed evo¬ 
lution. Although a cer¬ 
tain degree of this trait is 
found in all races and 
peoples, yet its highest 
manifestations are exhib¬ 
ited by such persons as 
Aristotle, Porta, Lavater, 

Socrates, Desbarolles, Del- 
sarte, and other gifted 
physiognomists. Their 
countenances, as well as 
their writings, corroborate 

stances named are very 
prominent and noticeable. 

This faculty, then, being the special gift of highly-organized 
beings, we shall naturally look to a development of that feature 
which is the most distinctively human, viz., the nose, for our 
proofs of its existence. Not only should we examine this feature 
as a whole, but we should closely scrutinize the portion which is 
most developed in developed people. Now, the lower third 
of the nose is this part, and in the physiognomies of all the 
great character-readers of the world we find that the point of the 


the signs for Human Na¬ 
ture, which in the in- 



FlG. 75.— WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE. (DRAMATIST, 
Poet, Actor.) 

Born in England, 1564. Quality of the highest. 
Conspicuous facial sign. Human Nature, shown by the 
height of the tip of the nose from the plane of the face. 
The law of the straight line and curve governs this 
physiognomy. The lower third of this lace is well 
developed; the chin is rounded, the lower jaw curved,— 
thus showing the dominance of dramatic power. Ama¬ 
tiveness, Love of Home, Patriotism, Love of Young, 
Friendship, Approbativeness, Color, and Sanativeness 
are well defined. The mental signs in the nose are all 
large. Human Nature, Mental Imitation, Ideality, 
Sublimity, Hope, Analysis, Constructiveness, Acquisi¬ 
tiveness, Veneration, Executiveness, and Self-will unite 
to form a nose of the highest class. The outline of the 
nose is straight,—sign of poetic or aesthetic capacity. 
The signs of Prescience, Observation, Calculation, 
Form, and Size are uncommonly developed, while 
Memory of Events, Reason, and Intuition take on a 
sublime cast. 



528 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


nose extends high above the plane of the face, and, as there is a 
concurrence of this peculiarity in this class of minds, we are justi¬ 
fied in stating that this is the most decided and primary sign for 
this capacity. The neighborhood, too, in which this sign is situated 
is another proof of its high origin, for in its immediate vicinity 
are found all of the most highly-developed signs of character, such 
as Analysis, Ideality, Sublimity, Constructiveness, and Mental 
Imitation. The logic to be deduced from this combination of 
physiognomical evidence is that the faculty of Human Nature is 
derived from a high development of mind and body; in other 
words, from a finely-organized condition of the entire mental 
mechanism , particularly of the brain and nervous system. The 
tip of the nose is composed of cartilaginous or muscular fibres, 
and is supplied with nerves from the second division of the fifth 
pair of the cranial nerves, which is, as Dalton states, “ the most 
acutely sensitive nerve in the whole body,”* and uncommon sensi¬ 
tiveness of any part denotes high organization; in other words, it 
indicates superior intelligence. 

Now that the physiological base of this faculty has been traced 
and described, I shall proceed to expound some of its leading 
mental uses and manifestations. 

In defining the scope and meaning of Human Nature, I 
understand it to be a faculty which gives the power of discerning 
not only the character of human beings, but also the character 
and condition of all natural objects, laws, and truths. It is mani¬ 
fested in different ways and degrees by the various minds who 
exhibit its presence. The physician, divine, teacher, lawyer, 
statesman, actor, merchant, painter, and muse all depend upon its 
power for their success. The animal-trainer has great need of its 
power in training animals either for domestic service or for exhi¬ 
bitions. The same faculty is brought to bear upon dogs, horses, 
camels, elephants, monkeys, and other brutes useful to man. All 
the higher animals are good natural readers of human character, 
as well as of animal character; while trained domestic animals, 
birds, insects, and reptiles even evince great capacity in this direc¬ 
tion when trained and permitted to be the companion of man. 
On this subject Dr. Lindsay observes thus:— 

The dog becomes also a very keen and successful student of man’s 
physiognomy. It carefully scans his countenance in order to the detection 
of its earliest clouds or sunshine. If it sees its master’s face covered with 
frowns, it infers anger and expects kicks,—an inference and anticipation 
that lead it quietly to get out of the way. If, on the other hand, it meets 
smiles or laughs, it greets its master joyously, in its own way reflecting and 

Dalton’s Treatise on Human Physiology, p. 453. 


HUMAN NATURE. 


529 


reciprocating his good liumor. Should tears unexpectedly appear, it offers 
sympathy and condolence in forms as eloquent and unmistakable as man 
himselt can use to brother-man. In coming by such means to a conclusion 
how far it has reason to lear or to trust man, the dog is very much on a 
footing with the child (Darwin).* 



All great discoverers, inventors, naturalists, musicians, actors, 
and dramatists have this sign well defined, and find great need and 
use for the power which intuitive knowledge of human nature 
gives. This sign, like all the others which cluster about the tip 
of the nose, belongs to 
perfected races and people. 

The undeveloped races 
and undeveloped persons 
among the developed races 
are lacking in this faculty, 
and hence they use Sus¬ 
picion, Jealousy, Conceit, 
and other animal - like 
traits in place of this 
accurate character-reading 
power. All things in Na¬ 
ture carry their signs of 
character along with them, 
and show by their form, 
shape, size, color, and qual¬ 
ity what they are, the 
rfink they hold in the 
world, and their ability for 
usefulness or for destruc¬ 
tion. Nature never lies, 
and if we fail to read 
correctly it is owing to 
our leant of observation 
and acuteness, and no fault 
of Nature’s. As soon as 

we have become fully satisfied that all things in Nature proclaim 
their character by their appearance, just so soon shall we commence 
to understand her at her work. We have been blessed with the 
faculties of Observation, Reflection, Form, Color, Size, Order, 
Imagination, Sublimity, Human Nature, and Acquisitiveness, and 
we find in Nature’s works the principles of Form, Size, Color, 
Beauty, and Sublimity to be understood. Is there no meaning and 
proof in this adaptation of these conditions of Nature to the 


Fig. 76.— JOHANN KASPAR LAVATER. (Divine, 
Poet, Author, Patriot, Physiognomist.) 

Born in Switzerland, 1741. The law of the straight 
line, curve, and square governs this face. Principal 
facial sign, Human Nature. The signs for Conscience, 
Firmness, Love of Home, Love of Young, Patriotism, 
Benevolence, Self-esteem, Amativeness, Modesty, Ap- 
probativeness, Economy, Sanativeness, and Friendship 
are well defined. In the nose the signs for Human 
Nature, Ideality, Analysis, Mental Imitation, and Con¬ 
structiveness, Veneration, Executiveness, and Self-will 
are very large. The signs for Observation, Form, Size, 
Language, Calculation, Memory of Events, and Intui¬ 
tion are conspicuous. The logical or reasoning capacity 
is not great. It is the face of an artist, not a scientist; 
hence his works treat of physiognomy as an art, not as 
a science. The above portrait discloses a mild, modest, 
earnest, conscientious, humane, religious, and literary 
character. 


*Mind in the Lower Animals, J. L. Lindsay, M.D., vol. i, p. 352. 

34 


530 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


mental and moral faculties of man] If we can discover the char¬ 
acter of minerals as seen in Nature by their forms, sizes, and colors, 
do you think that it was intended that Man’s natural knowledge 
of natural laws and conditions should stop there 1 Prof. Dana, 
the celebrated mineralogist, discoursing on the knowledge of char¬ 
acter as exhibited in the mineral kingdom, remarked thus:— 

The earth may be said to have crystal foundations, and if there is not 
the beauty of external form there is the interior, profounder beauty of 
universal law. Each mineral, with but few exceptions, has its definite form 
by which it may be known, and as truly as a cat or dog. 

The proof of this sign and its accompanying faculty is easily 
found, for if we investigate the lives and scan the faces of all who 
discern the truths, laws, and principles of Nature we shall find 
the signs before mentioned quite prominent, and where we observe 
these signs we shall find those who possess them to be lovers and 
investigators of the natural sciences—lovers of truth, hence 
enabled to comprehend universal truth, and with an insatiable 
desire to know the facts of Nature as they exist. This sign 
occupies the most prominent place in the face, and its position 
shows its importance. It is adapted to the welfare of humanity, 
and those who possess this faculty in a talented degree are found 
in those pursuits which tend to elevate the race or to relieve its 
distress,—such, for example, as physicians, inventors, reformers, 
poets, painters, sculptors, actors, naturalists and scientists, physi¬ 
ognomists, hygienists, and physiologists. 

Those who possess a large share of this faculty can not only 
discern those who are most fit to be the progenitors of an im¬ 
proved race, but are also themselves capable of reproducing superior 
types by reason of the excess of this faculty, which denotes a de¬ 
gree of perfection not observed in those who exhibit only a very 
small amount of this trait. The physiognomist and hygienist, 
physician and scientist must be endowed with a large measure of 
Human Nature in order to comprehend the facts and conditions 
appertaining to their various departments of research. Doubtless the 
primary use of this knowledge is for the purpose of selecting right 
partners in marriage, for we know that all primary faculties are 
for the sustentation and preservation of the race, while the primary 
use of all the more developed and perfected faculties is for the devel¬ 
opment of mankind. The secondary use of the later acquisitions to 
the human mind is for the further perfection of the race by trans¬ 
mission, and we know that the talents and moral and intellectual 
virtues which have been cultivated from one generation to another 
are aggregated and intensified by several generations of culture, 


HUMAN NATURE. 


531 


and are then transmitted in that highly specialized condition. It 
is by such course of action (which is carried on in most cases with¬ 
out reference to this end) that races of singers, actors, judges, and 
even giants and dwarfs are created as distinct types. 

It is a historical fact that there were fifty-seven eminent musicians of 
the Bach family in Germany in the course of eight generations, and hun¬ 
dreds of good musicians who did not take rank as eminent. We find in 
history, also, a record of the race of giants which Frederick William and 
William II created by marrying the tallest women in the kingdom to their 
guardsmen,—men who had been selected for their height.* 

This method of scientific selection is but rarely attempted, 
yet such a plan for the improvement of the race by design should 
be put in practice by all intending marriage. The advice of a 
good physiognomist or physician should be had. The reason why 
we find so many perverted specimens of humanity is explained in 
the following; extract:— 

In most cases, however, man does not use his reason and observation 
in a positive manner for improving the race, but the process which we call 
evolution, or progressive development in man, animal, and plant, is carried 
forward by what is denominated “ natural selection.” This is a sort of 
blind, instinctive, unconscious manner of selecting mates, and in this slow 
method the races of all the departments of Nature have progressed through 
the ages that have passed.j* 

When we observe so many vicious, weak, sickly-looking 
parents endeavoring to rear offspring we often think that the race 
must surely become extinct, and were it not for another circumstance 
which we may sav really acts as a law the extinction of the human 
race would ensue. The “ survival of the fittest ” is a term that the 
late Mr. Darwin has made popular, and it is by the survival of 
the fittest that the race is carried forward slowly, yet surely, by 
that progressive development which naturalists and physiologists 
know to be an undeniable fact in Nature. When the laws of our 
physiology have been so outraged as to produce types too weak to 
survive the period of childhood, they die off and leave only those 
who have sufficient vitality to become the progenitors of a superior 
race or type. This weeding-out process, which acts naturally and 
unconsciously, is the salvation of humanity, and we shall find, if 
we observe with the eyes of science, that in Nature outraged law 
executes its own penalties. “The man who sinneth he shall die ” 
says the Scripture, and we know that men do not have to wait 
until life is extinct to suffer for their own transgression as well as 
for the transgressions of their forefathers. We are not living for 


* Hereditary Genius, Francis Galton, p. 239. 
f The Human Species, Quatrefages, p. 253. 


532 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


ourselves exclusively, but really and truly for eternity. It is a 
duty—a religious duty—to study the physiology, anatomy, and hy¬ 
giene, as well as the physiognomy, both of animals and men. In 
this way our knowledge of Human Nature will be perfected, and 
thus we shall be able to assist in selecting suitable persons to 
become the progenitors of a higher race, morally, mentally, and 
physiologically; and, since all experiences are transmitted, our own 
perfection in character-reading may descend to children and chil¬ 
dren’s children unto many generations. This is another use to 
which we can put our knowledge of Human Nature. Common 
sense, like Human Nature, is only inherited experience. 

Children while yet in the stage of animal instinct evince a 
large share of this faculty, as all mothers can testify when they 
find their infants, even, taking advantage of their love as well as of 
their weakness of mind, playing upon their feelings as skillfully as 
a professor upon the piano. Now, I do not use the term “ instinct ” 
in a degraded or ignoble sense, for it is in many ways superior to 
reason, and it is the faculty most relied upon by animals in their 
intercourse with men. The infant also relies upon it entirely until 
education and training modify it, and he then looks to rules, laws, 
and precepts for his guidance in place of his inherited perceptions 
or instincts; while partial idiots are much lower than infants in 
this sense and not so high as dogs or horses. Savages, too, rely in 
a great measure upon their feelings in regard to approaching others, 
while all the higher domestic animals possess and exhibit an in¬ 
stinctive perception of character of a high order. Dogs seldom 
approach or endeavor to make friends with one who does not 
like animals. 

Of the manifold and beneficial uses of the faculty of Human 
Nature I have scarcely space to speak. Its possession in a large de¬ 
gree robs one of suspicion and of the hatred and jealousies founded 
on misinterpretation of character and motives. A good, true physi¬ 
ognomist, one born such, has neither jealousy nor suspicion in his 
composition. Were this the case he could not give a correct ren¬ 
dering of character, for he would substitute his suspicions for truths 
and thus falsities and errors would mark his renderings of character. 
A lack of this faculty makes one narrow-minded, and such persons 
are ill-fitted to comprehend the infinite opulence of Nature or to 
decipher her ethnic hieroglyphics, as observed in the faces and 
forms of savage races, idiots, and criminals, for the laws of unde¬ 
velopment must be understood as well as the laws of development. 
“Nature’s speaking marvels” in the characters of man and beast 
are truly wonderful, yet can be comprehended by those who pos¬ 
sess the right equipments of character, and no shadowy sophisms 


HUMAN NATURE. 


533 


will deceive the naturalist who has an eye for truth and who is at 
once “ a devotee to facts and a master of the highest abstractions,” 
—such, for example, as Aristotle, Newton, or Bacon. The graphic 
methods which Nature uses to reveal the characteristics, of plant, 
animal, and mineral are as correct as numerous. It is the duty 
and province of such as heredity and evolution have furnished with 
natural gifts to make known to those less favored the signals, em¬ 
blems, and significations of form, size, color, and quality which are 
the distinguishing features of every separate atom, organized object, 
and being in existence. These high gifts should be cultivated and 
devoted to the service of humanity in a religious spirit. It is in 
this spirit—the spirit of truth—that such men as the Herschels, 
Darwin, Spencer, Cuvier, Linnaeus, Lavoisier, Count Bumford, 
Joseph Black, Descartes, Agricola, Paracelsus, Tycho Brahe, Wol¬ 
laston, Faraday, Fraunhofer, and the rest of the grand army of 
truth-seekers have proceeded to enlighten the world with the truths 
of God's laws , which are at once both gospel and revelation. The 
moral character of the scientific classes stands head and shoulders 
above that of almost all other classes, and this results from the fact 
that a true scientist’s character must be built on truth,—on Con¬ 
scientiousness,—else he would be as incapable of discerning and 
discovering truths as an artist would be of using colors were he 
naturally colorless and pallid. The principles which one deals with 
most successfully in his trade or profession must be largely repre¬ 
sented in his own organism. 

The direction which Human Nature will take in its manifesta¬ 
tions depends upon the faculties in combination. Where the 
practical faculties are dominant and Human Nature large, the 
individual is capable of becoming a physician, physiognomist, 
or anatomist, and, with large reflective faculties, an inventor. 
Those with Agreeability, Language, and Human Nature large are 
adepts in managing people ; they are plausible and persuasive, and 
make good salesmen. With large Approbativeness added, they 
have the combination for political life; with large Locality com¬ 
bined, they evince a love of travel and discovery. The signs for 
Human Nature and Locality are very conspicuous in the faces of 
Captain Cook and Marco Polo. 

All great artists, orators, poets, and actors possess large Human 
Nature and Amativeness. This gives the combination for creative 
efforts, especially in the delineations and descriptions of human 
characters, forms, figures, etc. The celebrated detectives, Fouche 
and Pinkerton, disclose Human Nature most decidedly. Talleyrand 
also exhibits several of the signs for this faculty, and history tells 
us that he was an adept not only in reading character, in discerning 



534 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


motives, but also that he had that most rare faculty,—the capacity 
for managing and using men at his will. 

The science of Human Nature is yet in its infancy. My own 
contribution gives a foundation-system based on natural laws. The 
superstructure of accumulated facts must be the work of gener¬ 
ations of observers. The scope of this science is not second to the 
solar system, and as each astronomer adds to our knowledge of its 
vastness, so must good, observing physiognomists leave to posterity 
well-demonstrated truths which are incontrovertible and corrobo¬ 
rated by all the other departments of science, and thus rescue 
this, the grandest and noblest of all sciences, from the hands of 
the charlatan, ignoramus, quack, and pretender. No profession 
demands more purity of life, loftier principles, greater knowledge 
of God’s eternal laws, than that of physiognomy. No profession 
demands a more reverent, devout, and religious spirit, nor one 
more devoted to absolute truth than this; hence, it becomes its 
professors to hold the standard of character high, and be their own 
exemplars of the highest conscientiousness and of demonstrable 
truths. 


ACQUISITIVENESS. 

Definition .—The desire to gain, obtain, earn, or win money, 
property, fame, ability, learning, applause, knowledge, or power; 
the provider and commercialist. The direction which Acquisitive¬ 
ness will take depends upon the other faculties in combination in 
each individual. 

An excess causes one to be frugal, stingy, and small in savings; 
perverted, it imparts a love for gambling and games of chance, 
and when unrestrained shows by dishonest methods of business. 
It gives an insatiable desire for the acquisition of property, knowl¬ 
edge, power, position, fame, reputation, friends, or whatever the 
dominating traits call for. 

A deficiency causes one to be careless of money or possessions, 
and tends to prodigality, improvidence, poverty, ignorance, loss of 
reputation, and no desire for power and its advantages. 

Facial and Bodily Signs .—In the human face the most de¬ 
cisive signs for Acquisitiveness are found in the head, eye, ear, 
nose, jaw, and mouth. A thick, heavy upper eyelid, which discloses 
a large surface while the eye is open, giving a sleepy look, is a 
very noticeable sign of this trait. This sign is observed mainly 
in Oriental races. Another sign is shown by a fullness and breadth 
of the sides of the nose just above the nostril. The high-arched, 
convex, or hooked nose, resembling the beak of the bird of prey, is 
another sign of commercial rapacity, as well as of the love of over- 


Acquisitiveness. 


535 


Coming one’s enemy or of removing obstacles in the way of glory, 
fame, or learning. Wide, predaceous jaws and large mouth, and 
head wide above the ears, are also evidences of commercial Acquisi¬ 
tiveness. Most of the great bankers, financiers, and money-kings 
have very large ears; full, round foreheads, and large, round, stocky 
frames. Misers, whose sole aim is accumulation, exhibit a pallid, 
thin, dry, wrinkled under-lip, and body bent forward, the countenance 
sometimes covered with fine wrinkles, falling in every direction. 
Numerous small and fine wrinkles all over the face and lips disclose 
a life of petty cares and small earnings. The hands of misers, as 
George Combe observes, “go out at the sides as if grasping some¬ 
thing.” This is caused by the constant effort of the extensor 
muscles of the hand and arm in reaching forward as if to seize 
something. This movement arises from the dominant idea of 
getting , and all the outward shapes which the body and limbs 
assume, if long continued, reveal the dominant impulse within. 

In animals, Acquisitiveness is shown by prominence of the 
middle incisor teeth, narrow mouth, and flexibility of the muscles, 
particularly of the flexor muscles of the fore-paws. This descrip¬ 
tion applies to the rodents, such as the squirrel, rat, etc., while 
predaceous energy is shown in the carnivorous class by width 
of jaw, breadth and roundness of the head, prominence of the 
muscles, broad nose and nostrils, capacious chest, and strong digest¬ 
ive powers. In the bird of prey it is shown by the convexity of the 
beak, thick neck, and arching of the claws, and powerful muscular 
system. 

Description of Acquisitiveness. —The physiological base 
of Acquisitiveness is derived from the nutritive functions; its 
signs in the mouth and nose are proofs of this statement. Its 
animal manifestations are another proof, while its sign in the nose, 
situated next to Constructiveness, and assisting to form the sign 
for the stomach (width of the bridge of the nose), is still further 
evidence of its purpose and power in the human organism. The 
reader will naturally ask what right Acquisitiveness has to settle 
itself in the artistic and literary group. He will naturally conclude 
that this trait has strayed away from its position in the vegetative 
division, and settled in a territory not at all suitable to such a 
grasping, foraging creature as this Mr. Acquisitiveness appears to 
be. On the face of it this would seem to be a correct way to look 
at this faculty, but we must not lose sight of the fact that the 
primary use of nearly all the mental faculties relates to our bodily 
wants, and that their secondary aspect leads to the improvement 
and advancement of the race. Ideality tends to the evolution of 
the race by giving man a love of the beautiful, and thus leads him 


536 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


primarily to select for marriage those whom he conceives to be the 
most beautiful in order to reproduce the same types. T his is the 
physical aspect of this so-called poetic trait. Now, Acquisitiveness 
in its primary use, hoth in man and animal, is devoted to getting , 
first, food for sustenance; second, materials for clothes and shelter 
—necessaries of life; hence, in man the signs for this faculty are 
found in the mouth and teeth and in the grasping flexor muscles, 

denoting its animal use and 



Fig. 77.—MATTHEW VASSAR. 

(COMMERCIALIST.) 

Conspicuous facial sign, Acquisitiveness, shown by 
fullness of the nose at the side just above the nostril, 
wide jaws, large and broad ears, wide chest, head broad 
just above the ears. The law of the straight line and 
cube governs this countenance. This face denotes Com¬ 
mercial Capacity and Benevolence about equally devel¬ 
oped. The solid expression of the entire face is most 
striking. The signs for Conscientiousness, Firmness, 
Patriotism, Love of Home, Economy, Bibativeness, Ali- 
mentiveness, Mirthfulness, Benevolence, Friendship, 
Hospitality, Self-esteem, and Modesty are well defined. 
Amativeness and Love of Young do not appear very 
large, for the reason that the mouth has been habitually 
drawn together in the act of profound thought, yet both 
these traits are normally developed. The signs of Human 
Nature, Sublimity, Mental Imitation, Acquisitiveness, 
Constructiveness, Veneration, Executiveness, and Self- 
will are most apparent; Observation is most decided, 
while Language, Locality, Memory of Events, Reason, 
and Intuition are large. Altogether forming the picture 
of an exceedingly well-balanced, capable, and kindly 
nature. 


purpose. From this expo¬ 
sition of the primary use of 
the faculty of Acquisitive¬ 
ness we are forced to the 
conclusion that the visceral 
organization is its primitive 
physical base. This logic 
is emphasized by the fact 
that those men and ani¬ 
mals which exhibit the most 
Acquisitiveness, and who 
are most successful in ac¬ 
quisition on a large scale, 
are those who possess great 
visceral vigor; for large 
mouth, jaws, nose, and 
nostrils announce the pres¬ 
ence of great digestive, 
respiratory, and circulatory 
powers; while broad, flat 
heads and round muscles 
tell us of predaceous en¬ 
ergy ; hooked noses, of 
grasping rapacity; and 
these signs point to similar 
characteristics, whether 
found in rodentia, birds of 
prey, or in the carnivorous 


classes of animals. 


Its more developed mental signs are found above the mouth , 
in the eyes and nose, that purely human feature adjoining Con¬ 
structiveness and in close proximity to other well-known char¬ 
acteristic and literary traits; for the man who would build a 
home or erect a temple, write a sermon, paint a picture, construct 
a play, or deliver an oration, must first have the desire to acquire 
sufficient material to carry forward his project to a practical com- 






acquisitiveness. 


537 


pletion, and this desire for acquiring materials relates to Construct¬ 
iveness; hence, its sign in the nose is placed next to the sign for 
building or constructing. It also adjoins the sign for the stomach, 
which is a muscular-constructive organ that assists by its power 
and action to build the body upon strong and firm foundations, 
and thus adds to man’s capacity for constructive works of art and 
literature. The idea of the intimate relation between Alimentive- 


ness, Constructiveness, and 
Acquisitiveness has been 
noticed by J. Stanley 
Grimes, the most original 
of all the early phrenolo¬ 
gists. He says:— 

It is remarkable that all 
the animals that acquire prop¬ 
erty first make use of their 
Constructiveness to prepare a 
proper store in which to de¬ 
posit and preserve it for future 
use. The beaver, for instance, 
makes use of his Constructive¬ 
ness to gnaw down trees and 
build a convenient hut, and 
afterward acquires bark to 
gratify his Alimentiveness 
during winter. The rat, also, 
that notoriously thievish ani¬ 
mal, first prepares a nest or 
hiding-place by gnawing and 
digging in a manner nearly as 
ingenious as the beaver, and 
then begins to acquire provis¬ 
ions for the winter. The same 
is true of nearly all the ro- 
dentia. It is interesting thus 
to trace the connection between 
the propensities of Alimentive¬ 
ness, Constructiveness, and 
Acquisitiveness, and at the 
same time observe the manner 
in which they are chained 
together in the brain.* 



Fig. 78.—JAY GOULD. (Financier.) 

Born in America. Conspicuous facial sign, Ac¬ 
quisitiveness, shown by fullness of the sides of the nose, 
large ears, wide jaws, adjoining the sign for Construct¬ 
iveness. The law of the straight line and curve governs 
this face. The indications of the upper part of this 
physiognomy teach us that most of the domestic traits 
are normally developed. The signs in the nose show 
Sublimity, Human Nature, Constructiveness, and Ac¬ 
quisitiveness to be large. This combination enables 
him to form plans for the acquisition of wealth. The 
deep color of the eyes, hair, and complexion shows 
power and intensity of all the faculties. The signs for 
Veneration, Executiveness, and Self-will are very pro¬ 
nounced ; Observation, Form, Size, Locality, and Calcu¬ 
lation are well defined; Language normally developed; 
Memory of Events and Reason aae uncommonly promi¬ 
nent. The peculiarities of this mind are similar to those 
of a chess-player, and it is this construction and com¬ 
bination of traits, quality, and color which give the 
power for devising schemes for large acquisition. The 
formation and luxui'iance of the hair denote great 
vitality, and the nose shows descent from long-lived 
ancestry. Were the lower part of the face visible, the 
signs for Secretiveness, for which Mr. Gould is noted, 
would be easily seen. A good physiognomist would be 

? [uite able to discern them were he to see the subject 
ace to face. 


Some of the animals which possess both large Constructive- 
ness and large Acquisitiveness are noted for building most inge¬ 
nious and artistic structures for dwellings and lor defense, such as 
dams and fortifications. These dwellings cannot be said to be 


* Mysteries of the Head and Heart, J. Stanley Grimes, pp. 57, 58. 




538 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


built by instinct , as is claimed for the works of certain insects, but 
show great originality and adaptation of new ideas and plans to 
new and unforeseen circumstances, as, for example, the beaver’s 
lodges and dams, of which the Rev. J. G. Wood remarks thus:— 

The beaver lives in societies varying considerably in number and 
united together in the formation of works which ma}^ be considered as 
belonging to the profession of the engineer.* 

Among other animals that exhibit the acquisitive-constructive 
phase of life, and whose mouth and teeth present an appearance 
similar to that seen in many human beings, I may mention the 
mouse, rat, lemming, mole, musk-rat, porcupine, urson, coendoo, 
capybara, hare, rabbit, jerboa, springhaas, chinchilla, long-eared 
squirrel, marmot, prairie-dog, and gopher. All of these animals 
are constructive, many of them most artistic, as, for example, the 
mole. They are also great feeders , with large Alimentiveness, and 
very Acquisitive,—the rat, for example, stealing and hoarding 
many things which he cannot use. Many of the class of birds 
termed “raptores,” or rapacious birds, among which are the mag¬ 
pie, owl, vulture, eagle, condor, osprey, tailor-bird, rifle-bud, and 
poe-bird, show their rapacious, constructive, and acquisitive traits 
by their hooked beaks, arched claws, and wide mouths, while the 
parrot is a fine sample of Constructiveness, Alimentiveness, and 
Acquisitiveness, for his gormandizing requires that he should lay 
claws and beak on everything eatable in his native haunts. His 
Constructiveness is of the highest order, for his linguistic powers 
extend to the acquirement of several languages or portions of 
them. 

This exposition of signs in the animal leads us to infer that 
men built upon the broad and muscular plan are the most ac¬ 
quisitive and constructive. Men who can eat well and digest 
easily keep up that degree of strength and animal spirits necessary 
for the carrying forward of great commercial enterprises as well 
as large architectural projects. De Lesseps at eighty years of age, 
planning and executing the immense work of the Panama Canal, 
is a fine example of what good feeding powers will do toward the 
acquisition and exercise of great mental powers. He is a round 
man, made so by round muscles. 

In different classes of persons we shall find distributed the 
various signs for Acquisitiveness. The commercial classes are dis¬ 
tinguished generally by large noses, broad and high, and of an 
even thickness the whole length, as is seen in Elliot C. Cowdin, 
Matthew Vassar, James Harper, and Samuel Appleton, together 

* Wood’s New Illustrated History, Rev. J. G. Wood, p. 156. 


ACQUISITIVENESS. 


539 


with wide, predaceous jaws, or a large, high, hooked nose, such as is 
often seen in the countenance of the Hebrew merchant and banker. 
All successful commercialists are good feeders and have good diges¬ 
tion. Many of the Oriental commercialists, as the Turk, Persian, 
and Mongolian, exhibit the heavy, sleepy-looking eyelid in combi¬ 
nation with other signs, such as the hooked nose, which looks as if 
ready to “ hook into” the unsuspecting victim, as do the eagle, falcon, 
and hawk when descending upon their prey. All through Nature 
we are met with the most incontestable evidences that similarity of 
form denotes similarity of faculty; hence, wherever we observe in 
man or animal the broad and arched nose we shall find large digest¬ 
ive power giving strength and desire for overcoming. All carnivo¬ 
rous animals, those who spring upon and devour weaker creatures, 
are distinguished by wide jaws; thick, compact muscles; social and 
domestic natures, wide noses and nostrils (the nostrils and nose 
of the lion and tiger are very broad), and arched claws and paws. 

Poets and literary characters usually exhibit Acquisitiveness 
by a fullness of the nose adjoining Constructiveness, yet artists and 
actors show the sign for this trait both in the eyelid and nose. 
Guido Reni’s physiognomy shows both these signs very prominent. 
Benjamin Franklin’s physiognomy discloses the signs for Acquisi¬ 
tiveness in the upper eyelid and nose, and in the general strength 
and well-nourished appearance of the body; the sign for strong 
stomach (width of the bridge of the nose) is well marked, while 
frugality and economy, for which he was noted, are indicated 
by the sign for Economy, below the chin, as in the “dewlap” 
noted in the sign for Economy. In the portraits of literary char¬ 
acters several signs for Acquisitiveness are often exhibited. Some 
of these signs show possession of the desire to acquire money and 
property; others signify a stronger love for the materials of litera¬ 
ture; others still, the accumulation of ideas or other necessities of 
the profession. De Foe, author of “Robinson Crusoe,” had a nose 
convex in its outlines and full at the sides, thus displaying two 
sorts of Acquisitiveness. In Halley, the astronomer, the sign in 
the nose is large. In William Penn, also in John Locke, and Bos- 
suet, the orator, it is full. Blaise Pascal, the divine and orator, re¬ 
veals three signs, viz., in the eyelid, convex nose, and side of the 
nose. Let the reader examine the portraits of Milton, Corneille, 
Rembrandt (who was noted for his avarice), Cromwell, Lord Chat¬ 
ham, Richard Wagner, Mdlle. Rachel, Wendell Phillips, W. H. 
Vanderbilt, Cyrus Field, Jay Gould, Perrier (French financier), 
and Henry Villard, and all who have gained fame, fortune, po¬ 
sition, and learning. In all such he will find some of the signs for 
Acouisitiveness. The faces of all the most learned Hebrew divines 


540 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


and scholars exhibit one or more signs for this trait very decidedly. 
In them the well-known Acquisitiveness of their race is turned to the 
acquirement of knowledge, hence we must expect that such energy 
as this force sets in action will result in extraordinary acquirements 
of learning. The works of Josephus, the ancient historian, and 
of Spinoza, modern German litterateur, are evidences of the ac¬ 
quisitive power of the Hebrew race. One very decisive and char¬ 
acteristic sign of Acquisitiveness observed in the attitude of ob¬ 
serving, thoughtful, and literary persons, such as naturalists and 
scientists, is the forward carriage of the head. This position facili¬ 
tates observation, and is the unconscious and involuntary movement 
forward which enables them to see and hear whatever attracts their 
attention. So pronounced is this attitude in this class that the 
portraits of many of them have been taken in this position, show¬ 
ing that it has become habitual. Observe the pictures of Six 
Joseph Banks and Captain Cook. This attitude is probably a 
combination of attention and Acquisitiveness, and signifies both. 
Dr. Cross has noticed this peculiarity and writes of it thus:— 

Bending forward of the neck indicates earnestness or keenness in 
whatever pursuit. Accordingly, in all those emotions and affections of 
which attention or concern forms an ingredient, the neck is bent forward. 
The earnestness represented by the neck bent forward is liable to degen¬ 
erate into cunning and meanness [through excess of avarice, he should have 
added]. All truly great men who have acted distinguished parts, whether 
glorious or infamous, in the great drama of human life, have the neck with 
all the senses at its extremity stretched forward in all the eagerness of a 
hound in pursuit of its prey.* 

It will be noticed that mental acquirement has some signs 
distinct from those which denote material acquisition merely. 
Now, all the signs for mental acquisition are in the eye and nose, 
and are accompanied by many diverse outlines of the head, while 
the signs for material acquisition are shown by a relatively broad, 
low head; wide, predaceous jaws; large mouth and large ears; 
broad nose, often lacking the development about the tip observable 
in the noses of poets and imaginative characters ; while the lowest, 
meanest, and smallest manifestation of this faculty is found in 
petty bodily indications, such as tine wrinkles upon the face and 
hands; a stooping, bent posture; small, impoverished body; hands 
flexed, shriveled, pallid, and wrinkled ; thin lips, etc. This latter 
class of signs is found most prominent in the personnel of those 
who are acquisitive on a small scale ,—petty housewives, small 
dealers, misers, or those whose capacities for acquiring are not so 
great that they can expend money on a large scale, as this requires 

* An Attempt to Establish Physiognomy on Scientific Principles, John Cross, M.D., p. 143. 


ACQUISITIVENESS. 


541 


higher traits than they possess ; for a man who expends large sums 
must have taste and judgment in art, science, or literature, or he 
must possess social and domestic faculties on a large scale, and 
thus love to put out money in these directions. The character of 
these petty savers is lacking either in the mental or emotional de¬ 
partment ; hence, they evince but little desire for sociality, domestic 
comforts, or the refinements of art, etc., and they are thus able to 
add half-pence to pence, and dispense with the comforts of life 
without a pang; the latter sort are most aptly described by Mr. J. 
Stanley Grimes, who speaks of them as follows:— 

In some extreme cases of voluntary littleness the character is strongly 
marked in the personal appearance. Alimentiveness is made to suffer ; the 
lean, gaunt body is contracted with threadbare garments which are too 
small in all directions; the shriveled features sharpened to a point; the 
upper lip drawn toward the nose exposes the incisor teeth; the fingers 
crooked to resemble claws; the body bent forward, and the whole figure 
and expression resembling a rat in a sitting posture.* 

Many of the great accumulators of the world are large, broad, 
social, and amative men, full of life, with love of music and society, 
while nearly, if not all, of the petty accumulators and misers are 
small, shriveled, wrinkled specimens of humanity, and exercise 
their domestic sentiments in a very restricted manner where they 
use them at all; they avoid society for the reason that they cannot 
warm toward any one, for their shriveled, pinched, and parched 
lips tell us that the juices of the body are very deficient, and that 
the glands are lacking in functional activity. So surely does each 
feature, wrinkle, and attitude, as well as the walk and hand, reveal 
the internal condition of the physiology of the mind. All appear¬ 
ances in connection with the human body form a criteria of physi¬ 
ological truth, and Nature is prodigal of the signs, signals, and 
ethnic characters suited to the scansorial capabilities of all grades 
and shades of minds, from the infant up to the genius. 

The geometric outline of the body and form of each feature 
and limb reveals the entire man. It should be our first duty to 
understand thoroughly these signs which God has set before us in 
every department of Nature in the most affluent manner. Let 
the reader take, for example, the lower lip of the miser, dry, white, 
parched, thin, and wrinkled, and compare it with the full, moist, 
red, juicy lip of the normal or generous person, and he will soon 
be convinced that the comparison of resemblances and diversities 
is an excellent method for the study of physiognomy. 

Tall, narrow-headed people have relatively less Acquisition 
than the short, round, and squat. The latter are given up to the 

* Mysteries of the Head and Heart, J. Stanley Grimes, p. 60. 


542 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


pursuit of material things , while the former are more aspiring and 
lead in moral reform, sympathy, benevolence, etc. There is a great 
resemblance between the beasts of prey, such as the tiger and 
panther, and the forms of many of the great financiers,—Jim 
Fiske, of Erie Railroad notoriety, for example. He was short and 
round, with wide jaws, large mouth; broad, low forehead; heavy, 
drooping upper eyelid; broad through the head above the ears, and 
had the expression of a bull-dog. The Rothschilds, the celebrated 
Hebrew bankers of Europe, are rather short and broad, with capa¬ 
cious abdomens and wide heads; low, full foreheads; large and 
bright eyes, and short, muscular limbs and hands. This build 
always indicates predaceous energy. All successful merchants have 
a large share of muscle, and the chief characteristic of muscle in 
both man and animal is to grasp and hold on. This grasping pro¬ 
pensity shows in the human family by love of trade in which one 
profits by the industry of another without himself producing any¬ 
thing , preying alike upon the necessities of producer and consumer , 
and this is the basis of the present commercial system. It is pre¬ 
cisely what the bird of prey does when he swoops down upon the 
toiling king-fisher and takes from him by force the fish he has 
wrested from the waves by the exercise of his strength and talents. 
The present commercial system is animal-like and based on dis¬ 
honesty, oppression, and robbery. It is to be hoped that the “ en¬ 
lightened self-interest” of the people coupled with high ideas of 
justice will sweep away this system of injustice, and regulate 
the exchange of products in such manner as will insure the right 
reward to the producer and a just price for the consumer. The 
present revolt of the laboring classes tends in this direction, and 
doubtless a radical change will blot this and kindred evils out of 
existence. 

Acquisitiveness is a most useful faculty when not excessive or 
perverted. The Oriental races—the Hindoo, the Arab, the Turk, 
the Hebrew, and Mongolian—possess a large share of Acquisitive¬ 
ness, and in them the muscular system is in the ascendency, as it 
is in all the beasts and birds of prey. They are fond of trading 
and gaming , speculating , and lotteries. Many of them possess 
most avaricious dispositions, and prefer to gain at the expense of 
others’ toil. 

i 

Many eminent men exhibit the signs for Acquisitiveness. 
George Washington’s eye and nose are both evidences of the pres¬ 
ence of this trait, but in him it was balanced by Reason, Conscience, 
and Benevolence; hence it was exhibited in his character by a 
wise and prudent administration of property and resources. Ben¬ 
jamin Franklin’s “Poor Richard’s Maxims” relating to economy 


ACQUISITIVENESS. 


543 


are known the world over, and in his case Acquisitiveness was 
balanced by other high traits,—Reason and Benevolence. 

Many of the most eminent artists, poets, painters, singers, and 
writers have been noted for large Acquisitiveness,—not only for a 
desire to acquire fame and popularity, but for a desire to earn and 
retain money and property. The celebrated French actress, Mdlle. 
Rachel, in her last illness, it is said, would entertain herself for 
hours by tossing up oranges and gold pieces for toys, so great was 
her pleasure in handling gold. Others of* the poetic brotherhood 
have shown themselves quite impractical in money matters; yet, 
as a rule, all of the artistic classes possess a large degree of Ac¬ 
quisitiveness. Whether they make good use of their gains or 
invest them judiciously depends upon other traits in combination. 
Jenny Lind and Patti have amassed fortunes and invested them 
with prudence, while many eminent poets have used their means, 
either inherited or earned, with care and forethought,—Tennyson, 
for example,—and the sign for Acquisitiveness is quite large in his 
nose. 

Where Approbativeness is large in combination, fame, repu¬ 
tation, and adulation will be most desired. Those with small 
Caution, large Acquisitiveness, and small Conscientiousness will 
pursue dishonest plans and exhibit a love of gaming, betting, and 
lotteries; with large Friendship, Acquisition, Benevolence, and 
small Cautiousness they will do a great deal for friends and often 
go beyond their depths, and by signing notes for friends become 
bankrupt and impoverished; with a large mental system and 
Ideality they will accumulate books, objects of art, etc ; with large 
Veneration added they will collect old coins, ancient books, and 
antiquities of all sorts; with large domestic traits and small social 
faculties they will do and expend more for the family and very little 
for society, and with large Secretiveness and Caution in combination 
they will manifest great prudence, care, and foresight in business. 

Acquisitiveness is the distinguishing trait of development. 
Children and undeveloped races seldom lay up anything for future 
use. Many animals are more prudent and thoughtful for the 
future than many men among the civilized races, for the squirrel, 
bee, beaver, rat, and dog lay by supplies for the sustentation of 
themselves and their offspring, thus teaching us that we are not 
entirely superior to the lowly beasts and insects, and that we share 
with them the development of all mental traits, differing in degree 
but not in kind. The more comparisons we institute among all 
departments of animate nature, the more evidence we shall accumu¬ 
late of the fact that one mind, one life, and one spirit animate the 
entire circle of what we understand as existence. 


544 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


CONSTRUCTIYENESS. 

Definition.— The faculty which gives the artist, mechanic, and 
inventor the capacity for building, modeling, drawing, running 
machinery, and also bestows originality, skill, deftness, knack, an 
versatility, and gives flexibility to the muscular system. Large 
Constructiveness gives a sense of weight and an innate percep¬ 
tion of the laws and operation of natural mechanical forces, 

assists the musician, sculp¬ 
tor, painter, athlete, chess¬ 
player, actor, novelist, and 
scientist. 

An excess , when not 
balanced by reason and the 
practical faculties, leads to 
chimerical and impractical 
inventions,—“motors” that 
never move,—and to use¬ 
less and foolish mechanical 
contrivances. 

A deficiency is shown 
by singular awkwardness 
in the handling of tools 
and in all constructive 
work. With Constructive¬ 
ness small, the character 
lacks originality and spon¬ 
taneity, and shows very 
little ability to write well, 
draw, model, form, outline, 
operate machinery, or to 
learn readily the mechan¬ 
ism of the keyboard of the 
piano, or other musical in¬ 
strument, or any mechan¬ 
ical principles; its absence 
ball, in marksmanship, or 



Fig. 79.—JOHN ERICSSON. 

Mechanician.) 


(Eminent 


Born in Sweden, 1803. Principal facial sign, Con¬ 
structiveness, shown by fullness of the sides of the 
nose, general form and size of the nose, size and shape 
of the forehead, and rounding out of the sides of the 
forehead. The law of the straight line, curve, and cube 
governs this countenance. The vegetative system is 
here well represented. Conscientiousness, Firmness, 
Love of Home, Patriotism, Friendship, Economy, Love 
of Young, Sanativeness, and Benevolence are all well 
defined. Amativeness is normal, while Self-esteem is 
most uncommonly large, showing the thorough inde¬ 
pendence and dignity of the man. The nose is broad in 
the back the entire length, and short relative t the 
length of the face, thus showing the dominance of mus¬ 
cular structure. The signs for Sublimity, Acquisitive¬ 
ness, Constructiveness, Veneration, Executiveness, and 
Self-will are exceedingly well developed. The signs for 
Form, Size, Observation, Weight, Locality, and Calcula¬ 
tion are very large, and show the mechanical capacities 
of this mind. In the upper third of the face the signs 
for Order, Time, Reason, and Intuition are immense. 
The quality is of the highest order. 


makes one very unskillful in playing 
in athletics. 

Facial and Bodily Signs .—The sign for Constructiveness in 
the nose is shown by fullness of that feature just above Acquisi¬ 
tiveness, causing it to be well rounded out at the sides or alae, just 
below the “ bridge.” Noses having an indentation at this part be¬ 
token a lack of artistic mechanism. Many other signs there are 
for this faculty; as it is a muscular trait, signs of its presence will 





CONSTRUCTIVENESS. 


545 


be found all over the body,—in the head and limbs, in the walk, 
voice, and gesture. Its basis being the muscular system, the 
rounded and curved individual is its best representative. Con¬ 
structiveness may be known by a rounding out of the temples, erro¬ 
neously described by phrenology as an “ organ” at this point, but 
really caused by round bones and round muscles ,—the combination 
that gives the highest capacity for construction. Other and second¬ 
ary signs are seen in the large, full eyes; arched eyebrows, round 
ears, oval lace, round head; 
tapering, flexible fingers; 
small, rounded wrists and 
joints, with the bones rela¬ 
tively small and well cov¬ 
ered by muscle; easy, 
graceful walk; beautiful, 
curved gestures; mellow, 
sonorous voice and playful 
disposition; short and thick 
feet, and arched instep. 

Description of Con¬ 
structiveness. — The fac¬ 
ulty for artistic construction 
is of the highest order only 
where the muscular system 
predominates over the bony 
system, together with a 
brain system of fine qual¬ 
ity. Mechanical skill is 


be perfect, and, as bones are 
not flexible, we find in all 
the artistic classes the domi¬ 
nance of the muscular system in conjunction with a suitable brain 
and nervous system. The great masters of art, the most eminent 
actors, poets, orators, and writers, must possess, of course, more 
highly-specialized brains than the lower classes of muscular people. 
The mere athletes, dancers, singers, musicians, oarsmen, riflemen, 
and other professional sportsmen do not require so well-developed 
a brain nor so sensitive a nervous system as the higher classes of 
artists, although many of them are men of intelligence. Many 

35 


of the highest order only 
where the bony system is 
in the ascendency. For 
the purposes of art the flex¬ 
ibility of the muscles must 



Fig. 80.—JOHN BUNYAN. (Tinker, Preacher, 

Author.) 

Principal facial sign, Constructiveness, shown by full¬ 
ness of the sides of the nose, form of the nose, and 
rounding out of the sides of the forehead. The law of 
the straight line and curve governs this face. This sub¬ 
ject worked at a mechanical trade in early life, yet 
could neither read nor write until he arrived at manhood. 
This nose shows more literary than mechanical con¬ 
structiveness. The domestic sentiments are well repre¬ 
sented. Love of the beautiful in the opposite sex is 
shown by the dimpled chin, while Firmness, Conscien¬ 
tiousness, Patriotism, Benevolence, Amativeness, Love 
of Young, Mirthfulness, Modesty, Approbativeness, 
Friendship, and Color are most apparent. In the nose 
the signs for Mental Imitation, Human Nature, Hope, 
Analysis, Constructiveness, Acquisitiveness, Venera¬ 
tion, Executiveness, and Self-will are conspicuous. 
Form, Size, Prescience, Credenciveness, Calculation, 
Order, Locality, Memory of Events, and Intuition are 
large. The extraordinary face of an extraordinary man. 






546 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


singers and instrumental musicians have a fine and sensitive nerv¬ 
ous system, yet, as a rule, not very high intellectual gifts, their 
work requiring mainly only the use of powers drawn from the mus¬ 
cular system. But to whichever class these several varieties of 
artists belong, the nose will he rounded at Constructiveness; the 
sides of the head will round out, the fingers will be tapering and 
flexible, and the entire organism constructed on the plan that best 
favors gracefulness, ease of motion, imitation, imagination, enthusi¬ 
asm, sociality, sportiveness, and vocal capacity, and which, in short, 
is adapted to the production of curved motions. Upon due exam¬ 
ination and analysis, we shall find that the foundation of every art 
is the curve, whether it be painting, musical instrumentation, sing¬ 
ing, constructing the musical cadence of poetry, or the use of the 
voice in oratory, elocution, or singing (for vocal sounds cause 
curved waves of the atmosphere to impinge upon the ear, which is 
also constructed upon the circular plan, both without and within) ; 
or the curved motion of gestures, or the graceful poses and atti¬ 
tudes of the actor and orator. Whatever the nature of the art, 
the ability to produce curves must come from the flexibility of the 
muscular system, for they cannot be produced by any other system. 
The finest intellect in the world, if destitute of a suitable muscular 
development, could not sing an air, play a sonata, paint a picture, 
deliver an oration, nor delineate a play properly. The brain of the 
person whose muscles dominate the bones, it is logical to infer, is 
composed of different proportions of brain-elements from those of 
the brain of one whose osseous system is in the ascendency; for, 
inasmuch as his entire structure—his hones as well as his muscles— 
is more flexible, it follows that there must be more animal ingredi¬ 
ents than mineral in his entire organism. Every portion of his 
frame proves this; even the hair of the muscular individual is 
softer, more flexible, and more easily curled than that of a bony 
person. Curly or wavy hair is rarely or never seen on the head 
of an osseous individual, his hair being, as a rule, very straight and 
difficult to wave or curl, while the hair and beards of muscular peo¬ 
ple incline to curl and wave, and are singularly lustrous, proving 
the presence of animal, oily secretion, while the hair of the osseous 
subject is dryer and not so glossy. The finger-nails, too, of the 
constructive individual are thinner and more pliable, while every¬ 
thing connected with this class of persons points to the greater de¬ 
velopment of gelatinous material rather than of the mineral. The 
analysis of muscle shows a large proportion of gelatin,—animal 
substance,—while a chemical analysis of bone discloses a large pro¬ 
portion of the phosphates of lime,—a mineral matter which gives 
to the bones as well as to the tissues their solidity and consistency. 


CONSTRUCTIVENESS. 


547 


Now, small, round bones and large, round muscles (the combina¬ 
tion most frequently observed in the higher classes of artists) would 
naturally possess more flexibility than large, square bones and flat 
muscles,—the combination which characterizes those who possess 
relatively less original artistic constructive skill; hence it is that the 
bones of the skull of this class are more rounding and the joints of 
the muscular individual more flexible than those of the purely osse¬ 
ous subject. The rounding out of the sides of the head, which our 
phrenological friends would have us believe is caused by brain 
development, termed by them an “ organ,” is, I think, conclu¬ 
sively proved to be nothing more than the bulge produced by the 
combination of round bones and round muscles. 

There is a long physiological history attached to every mental 
faculty, and, at the risk of being considered dry and prolix, I 
introduce in this chapter a short physiological and anatomical 
description of the base of each separate mental manifestation, 
deeming it only just to my readers and to the science that this 
should be intelligently understood. The “Basic Principles of 
Form” are elaborated in the chapter of that name, yet it is 
impossible to describe Constructiveness without trenching con¬ 
siderably upon the subject matter of that chapter. This, I think, 
will not be a disadvantage to the student, as these principles cannot 
be injured by repetition. 

The construction and operation of the muscular system have 
been fully discussed elsewhere, yet it is apropos to the present 
topic that a short description of the mechanical powers inherent 
in the muscular system should be given. It includes in its action 
the arch, the pulley, the wedge, the several lever powers, the ball- 
and-socket joint, the hinge,and valve; joints with a lateral motion, 
also witli a gliding motion, mixed joints, together with the prin¬ 
ciples of hydrostatics, gravity, capillary attraction, magnetism, 
optics, pneumatics, acoustics, chemical action, and mechanical 
action. This exposition of the inherent powers of the muscular 
system explains why those who possess a fine endowment of 
muscles are enabled to construct, form, and fashion whatever has 
for its leading principles these several powers. The human 
body is the highest expression of architectural skill,—the most 
perfectly constructed,—and in its operation combines nearly all of 
the principles of natural forces, and these are nearly all mani¬ 
fested by means of bones and muscles; and, although we cannot 
possibly comprehend a tithe of the complex operations of the 
systems within the body, even with the aid of the microscope, we 
yet know that it is the perfection of harmony, and the type of all 
creative , constructive energy. 


548 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Before passing on to the consideration of the mental aspects 
of Constructiveness, I may mention that round-built, musculat 
races of men and animals are more prolific, more creative physi 
cally , than the square-built, bony men and animals. To those 
who have imbibed the notion that the brain is all powerful, and 
that it is the organ of the mind exclusively ,—the organ by which 
men are able to carry forward artistic works of all kinds,—I 
would say that every different formation of man has undoubtedly 
a different construction of brain, not only as regards its form or 
shape, but in regard to its component particles and proportions. 
Most great artists have such a combination of brain and muscle 
as to lead us to say of them that they are “ brain-and-muscle 
men.” Other lower types of artists, such as those who are 
athletes merely, without sufficient brain development in combi¬ 
nation with their muscular system to enable them to plan fortifi¬ 
cations, pictures, statuary, etc., may be considered as “muscular 
men” solely; or, if the thoracic system is equal in development, 
as it often is in oarsmen, ball-players, gymnasts, etc., they may be 
denominated “ muscle-and-lung men,” for this method of termi¬ 
nology gives in a sentence the dominating forces of the mind of 
the individual thus characterized; and after one has become con¬ 
versant with the leading traits which inhere in the different 
functions, he will be able to say what are the mental and physical 
capacities of any given subject without even seeing the person. 
By having a description of the dominant functions a physiognomist 
would be able to read most of the character. To say to one who 
has read this work attentively that a certain person is a “ brain- 
and-bone man,” or a “brain-and-muscle man,” or a “ vegetative 
man,” or of a purely “muscular type,” is to unfold directly a 
great share of the character of the person thus designated. 
Beginners, in investigating the differences observed in the several 
organ systems of men and animals, will find that their powers 
of observation and comparison will be taxed to the uttermost in 
order to render a true and correct judgment. Comparative 
anatomy is a science which will aid us in this most important 
branch of physiognomy. By it the student will learn to dis¬ 
tinguish the difference between the vegetative, the muscular, the 
bony, and the thoracic systems of men and animals. Not only 
will he observe these differences, but he will soon learn to estimate 
the degree of development of each of these systems found in 
combination in each subject. All these differences must be 
comprehended and the relativity of these functions understood 
almost at a glance. 

All persons in whom the muscular system predominates can 


CONSTRUCTIVENESS. 


549 


sing, play upon musical instruments, dance, write, model, draw, 
and paint better than those whose bones are large and square. 
There are many persons of fine intellectual endowments and 
acquirements who cannot be taught to practice successfully any 
mechanical or artistic profession, because the brain system domi¬ 
nates and the muscles and bones are not sufficiently developed to 
assist these mechanical efforts. This fact proves that each combi¬ 
nation of functions has a brain which works in harmony with its 
physiological and anatomical structure. The mechanical body and 
hand are accompanied by a square-built mechanical brain, and the 
body, hands, and feet of an artist are provided with the rounding 
head of an artist. These harmoniously constructive principles 
inhere in every department of Nature’s works. 

In the mineral kingdom this principle is most wonderfully 
and beautifully exemplified in the various crystallizations of gems 
and stones, and every different mineral or gem always assumes a 
certain and definite shape and color by which it is known from 
all other formations. In the vegetable kingdom, not a blade of 
grass, or leaf, or blossom, but testifies to the creative and construct¬ 
ive power of the great Architect of all. In the insect world we 
can but admire the constructive energy of the spider, bee, and ant. 
These creatures are all endowed with a muscular system which 
dominates all the other functions in their organism, and they 
exhibit precisely the same traits which characterize human beings 
whose muscular systems are in the ascendency. They are 
ingenious, constructive, mathematical, and geometrical, as witness 
the hexagonal cell of the bee, the geometrically-arranged web 
of the spider, and the fine adaptation of the hinge-principle in 
the door of the dwellings of certain species; while the architectural 
skill displayed by the ant is most wonderful, and is not, as many 
believe, altogether a matter of instinct, but is original, ingenious, 
and inventive, adapting means to new and unforeseen circum¬ 
stances. The ant is in disposition like muscular men, being pro¬ 
lific, social, domestic, graceful, strong, often cruel or unfeeling, 
and fond of domination , as exhibited in his slave-holding 
customs. 

The same constructive talent is shown by birds, some of 
which build the most ingeniously-contrived nests. Among animals, 
constructive aesthetic talent is disclosed by those species that 
exhibit relatively the most muscle. The mole and beaver are not 
so large as the dog and horse, but are more muscular relatively; 
that is to say, their muscular system is in excess of the bony. 
The mole constructs a beautiful little home, built with five circular 
galleries, with ingeniously-contrived modes of ingress and egress. 


550 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


All animals that burrow, build, and construct have relatively more 
muscle than bone. The movements of these creatures are graceful, 
and their forms rounded; the paws are soft, flexible, round, and 
rapid in movement,—quite different from the bony limbs and feet 
of the dog and horse. The latter are more moral and intelligent 
than any muscular animal, for the bony system is a higher and 
more substantial system than the muscular. Mechanics and scien¬ 
tists, in whom the bone and brain systems are supreme, are more 
moral than artists, as a class. Where muscles predominate we 
find the emotions, particularly the amative propensity, excessive, 
and this does not tend to the same degree of moral control that is 
exhibited by the dominance of the bony system. I have shown 
that the round form is the artistic build; it is therefore the most 
suitable formation for artistic effort; it also denotes generative 
capacity, and love, ardor, enthusiasm, imagination, credenciveness, 
imitation, and constructiveness, which in combination, and in 
excess, are opposed to that coolness and self-control which the 
highest morality requires. 

One of the most interesting as well as the most difficult 
studies of physiognomy is found in the endeavor to analyze the 
combinations of systems of functions observed in each individual, 
and especially in gifted persons, for here we find the best field 
for discovery, analysis, and verification. The physiognomy of a 
perfected character offers more to the mind, and presents such 
arrangement and development of facial features as to delight the 
physiognomist. When I meet with a countenance which reveals 
to me the character of a highly-gifted person, whether in art, 
science, or domestic traits, I think I experience all the gratification 
which an artist would feel were he suddenly to come upon one of 
the works of the old masters in some unexpected nook or garret. 
An expressive face speaks to the beholder in most unmistakable 
language. After one has acquired a knowledge of scientific 
physiognomy he can never mistake a knave for an honest man, 
nor a common-faced person for a genius. Neither will talent and 
goodness pass him unnoticed. And the face which in his days of 
physiognomic ignorance he might have considered as plain or 
homely may, under the full blaze of physiognomical law, reveal 
traits of beauty and power. Art-standards cannot be relied upon 
to express scientific truths. The faces of many of the most highly 
gifted persons do not exhibit the sort of expressions that art would 
term “beautiful.” Only the height of science and an application 
of her laws can unfold to us the true, inner, and hidden meaning 
of every thing in Nature. Form and function, and function and 
faculty, are synonymous and convertible terms. Given a certain 


CONSTRUCTIVENESS. 


551 


form, and the physiognomist can describe the physical functions 
and mental faculties which belong to it, and which are always 
associated with it. 

I designate the muscular system the “artistic” system, in 
contradistinction to the “mechanical” system, which is best ex¬ 
hibited where the bones are slightly in excess of the muscles. The 
fact is, that art and mechanism are both influenced by some of 
the same laws and principles, but artistic construction depends 
mainly upon the flexibility of muscle and the curves produced by 
muscular movement, together with the sort of 'pressure or touch 
imparted by its action. The touch of the fingers of the finely-organ¬ 
ized muscular person upon the keys of the piano, upon the bow of the 
violin, or upon other stringed or wind instruments, is far more mellow, 
rich, melting, and harmonious than that produced by the large, 
square-boned fingers of the mechanic or scientist. The voices of 
these two classes exhibit just the same differences; the more muscle, 
the more mellifluous, sweet, and soothing the voice, and if to this 
is added a good degree of the vegetative system, as seen in the 
portraits of Parepa Rosa, for example, the voice will give forth a 
quality of sympathy most touching. The peculiarity of the curving 
nature of muscle is also influential in the rhythmic lines of the 
poet and the waves of sound produced by the voice in oratory and 
singing; also in the motions caused by the gestures of the actors. 
Moreover, many artists work with tools and machinery of a circular 
form , and depend upon mechanism of this conformation to produce 
like effects in external works. Now, the mechanic, having the bones 
slightly in excess of the muscles, presents a more angular appear¬ 
ance, and externally produces work which is characterized by 
angles , as exhibited in house, furniture, buildings, and all mechan¬ 
ical objects presenting plane surfaces, angles, and cuboid forms. It 
is true that the mechanical principles inherent in the human 
organism are connected mainly with the muscular and osseous 
systems; yet a preponderance of muscle over bone makes a man 
an artist, while different proportions of these two systems giving 
the supremacy to the bone create mechanical ability. 

The constructiveness which accompanies an excess of muscle 
gives capacity for setting up and running machinery, talent for 
playing and comprehending the mechanism of the piano, violin, 
harp, organ, etc; also, for becoming expert and dexterous in the 
use of the sewing-machine or other running machinery. Where 
there is a good brain development in combination with the muscular 
system, the mechanical principles will show in the construction of 
ingenious and complicated stories, characterized by skill in the plot, 
as witnessed in the fictions of Shakespeare, Dickens, and Wilkie 


552 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Collins, and in the plays of Tom Taylor and Dion Boucicault. 
Thus these brain-and-muscle men are artists with the pen. This 
class of minds comprehend mental constructiveness, and practice it 
externally by ingenious writings. Henry Ward Beecher and other 
good orators and divines of the artistic build show the dominance 
of this system by the tine literary construction of their speeches 
and sermons. 

A slight difference in the proportions of these two systems, 
and a slight difference of degree in the brain development, gives us 
an organ-player like the celebrated Bowman, of Boston, or a com¬ 
poser like Handel, while other differences of degree produce a 
Stephenson, a Watt, a Fulton, or an Edison. These differences 
are easily understood by the observing physiognomist, and each 
individual is assigned his own proper place in art or mechanism 
upon a close scrutiny of the face, form, hand, etc; for I hold 
that the hand is a mental feature, and must be examined in order 
to give the most complete reading of character. The human hand 
and the human nose are more purely mental than animal fea¬ 
tures, for the reason that no animal has either a hand or nose at 
all comparable to the human hand and nose. They are both found 
in a state of greatest perfection with the most perfected persons 
and races, hence entirely distinct from those of the savage, idiot, 
infant, and undeveloped people generally. The hand performs the 
nicest and most skillful work that the mind can invent, and with¬ 
out the deft, flexible, and perfect hand the fine mechanical and 
artistic plans of the most ingenious mind would end in abstractions, 
and man would be entirely unable, except by speech, to prove his 
superiority to the brute creation. 

When the faculties of Size and Form are treated in the pages 
which follow, the subject of mechanical principles in their relation 
to inherited forms will be explained. Although Form is the basis 
of art as well as of mechanism, it is differently used, and different 
in its applications in each case, as has been shown. 

The combination of Constructiveness with Language and 
Imagination gives poetic talent; with large Language, Love of 
Young, Ideality, Form and Size, Self-esteem, Firmness, Sublimity, 
Locality, and Calculation, will give constructive talent on a large 
scale, such as engineering, building fortifications, bridges, aque¬ 
ducts, etc. The face of John A. Boebling, engineer and builder 
of the Brooklyn bridge, New York, is an excellent illustration of 
this combination of artistic-mechanical talent. 

I term the group about the point of the nose the “ artistic,” 
using it in its broadest and most comprehensive sense, including in 
this envision the signs for Literature, Art, Artistic Mechanism, and 


VENERATION. 


553 


some of the faculties used in the artistic department of Science, as 
in Analysis and Mental Imitation, Constructiveness, etc. 

VENERATION. 

Definition .—Respect for all persons, places, and principles 
entitled to respect; regard for the laws of Nature; submission; 
religiously cultivated, it leads to devotion to God, to prayer, praise, 
and religious observances; when combined with literary faculties 
it creates a taste and respect for ancient history and antiquities; it 
gives a tender regard for the aged and deference to long-estab¬ 
lished customs, forms of government, etc.; those with large Ven¬ 
eration readily submit to law, order, customs, proprieties, and offer 
reverent and respectful deference to the wishes and opinions of 
others; it assists self-control, and forms the basis of the taste for 
collecting old coins, ancient literary and art relics, and imparts a 
desire for visiting monuments, pyramids, ancient lands, and races. 

An excess leads to religious bigotry and fanaticism and im¬ 
moderate indulgence in religious rites, such as fasting and penance, 
and tends to morbid devotion and religious mania. 

A deficiency makes one impudent, irreverent, disrespectful, and 
defiant; creates contempt for law, custom, propriety, and old age, 
with slight power for self-control and inability to control others; 
makes the bully and creates low character, and leads to disregard 
of sacred subjects. 

Facial and Bodily Signs .—Height of the nasal bones at 
the part just below the bridge is the most decided sign for Ven¬ 
eration. Width combined with height discloses the possession of 
the highest degree of Veneration. High, thin noses show less of 
Veneration than those that are broad as well as high. Secondary 
signs are found wherever the bony system is dominant, as shown 
in the squareness of the face, the bones of the fingers, and large 
joints generally. Veneration is exhibited by respectful demeanor 
and deferential manner in the presence of elders or officials. It 
bows the head in sacred edifices and in listening to excellent dis¬ 
course. 

A short, round, muscular nose, depressed at the centre and 
slightly “ pugged,” is the perfect type of an impudent, saucy, and 
disrespectful character. Large, projecting, staring, convex eyes 
show the absence of Veneration. 

Description of Veneration. —In proceeding to the consider¬ 
ation of the group of signs which cluster about the ridge of the 
upper part of the nose, we find that a great advance in strength of 
character is made where this portion of the physiognomy is well 
developed. The principal sign for Veneration is caused by the 


554 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


development of the nasal bones. Its location^ being between the 
executive faculties and the aesthetic and literaty, is most suggestive. 
The philosophy of its action offers additional proof of its osseous 
origin. Add to this the vast amount of evidence derived from the 
comparison ol low-nosed people with those having this sign large, 
and we shall complete a very extended chain of evidence, most 
conclusive and utterly incontrovertible by metaphysician or plireno- 



logian. 

Where the bony system dominates the hones are inclined to 

be long and often square, 
the joints large, and the 
head will present a more 
angular appearance than 
where the muscular system 
prevails. The head will 
also stand high above the 
ears, at the place where 
phrenology locates the “ or¬ 
gan of Veneration.” This, 
height is caused by the 
supremacy of the osseaus 
system, which tends to> 
height , length , and square¬ 
ness, and not to round¬ 
ness. Veneration is the 
attribute of mechanical and 
scientific characters rather 
than of the artistic classes; 
hence, the head in these 
classes is higher in propor¬ 
tion to its size and more 
angular in form, while the 
nasal bones are more prom¬ 
inent and the muscles of 
the nose smaller relatively, 
—all of which goes to prove that the supremacy of the bony 
system produces the most Veneration. An examination of those 
animals in which are found the most submissive, deferential, and 
respectful traits of character shows that the osseous system is in 
the ascendency, and proves that the bony races of animals are 
more submissive to law and more respectful than those in which 
the muscular system prevails. Compare, for example, the horse, 
the dog, and the camel, with their angular, homely, bony, mechani¬ 
cal construction of form, with the sleek, little muscular ape, or with 


Fig. 81.—RT. REV. BENJAMIN MOORE, D.D. (Au¬ 
thor, Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal 
Church of New York.) 

Born in New York, 1748. Conspicuous facial sign, 
Veneration. The law of the straight line and square 
governs this face. The signs of the domestic and moral 
traits are very pronounced. Conscientiousness Firm¬ 
ness, Patriotism, Benevolence, Love of Home, Love of 
Young, Self-esteem, and Modesty are large. Amative¬ 
ness and Friendship normal, while the mental and ex¬ 
ecutive powers are uncommonly developed in the nose. 
Mental Imitation, Analysis, Hope, Sublimity, Construct¬ 
iveness, Veneration, Executiveness, and Self-will are 
all very conspicuous. Form, Size, Language, Memory 
of Events, and Credenciveness are most apparent. 
Altogether a pure and high-minded and intellectual 
character. 






Veneration. 


555 


the larger tiger, panther, and lion, and you will be able to prove 
the presence of a large degree of Veneration in the former and none 
whatever in the latter. In one class there is beauty of form and 
movement, with irreverence, defiance, and disrespect, and in the 
other less beauty, according to recognized ideals, but more re¬ 
spect and submission; hence more capacity for instruction and 
progress , both in knowledge and structure, as witness the high 
grade of skill, speed, and intellectual attainments manifested by 
race-horses, hunting and trick dogs, trained camels, and elephants. 
The noses of the bony ani¬ 
mals are relatively long and 
high as compared to the 
noses of the muscular crea¬ 
tures. Compare, for ex¬ 
ample, the noses of all the 
carnivorous classes, includ¬ 
ing the panther, the tiger, 
the jaguar, the leopard, 
and the smaller carnivora, 
with the horse, the dog, the 
camel, the deer, the gazelle, 
the springbok, the sheep, 
and the reindeer, and it 
will be observed that the 
noses of the former are 
relatively shorter and more 
depressed than those of the 
latter. The eyes, too, of 
the carnivora are larger, 
more prominent, bolder, 
and more defiant in expres¬ 
sion than those of the do¬ 
mestic and herbivorous 
classes. Veneration in the 
animal kingdom is shown 
by recognition of man as a 

superior being, in teachableness and submission to man’s laws, 
rules, and habits; also, by consideration and respect for the nature 
and rights of their own class of beings. 

In analyzing the location and nature of Veneration in the 
human character we cannot fail to be impressed with its position 
in the physiognomy, and this will lead us to examine with interest 
its philosophy and use in the human economy. The faculty of 
Veneration belongs to the most perfected races, as its principal 



Fig. 82.— THOMAS PAINE. (Mechanic, Author, 
Patriot, Statesman, Philanthropist.) 

Born in England, 1737. Conspicuous facial sign, Ven¬ 
eration. The law ot the straight line, square, and curve 

f joverns this face. This noble countenance is an excel- 
ent illustration of the active and humane mind which 
Thomas Paine exhibited in his life-works. The sign for 
the domestic traits are manifestly large. Conscience, 
Firmness, Economy, Patriotism, Benevolence, Friend¬ 
ship, and Self-esteem are very conspicuous. In the nose 
the signs for Human Nature, Mental Imitation,Venera¬ 
tion, and Executiveness, are very prominent. Self-will is 
only average. Language is excellent. Observation, Cal¬ 
culation, Reason, Memory of Events, and Intuition aie 
pre-eminent. History furnishes few characters as un¬ 
selfish and as broadly benevolent as Thomas Paine. In re¬ 
ligion he would now be styled a conservative Unitarian, 
for he wrote “I believe in one God and no more.” As 
Americans we are greatly indebted to him for his assist¬ 
ance in founding the Republic. Congress justly rewarded 
him for his magnificent services by heaping honors upon 
him while alive. 


556 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


sign shows. What passes for Veneration in undeveloped races is 
not such at all, for they are incapable of so elevated a feeling. 
Their religious beliefs are the outcome of fear and Credenciveness, 
the latter trait belonging to the muscular system, and exhibited 
principally by the muscular races, as evidenced by the arched eye¬ 
brows and wide-open eyes of the “believer” in every monstrous 
and fantastic theory which passes for religion among different 
races. Credenciveness is the faculty which breeds wonder, marvel¬ 
ousness, and superstition, and even in civilized persons, in excess, 
leads to gross superstition, as we shall find later, when we come to 
consider its nature. 

Veneration, as the description shows, has a wide scope, and 
enables different persons to exhibit it in varying degrees and in 
very diverse ways. It leads one to listen respectfully to ideas and 
principles expounded, and accords respect according to the merit 
each possesses. It leads another to submit by self-control to 
authority and governmental regulations. It causes another to be 
tender to the aged and considerate to his associates. It is large in 
nearly all eminent divines and commanders. If it is a sign of 
submission you will naturally ask why it is a marked trait in the 
character of commanders. The principle of command as well as 
of obedience is founded in the comprehension of law, and he who 
can best obey can best command, for command implies self-restraint, 
and this is the very basis of ability to control others. Scooped- 
nosed persons are unable to control themselves and to behave 
with strict propriety. They must, therefore, be compelled by the 
enforcement of laws and rules to behave decorously, and penalties 
should be imposed until experience has taught them to fear the 
consequences. Children whose noses at the centre remain perma¬ 
nently depressed are saucy and impudent, and need the restraining 
power of discipline. I once knew such a child, who at three years 
of age was a terror to the neighborhood; he was disrespectful to his 
parents, grandparents, and friends, often slapping them and showing 
an utter disregard for the rights and opinions of his superiors. The 
mother, an exceedingly lovely and intelligent lady, had conceived 
the romantic idea that children should and could be brought up 
on the “ love principle,” as she termed it. There are doubtless a 
few children who can be thus raised, but the majority of human 
beings must be so trained as to develop every faculty of mind, and 
if they possess much vigor or force of character will need disci¬ 
pline and training. This must be done, first, by playing upon one 
faculty and then upon another, until every trait is touched in turn 
and molded by the creative skill of the mother. The boy in 
question at last became so unruly, even at this tender age, that his 


VENERATION. 


557 


conduct was insupportable. His parents applied to me for advice 
and I soon convinced them that he was not the sort of child that 
could be brought up on love alone; that such a course with such 
a nature produced contempt, and that irreverent characters respected 
law and force above all things. I advised them to commence a 
judicious course of discipline and dismiss their sentimental and 
impractical notions in regard to training children, inasmuch as 
they had proved the worthlessness of their theory after a fair trial 
at the most susceptible age. This they did, and at seven years of 
age, the last time I saw the boy, he was gentle in his manner, 
deferential to his elders, and every way an excellent child. In his 
case love alone would have ruined him, and probably would have 
led him to the penitentiary ; yet he was conscientious, truthful, 
and very intelligent, but the lack of Veneration if not remedied 
would have neutralized all his other good qualities. 

Adults who possess a “scooped” or pug nose, or even a short 
nose, are unconsciously impertinent , and make rude, blunt, and 
impudent remarks without intending to hurt the feelings of others. 
Parents who have children with this form of nose should take espe¬ 
cial pains to make them polite and deferential. Indeed, they 
should go to the extreme in such matters in order to balance up 
this deficiency. 

All infants and young children exhibit a nose more or less 
depressed at the centre, but if it is going to develop upon the 
ridge it will begin quite early to rise and the bones to harden. But 
Avhere this depression remains after three or four years of age and 
the character shows out in impudence and defiance, a wise and 
rational discipline alone will correct it. Reasoning with such as 
possess a fair share of reflection is an excellent way. Appeals to 
the affections is another good method to pursue with those who 
are emotional. But punishment must be inflicted and force used 
when all else fails. 

There is no more useful trait in the mind when rightly bal¬ 
anced than Veneration, for it is the basis of good government, law, 
order, propriety, politeness, and deference for those in authority, 
and for the opinions of those who are experienced. It leads to the 
recognition of superior excellence in others, and causes the young 
to defer to parents, teachers, and to imitate great characters. It is 
the foundation of religious worship; yet many men with large 
Veneration are devoid of belief in sectarian creeds. Voltaire was 
such a one. The sign for Veneration in his nose was very large. 
George Combe says of him that 

Voltaire’s veneration was manifested in his sycophancy to kings and 
persons of high rank; also in his sense of natural religion. He was called 


558 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


in his own age and country a fanatic for erecting a church at Ferney, which 
stands to this day, with the following inscription upon it: “ Erected to God 
by Voltaire.”* 

There are many excellent characters who, like Voltaire, pos¬ 
sess a large share of natural religion ,—that is to say, who are 
devout in their pursuit of what is moral, and with a reverence for 
the truths of Nature, but not for man-made creeds. I have known 
many persons of excellent character, with large Veneration, who 
did not attend church nor respect the opinions of pope, bishop, or 
priest, yet in their lives were correct and moral, good citizens and 
parents. Some of them exhibited the possession of the loftiest 
traits of character, and lived up to very exalted standards. 

The uses of Veneration are manifold. It is essential that the 
teacher, preacher, foreman, boss, superintendent, governor, com¬ 
mander, and civil officer should possess a normal degree of this 
elevated trait. Unbalanced and in excess it creates bigots and 
fanatics, causes undue respect for kings and conformity to conserva¬ 
tive governments, traditions, and ancient observances, and leads to 
a slavish adoration of a Supreme Being. Such people are lacking- 
in reflection, else they would know that God does not desire to 
enslave his children, but rather wishes them to be freemen—made 
such by knowledge of His laws, which alone can free us from 
error and vice. Veneration is not, as some imagine, a slavish 
adoration of a deity or of a plurality of deities. That is a 'perver¬ 
sion of the true use of this noble faculty, or rather its use without 
reason. Veneration should always be moderated by reason or 
subordinated to it, for without it it degenerates into many gross 
errors and superstitions. Lecky, in his “ History of European 
Morals,” says:— 

Reverence is one of those feelings which in utilitarian systems would 
occupy at best a very ambiguous position, for it is extremely questionable 
whether the great ends that have grown out of it in the form of religious 
superstition and political servitude have not made it a source of more un¬ 
happiness than happiness. 

This idea shows that it can be turned from its legitimate use 
and work injury to whole nations. Still, no character is truly 
noble or beautiful without a fair share of Veneration. 

Negroes, as a class, have little Veneration, and this gives 
them that ready and spontaneous “sauce” with which they are so 
generous. Their noses are exceedingly depressed at the centre, 
proving that the bony system is not a dominant one in them. 
Their religious feelings proceed almost entirely from an over¬ 
development of Credenciveness, and this makes them grossly super¬ 
stitious through not having reason with which to balance it. The 

* Combe’s Lectures on Phrenology, p. 269. 


VENERATION. 


559 


Mongolian races are, if possible, more superstitious than the Negro. 
Their noses are depressed at the centre, and in them the muscular 
system dominates, hence they are more emotional than reflective, 
more changeable than stable, and show the predominance of all 
the lower muscular traits. Veneration is small in many of the 
Oriental races, or dominated by the faculty of Credenciveness. 
They are all great “believers,” great in “faith,” in the marvelous 
and wonderful. Their large, wide-open eyes show that they have 
the muscular system in the ascendency, and also show that they 
have for ages been listening to the recital of wonderful and im¬ 
probable stories and legends. Their religions are based on dogmas, 
traditions, and fables as unreal and improbable as the “Arabian 
Nights’ Entertainments.” It is from the East and Orientalists 
that our religions, as well as most of our ideas of fairies, witches, 
spirits, genii, and demons, have come; and their poems, stories, and 
legends are filled with descriptions of gorgons, gnomes, sprites, 
and demons. Color here, as elsewhere in Nature, shows power. 
Accordingly, we find many Oriental races cruel and revengeful, as 
well as superstitious, amative, imaginative, and licentious, the deep 
color of their hair, eyes, and complexion intensifying all the pas¬ 
sions and emotions. 

In all undeveloped people and races an excess of Credencive¬ 
ness, or faith, is thought to be a religious faculty, whereas it is only 
a mark of an unbalanced mind and absence of practicality. True 
religion is shown where reason and morality hold the balance. 

The ability for logical argument is one attribute of this faculty, 
and where the nose is broad as well as high at this sign large 
reasoning powers may be inferred, as well as capacity for logical 
ratiocination. Where the nose is high and thin, like a knife- 
blade, the ability for reasoning is only moderate; breadth here, as 
elsewhere, makes known its character. The portraits of Plato, 
Wickliffe, Luther, Swedenborg, Kant, Calvin, Newton, Kepler, 
John Locke, Benjamin Franklin, George Herbert, and George and 
John Stephenson exhibit this faculty in a remarkable degree. The 
love and ability for debating upon laws and principles are also the 
accompaniments of breadth of the nose at the centre. In the 
physiognomies of all the great judicial minds of the world the 
width of this part of the nose, as well as of the entire nose, is 
most remarkable. The general breadth of body of all compre¬ 
hensive minds, such as jurists, naturalists, statesmen, inventors, 
scientists, engineers, and astronomers, proceeds from the perfection 
of their digestive capacity, and the breadth of the nose at the 
centre of the bridge is the sign for a strong stomach,—one which 
digests well and easily. Most of the above-named classes are- 


560 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


large eaters, and are thus able to assist the mental processes by 
creating a sound physical base from which to draw their mental 
strength. The consideration of great and broad subjects involves 
immense mental efforts, and sickly, spindling, big-headed, thin¬ 
bodied men could not come up to the requirements of such ques¬ 
tions. Accordingly, we observe in the conformations of talented 
jurists and men who reason broadly and profoundly great breadth 
of body and height and breadth of nose. Look, for example, at 
the portraits of Lord Chatham, eminent statesman; Lord Mans¬ 
field, grand jurist; Buffon, naturalist; Liebnitz, chemist; Thomas 
Sydenham, celebrated physician; Edward Hyde, Earl of Claren¬ 
don, statesman; Lord Brougham, statesman; John Quincy Adams, 
statesman and orator; Bufus Choate, jurist and orator; Daniel 
Webster, statesman and orator, and Bichard Proctor, astronomer. 
In all of these men the facial and bodily signs for Veneration will 
be found highly developed. 

The religious beliefs and ceremonies of a race mark its grade 
of development mentally as well as physically. The highest form 
of religion is exhibited where morality and reason hold the balance. 
A correct theology is essential to the preservation of humanity, for 
the vast majority of people must have laws to control them, and 
any system of ethics which is founded on the right and intelligent 
use of the body and mind will tend to the preservation of humanity 
and to the perpetuation of an improved race. Virtue protects while 
vice destroys character. Veneration will teach the respect due to 
virtue. Among the religious faculties Veneration will ever hold a 
controlling influence. We must remember that religion is a com¬ 
ponent of man by Nature , and if we obey its laws and cultivate 
its sentiments we shall transmit to offspring a talent for true 
religion ; but let us not forget that compliance with physiological 
and hygienic law is the only sound basis upon which true religion 
can rest. Beligion is exhibited by acts, not disclosed by beliefs. 
Sickly sentimentalists will give us no improved types of humanity. 
The study of the natural sciences is an excellent way to improve 
Veneration, for the laws of God are in these studies revealed to 
the student in a most wonderful and convincing manner. It is not 
possible to investigate natural laws in a comprehensive spirit with¬ 
out becoming convinced that there is a great and wonderful power 
guiding and controlling everything. 

There are vast numbers of persons who could not be happy 
nor brought to do right without the idea of a controlling power. 
Others there are in whom the osseous and brain systems are in the 
ascendency,—in whom the faculties of Conscientiousness, Venera¬ 
tion, and Beason are paramount,—who would do right if all existing 


EXECUTIYENESS. 


561 


laws on the statute-books were swept out of existence. Yet this 
class owe to their ancestors a developed mental and moral nature, 
who, by the laws of evolution and natural selection have first built 
up and then transmitted to their offspring uncommon integrity, 
reason, and veneration. 

EXECUTIVENESS. 

Definition .—Capacity for governing; love of domination; de¬ 
cision, mental force; ability to perform, consummate, and achieve 
plans, purposes, and duties; sense of thoroughness; mental cour¬ 
age, resolution. The jurist, commander, presiding officer, captain, 
and superintendent all rely upon this faculty for their ability to 
execute and enforce law. It is the base of enterprise, reform, and 
vigorous action, and makes the natural leader. 

An excess causes despotism, undue harshness, and severity in 
executing laws; and makes the parent, teacher, and superintendent 
too exacting and overbearing. 

A deficiency creates weakness of character, with no ability 
for self-control, and no power to fill executive positions. When 
quite marked, the character will be noted for inertia, feebleness of 
mind, lack of energy and enterprise. 

Facial and Bodily Signs .—The sign for Executiveness is 
found in the bridge of the nose just above Veneration. It is 
known by height and breadth of the nasal bones and development 
of the pyramidalis nasi muscle. The most executive noses are 
long and broad as well as high, with large nostrils, large mouth, 
and large eyes (not projecting). 

Secondary signs are strong : plentiful supply of hair, luxuriant 
beard, squareness of the bones; strong, large hands and feet; 
bushy eyebrows and hair. 

Lack of Executiveness is shown by a small nose depressed at 
this point, or by a small, straight nose and small mouth, small 
hands and feet, deficient muscles, feeble digestion, and small lungs. 

Description of Executiveness. —The physiological base of 
Executiveness is traced to the osseous and muscular systems. 
The location of its local sign in the bony ridge of' the nose is one 
proof. Its curved shape where it is prominent is evidence of its 
muscular origin. Observation of the forms of the most executive 
persons in every department of action reveals the fact that in them 
there is such a combination of bone and muscle as to facilitate the 
operation of this faculty. Again, other evidence is afforded by 
the large size of the mouth and nostrils. These two signs show 
visceral vigor , and strength of the lungs, stomach, and heart gives 
force and power to all the mental operations. Most particularly is 

36 


562 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 




this assistance needed by those who take command of perilous and 
arduous enterprises and vast and immense plans for warfare, com¬ 
merce, and government, or in engineering, architecture, etc. 

The principal facial sign for Executiveness adjoins the sign 
for the stomach, and hence shows its near relationship to that 
organ, while it forms the highest point of the nose and thus dis¬ 
closes its relationship to the function of breathing and to the devel¬ 
opment of the thorax. Now* 
the stomach and heart are 
muscular organs , and to the 
high development of these 
organs and the integrity of 
the bony system the execu¬ 
tive individual is indebted 
for his physical power. A 
man with a large, high, and 
broad nose shows that all 
of these organs are strong 
and powerful. He there¬ 
fore gets his activity and 
energy from the develop¬ 
ment of these muscular or¬ 
gans as well as from the 
entire muscular system, and 
he gets his stability from 
large and strong bones, 
while his directive power 
and intelligence are derived 
from a brain that is the 
manifesting organ of this 
peculiar structure. This 
analysis simplifies very ma¬ 
terially the process of read¬ 
ing character. Formerly 
the method was to ascribe 
all power to the brain , but 
the largest and most powerful brain in the world, unsupported by 
powerful muscles and a good bony framework, could not take com¬ 
mand of a steamship in a hurricane nor quell a dangerous mob, 
nor perform any act requiring prompt and heroic conduct or long- 
sustained mental and physical efforts. A strong visceral organiza¬ 
tion is also essential to supply the force, resolution, and courage 
which commanders require. Accordingly, we find that men who 
hold important positions, where courage, decision and authority 



Fig. 83.—MISS CLARA BARTON (Philanthro¬ 
pist, Reformer, and President of the Order 
of the Red Cross in America.) 

Conspicuous facial sign, Executiveness. The law 
of the straight line, angle, and curve governs this coun¬ 
tenance. The signs for Conscientiousness, Firmness, 
Benevolence, Patriotism, Love of Home, Love of 
Young, Amativeness, Economy, Sanativeness, Self¬ 
esteem, and Friendship are well developed. In the nose 
the signs for Human Nature, Veneration, Executive¬ 
ness, and Self-will are most decided. Language is large ; 
so also are Order, Form, Size,Reason,Memory of Events, 
and Intuition. The life-work of this benevolent woman 
has an international fame. Her principal work in time 
of war was on the battle-field, caring for the wounded 
soldiers. Miss Barton has proved that women citizens 
will not shirk the duties of citizenship on the battle¬ 
field. She is an ardent champion of woman’s rights, and 
lives up to herprofessions in this direction as far as the 
law permits. The.wide, straight mouth and bright eyes 
indicate eloquence. The face as a whole denotes Integ¬ 
rity, Benevolence, Sympathy, Energy, Ability to Com¬ 
mand, Logic, and Practicality. 






EXECUTIVENESS. 


563 


are required, are broad-chested, broad-shouldered, and have a 
capacious abdominal system. The head is broad, and they are 
altogether built upon the broad plan. A large-brained man with 
narrow shoulders, flat abdomen, small, spindling limbs and small 
hands and feet could not command a steamship nor put down a 
riot, nor sit for months in a crowded court-room passing upon the 
judicial questions involved in important lawsuits. Neither could 
such a one lead a vast 
pioneering scheme nor com¬ 
mand an army in the field, 
nor pass hours in the labo¬ 
ratory experimenting. No, 
my readers, brain alone is 
not competent for any of 
these mighty works; and 
when the eminent meta¬ 
physician, Sir W. Hamil¬ 
ton, w T rote 


“On Earth there is nothing great 
but man, 

In man there is nothing great but 
mind,” 

he spoke from the old meta¬ 
physical stand-point, and 
not from a scientific under¬ 
standing of man. Man’s 
mind is truly great only 
when he has a grand body 
to sustain it. The men of 
action in the world,—those 
who have advanced the in¬ 
terests of humanity,—who 



Fig. 84.—WILLIAM H. SEWARD. (Teacher, 
Author, Lawyer, Statesman, and Orator.) 

Born in New York, 1801. Conspicuous facial sign, 
Executiveness. The law of the straight line and curve 
governs this face. The dominant expression of the face 
is Energy. The signs for Firmness, Conscientiousness, 
Patriotism, Love of Home, and of Young are well 
defined. The nose announces a mind of the first 
magnitude. The sign for Human Nature is most 
extraordinarily apparent, while Mental Imitation, Hope, 
Analysis, Sublimity, Ideality, Constructiveness, Ac¬ 
quisitiveness, Veneration, Executiveness, Self-will, and 
Observation are very prominent. Language, Reason, 
Order, Time, and Practicality are also well developed, 
forming altogether the face of a great man, whose 
power has been acknowledged in the four quarters of 
the globe. 


have assisted most in the 
attainment of a high civilization, have possessed good feeding and 
breathing powers, large bones, and strong muscles. Look, for 
example, at the fine bodily structures of Hippocrates, Aristotle, 
Socrates, Agricola, Francis Bacon, Baron Cuvier, Baron Hum¬ 
boldt, Count Bum ford, Sir Moses Montifiore, Father Mathew, 
John Howard, Abraham Lincoln, Farragut, George Washington, 
Daniel Webster, John Bright, D’Alembert, Dr. William Harvey, 
Martin Luther, John Bunyan, and Theodore Boosevelt, and observe 
in each case that the signs for good breathing and sound digestion 
are prominent. Men of action must first be good animals, and 
then, with the assistance of the brain and nerves, may arrive at 
distinction. 



564 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


In all departments of life’s activities the power and ability to 
command and control is required, and, as in civilized countries law 
and order are the most desirable conditions, the ability to execute 
law and maintain order must be considered one of the most useful 
as well as one of the most eminent traits in the human character. 
In the savage races force or fear is the means by which compli¬ 
ance to rule or law is obtained, and very little, if any, pure intellect 
enters into the actions of those who govern; hence, we know that 
Executiveness is a faculty of highly-developed character. All of 
the signs of character found upon the ridge of the nose are the signs 
of perfected evolution, and he who is able to govern a state, com¬ 
mand an army, direct a large body of workers, or lead a great 
enterprise must possess the faculty of self-control in a large 
measure, and this enables him to control others. The local sign 
for Executiveness lies adjacent to the sign for Veneration, and its 
upper side joins the local facial sign for Self-will,—a faculty which 
assists in commanding. 

Where the sign for Executiveness is large it forms the sort 
of nose denominated the “Roman nose,” from its resemblance to 
those noses observed in the portraits of many Roman generals, 
statesmen, and orators. There are many different degrees of this 
form. Some present a scarcely noticeable rise above the straight 
outline of the ridge of the nose. Where this slight rise in its 
outline is present the disposition is inclined more to self-control 
than to command others, and gives to the character nobility 
and high aspiration, and shows it to be above low and vulgar 
methods of thought and action. Where the rise is still higher 
and broad the governing ability is quite apparent, and exhibits the 
power of command required by the leader, teacher, foreman, super¬ 
intendent, judge, or general. The ability to execute law and to 
command men makes one bold, resolute, daring, prompt, decisive, 
and cool in time of danger. It often assumes the aggressive form, es¬ 
pecially when found in the physiognomies of military leaders and of 
discoverers. We see this sign most conspicuously displayed in the 
portraits and busts of Hannibal, Julius Caesar, Charlemagne, the 
Duke of Wellington, John Sobieski, Amerigo Vespucci, De Soto, 
Henry Hudson, Sir John Franklin, and in the faces of all who 
have become known to history for their ability to lead large bodies 
of men in aggressive movements or in difficult and dangerous 
enterprises. Many great naval commanders exhibit this sign of 
character and possess its accompanying characteristics. In natural 
superintendents, foremen, and managers this trait will manifest 
its presence by some modification of this sign, either small or large. 
Men whose noses present the opposite appearance, and are low 


EXECUTIYENESS. 


565 


and depressed in the centre, will never succeed in positions of 
authority. The physiognomy of Admiral Sir Charles Napier is an 
admirable illustration of Executiveness, and is most suggestive of 
a lion in its expression. All of the courageous and powerful 
animals of the carnivora have a strong visceral structure and their 
wide noses and broad, open nostrils announce great breathing 
power, while their wide mouths tell us of fine digestive capacity 
and the large joints betoken strong bones and compact muscles. 

The more timid animals are less powerfully organized in 
these departments of their natures. Comparing the form of the 
bull-dog with that of the greyhound and their relative courage and 
endurance, we observe that in the case of the bull-dog a physiology 
suited to his disposition is the cause of his aggressive spirit, and 
that a lack of the same power in the greyhound is the cause of his 
timidity and peaceful character. In one, the width of the body 
and nose reveals power, endurance, courage, and force; in the 
other, the long, slim body and long, narrow nose announce a 
peaceful, timid disposition, without aggressive force of any kind. 

A popular error ascribes to the brain nearly all of the powers 
of the body and mind, and conveys the idea that if one possess 
a large head with a high forehead he will be capable of almost 
any mental effort. The truth is that a person with a large brain, 
small lungs, weak stomach, small abdomen, and small hands and 
feet is about as useful as a “last year’s butterfly,” and heavily 
weighted in life’s struggle for existence. I do not care how large 
the brain is or how high its quality, a much smaller brain with 
a good physiological structure will show a far more useful char¬ 
acter. It takes a good digestion, a strong heart, active lungs, 
and a fair quality of hone and muscle to make a large brain 
effective, otherwise it is a positive detriment when great decision, 
valor, energy, and intrepidity are required. A large brain is less 
useful than a large body with a small brain. I do not mean a fat 
body, but a strong-boned, well-knit, muscular one, with sufficient 
adipose tissue to give warmth and heat, and this assists in produc¬ 
ing force. Steam cannot be created without fire, and carbon in 
the human body creates force and energy. The forms of nearly 
all steamship commanders are characterized by a large bony system, 
powerful muscles, a round and solid body of medium weight, and 
a medium-sized, broad brain. The engineers of steamships are 
nearly all short, broad men, with broad heads; short, thick necks; 
large, high, and broad noses, with broad chins; and here we have 
the build for coolness, intrepidity, courage, instant decision, and 
constancy,—the best form to stay a panic or put down a mutiny. 
Men of this formation of body are unflinching in the discharge of 


566 * PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

duty, and are most reliable, trustworthy, and enduring. The con¬ 
tour of their heads and bodies indicates intelligence and resolution. 
Such a one is Captain Murrell, who rescued over seven hundred 
persons in mid-ocean from a ship which had become disabled in a 
storm. He received them into his own ship and cared for them 
until his arrival at the port of Philadelphia. His bodily build 
corresponds to the above description, except that he is tall as well 
as broad. To large Executiveness he adds large Friendship, and 
is chivalrous and tender to women and children. He is a fine type 
of his class. There are many more in his profession who present 
precisely the same characteristics of mind and body. 

In choosing persons to act as superintendents in mines, fac¬ 
tories, or railroads, or for business, a different form and another 
sort of Executiveness are required. For these purposes tall, active 
men having the practical faculties dominant should be selected, 
with a mechanical taste and capacity for criticising machinery, but 
not so large as to preclude activity; with moderate-sized brain, 
good, large lungs, and strong digestion, and with the signs for 
Veneration and Executiveness full. A noteworthy appearance, and 
one that I have often observed, is that a large number of superin¬ 
tendents and foremen have red or sandy hair. This appearance in 
such men is in accord with physiognomical law. Red-haired people 
(if the hair be fine) are aspiring and ambitious, as well as active 
and approbative ; hence, they naturally seek to be first in the occu¬ 
pations best suited to their peculiar mental and physical organiza¬ 
tion. Water always seeks its level, according to a natural law, and 
human beings, impelled by the force and direction of their leading 
traits, gravitate to their own place in the social scale. Men of 
commanding intellect and force of character (even in monarchical 
countries) will break through all trammels, and, surmounting 
every obstacle with the transcending power of their genius, leap at 
once to the highest pinnacle of fame. Such a man was Michael 
Faraday, the physicist. Although born in poverty, and striving 
against the most adverse circumstances, he lived to become the 
benefactor of society, and by force, fortitude, and industry made for 
himself a brilliant and lasting fame. Talent and industry accom¬ 
plish marvels, and prolonged industry merely without great talent 
will achieve great things. The history of many men who have by 
their own efforts risen to eminence proves that plodding and un¬ 
ceasing efforts in one channel often lead to great results. There is 
not a genius known to fame who would have been recognized as 
such had he not added industry to talent. Read the life of Michael 
Angelo, who studied anatomy eighteen years; of Titian, who 


EXECUTIVENESS, 


567 


painted industriously until his ninety-ninth year; of Mozart, who 
died of overwork at thirty-five years of age; of Sebastian Bach, 
who became blind from overstudy and died aged sixty-five years; 
and of Beethoven, the greatest of all musical geniuses, who labored 
all his life most industriously. Without extended and consecutive 
efforts these men would never have been known to the world. 
Men and women possessed of musical, literary, and artistic tastes 
require only leisure to pursue their studies and prepare themselves 
for greatness, but the great aggressive geniuses of the world, such 
as military commanders, founders of new forms of government, and 
great inventors, must have a will to force circumstances to give 
them the necessary opportunity to make their talent conspicuous. 
The energy and executiveness which men of great mechanical 
talent exhibit in order to open the way for their inventions are 
sometimes greater than the inventive ability displayed by their 
genius. In listening to the recital of the efforts which Captain 
James B. Eadds made in striving to influence legislation and public 
men, in order to get his great improvments and inventions in en¬ 
gineering before the people, I was struck with the perfectly hercu¬ 
lean powers of the man’s will and executiveness. His physiognomy 
corroborates all that my informant related. All readers of biogra¬ 
phy will certainly form the opinion that geniuses and men of great 
talent owe as much to their unflagging energy and habits of cease¬ 
less industry as they do to their creative powers. From biography 
we learn that many if not most of the greatest minds of all ages 
have sprung from extreme poverty, and have conquered circum¬ 
stances by the exercise of a dauntless will. There are some men 
who, having a taste or love for science, art, and mechanism, believe 
that if circumstances had favored their youth they might have 
brought forth some great invention, poem, painting, or musical 
composition, but, their youth having passed without such oppor¬ 
tunity, they see no future in this direction for them. Of this class 
Francis Galton remarks thus:— 

A prodigal nature commonly so prolongs the period when a man’s 
receptive faculties are at their keenest that a faulty education in youth is 
readily repaired in after life. The education of Watt, the great mechani¬ 
cian, was of a merely elementary character. During his youth and manhood 
he was engrossed with mechanical specialties. It was not until he became 
advanced in years that he had leisure to educate himself, and yet by the 
time he was an old man he had become singularly well read and widely and 
accurately informed. The scholar who, in the eyes of his contemporaries 
and immediate successors, made one of the greatest reputations as such that 
any man has ever made was Julius Cmsar Scaliger. His youth was, I be¬ 
lieve, entirely unlettered. He was in the army until he was twenty-nine, 
and then lie led a vagrant professional life, trying everything and sticking 
to nothing. At length he fixed himself upon Greek. His first publications 


568 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


were at forty-seven, and between that time and the period of a somewhat 
early death he earned his remarkable reputation,—only exceeded by that of 
his son. People are too apt to complain of their imperfect education, 
insinuating that they “ would have done great things ” if they had been 
more favorably circumstanced in youth. But if their power of learning is 
materially diminished by the time they have discovered their want of knowl¬ 
edge, it is very probable that their abilities are not of a very high order, 
and that however well they might have been educated they would have 
succeeded but little better.* 

In the amount of energy displayed in the character of different 
individuals we see the moving cause of their success or non-success. 
One great adjunct to Executiveness is found in a vigorous thoracic 
system. The man who can breathe deeply and strongly is better 
equipped for the race in life than one whose breathing and circu¬ 
lation are feeble. The great breathers of the world—men with 
large, round bodies—are those who carry off the prizes in all active 
pursuits. Energy, Executiveness, and Force are derived from good 
eating and good breathing powers, and they materially assist deep 
thinking , as I have shown; and those parents who would assist the 
thinking powers of a child must take steps to improve his breath¬ 
ing powers. If parents would have their sons and daughters 
executive, let them endeavor to add a couple of inches to their 
chest-measure instead of trying to increase the size of the brain by 
study, even supposing that this method could accomplish that 
result. I prefer the gymnastic apparatus as a means to this end. 
My opinion is that this apparatus should be the most important 
accessory to all schools, particularly of girls’ schools. The mothers 
of the race have greater need of deep breathing and energy than 
the fathers, although each should try to improve the quality of 
both lungs and muscle. 

Mr. Galton tells us that 

Each generation has enormous power over the natural gifts of those 
that follow, and I maintain that it is a duty we owe to humanity to inves¬ 
tigate the range of that power and to exercise it in a way that, without be¬ 
ing unwise to ourselves, shall be most advantageous to future inhabitants 
of the earth.f 

In order, then, to become the progenitors of executive, ener¬ 
getic children intending parents should commence a course of 
gymnastic training, develop the muscles and muscular organs,— 
the heart, the lungs, and stomach,—as well as the digestive powers 
by hygienic diet. In this manner it is possible for a mother 
with a comparatively low nose to expand her lungs and nos¬ 
trils considerably, and thus be able to produce children whose 
lungs and nose shall be an improvement on her own, and whose 

* Hereditary Genius, Francis Galton, pp. 44, 45. 

f Ibid., p. 1. 


SELF-WILL. 


569 


minds shall be far more aspiring, ambitious, executive, and com¬ 
manding. Form and function are allied forces, and if we would 
possess high faculties we must have suitable forms , made such by 
high functional activity. 

Executiveness, or the capacity for leadership, is not confined 
to man. Many classes of animals evince a great deal of this 
faculty. Goats, sheep, deer, antelopes, and elephants have their 
leaders. 

Among children the born leader soon makes his talent known, 
for he is “ captain,” “teacher,” or “umpire” of the games by gen¬ 
eral consent, while the meek, “sheepish” children follow their 
leader as readily as does the duck or goose. 

The capacity to lead, command, and execute is natural or in¬ 
herited when exhibited in early life. It can be cultivated, as I 
have shown, by exercise of the muscles and muscular organs. 
Its highest manifestation in combination is found when Self- 
will, Conscientiousness, and Veneration are large. Associated 
with large practical faculties, it gives taste and capacity for super¬ 
intending mechanical enterprises. In company with literary or 
art faculties, it gives the disposition to dominate and enforce ideas, 
plans, and purposes. Executiveness, in those possessed of large 
oratorical powers, gives expression to bold, resolute, and magnani¬ 
mous ideas; combined with large reasoning powers, Force, and 
Constructiveness, it creates the aggressive, strategic, and military 
commander. It is always more powerful in those who possess a 
good degree of color in the system. Those who exhibit bright 
eyes, pale complexions, and light hair, even with the sign of Ex¬ 
ecutiveness large, will not be as forcible and vigorous in action as 
the darker-colored. 

SELF-WILL. 

Definition. —Volition, spontaneous decision, application, am¬ 
plification ; power for concentrated attention; self-government by 
force of will; self-confidence ; the power of choosing for one’s self; 
strength of opinions; spontaneous exercise of one’s own desires; 
strength of will and ability to execute it. Distinguished from 
Firmness by its not necessarily being consecutive, Self-will is able 
to bring all its force to bear upon a given object or train of thought, 
and as readily turn all its power in another direction. It also shows 
by force brought to bear upon the wills of others or externally upon 
works of art, literature, mechanism, or other muscular pursuits. 
Firmness is more of an individual trait, serving to keep one firmly, 
perseveringly, and continuously at one plan or course of conduct. 

An excess leads to selfishness, contrariness, opposition, dis¬ 
regard of others’ rights and comfort, to tyranny and overbearing 


570 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


conduct. In work its excess leads to prolixity and unnecessary 
amplification, circumlocution, and detail. 

A deficiency causes irresolution, timidity, cowardice, vacilla¬ 
tion, lack of confidence in one’s own powers, with no settled or 
strong opinions, beliefs, or convictions. 

Facial and Bodily Signs .—The principal facial sign for Self- 
will is fullness of the muscle at the root of the nose at its junc¬ 
tion with the forehead. It is caused by the development of 
muscle. 

Other and secondary signs are found in the general develop¬ 
ment of the muscular sys¬ 
tem, causing fullness of the 
muscles of the back of the 
neck ; a curved lower jaw, 
as is seen in creative artists ; 
rounding out of the sides 
of the forehead ; large, full, 
convex eyes ; short, round¬ 
ing ear ; thick, round nose ; 
short, thick, muscular hands 
and muscular, tapering 
fingers. 

Where pure Self-will 
is lacking the nose will be 
depressed and narrow at the 
root, and the entire system 
will exhibit a relative lack 
of muscle. 

Description of Self- 
will.— The most conspicu¬ 
ous facial sign for Self-will 
is exhibited by height and 
width of the nose at the 
root or junction with the 
forehead. Inasmuch as the 
principal facial signs for decision and self-assertion are found situ¬ 
ated in the muscles, and as all the behests of the will are operated 
mainly by means of the muscular system, and as the stronger pas¬ 
sions and emotions are performed by the exercise of the muscles 
and exhibited in the face by muscular expression, I feel justified in 
stating that the physiological and anatomical base of this faculty is 
to be found in the muscular system. When we come to consider 
that the structure of the brain is mainly of a fibroid nature, we have 
in this circumstance additional evidence of the large representation 



Fig. 85.—EX-QUEEN NATALIE OF SERVIA. 

Born in Russia. Principal facial sign, Self-will, 
shown by height of the nose at its junction with the 
forehead. The law of tlie curve and straight line gov¬ 
erns this face. In the lower part of the countenance 
are observed the signs for Firmness, Conscience, Love 
of Home, Patriotism, Benevolence, Amativeness, Love 
of Young, and Self-esteem well developed. The nose 
is long, high, and bony, showing a very positive and 
strong intellect. The signs for Human Nature, Ideality, 
Sublimity, Analysis, Constructiveness, Acquisitiveness, 
Veneration, Executiveness, and Self-will are most 
prominent. Language, Music, Calculation, and Obser¬ 
vation are well defined. Credenciveness, Form, and 
Size are marked, while the deep colorfbf the eyes, hair, 
and complexion gives force, intensity, and power to all 
the social, domestic, and mental manifestations. 




SELF-WILL. 


571 


which the muscular system has in the cerebral organization. When 
it is considered how many beautiful and useful traits are expressed 
by the use of this system, it is not at all singular that so large a 
portion of the brain should be composed of muscular fibres, and 
that some of the fibrous portion of the brain should stand repre¬ 
sentative of the function of Vocality, as in language and singing, 
as well as in the sense of Weight,—the sense of pressure and 
resistance,—faculties which are entirely, dependent upon a fine en¬ 
dowment of muscular or cartilaginous structure. In order to trace 
the origin of pure Self-will we must go far down the scale of organi¬ 
zation, and in th e purposive 
movements of the amoeba we 
shall find that this struc¬ 
tureless creature has the 
power of changing its shape 
at will , its exciting stimuli 
being external impressions 
only. It is certain that all 
of the “potencies and pos¬ 
sibilities” of the will are 
latent in the minute speck 
of protoplasmic material 
which forms the human 
germ, and those naturalists 
who have busied them¬ 
selves with tracing the 
course of the evolution of 
the tissues will find that all 
the animals and insects 
which have evolved the 
best muscular systems ex¬ 
hibit greater will-power, 
self-assertion, and more 
spontaneous and instanta¬ 
neous movements and deci¬ 
sion than those less well 
endowed with this tissue. The activity and energy of several 
species of ants, for example, are perfectly wonderful, and their 
governmental and architectural skill is due entirely to their high 
grade and fine development of their muscular systems, which 
dominate the other functions. Of the white ants it is observed 
that they possess power for the organization of ranks, including 
military fighting squadrons, while their edifices or constructive 
works include galleries and corridors, magazines, nurseries, royal 



Fig. 86.—JOSEPH GARIBALDI. (Statesman, 
Patkiot, General,.) 

Born in Italy, 1807. Conspicuous facial sign, Self- 
will, shown by height of the nose at its junction with 
the forehead. The law of the straight line, square, and 
cube governs this countenance. The appearance of the 
upper part of the face is assurance to the scientific 
physiognomist that the domestic faculties are well devel¬ 
oped, albeit they are concealed by the beard. The nose 
is an extraordinary one, and by its length, firmness, and 
width its entire length and general height above the 
plane of the face announces a powerful character. The 
signs for Analysis, Mental Imitation, Sublimity, Con¬ 
structiveness, and Acquisitiveness are most conspicu¬ 
ous, while the signs for Veneration, Executiveness, 
Self-will, Observation, Form, Size, Order, Locality, 
Weight, Memory of Events, Reason, and Intuition show 
the highest degree of power. 



572 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


chambers and halls, offices, ordinary rooms and egg rooms, floors 
and ceilings, pillars, and other appurtenances.* 

Among the higher classes of* animals the capacity for prompt 
decision and action is found the best-developed among the car¬ 
nivora, whose muscular systems are dominant. The action of 
prompt and decisive Self-will is manifested by the higher classes 
of carnivorous birds, the eagle, condor, and falcon, for example, 
and in all of these creatures the muscular system is dominant. 
The projecting convex eye, the curved beak and talons, the keel¬ 
like breast-bone, and the curved back alike denote the supremacy 
of the muscles and the will. These birds have the power for 
intense concentration of all the faculties at one time. They will 
hover over a lake or field, watching with all the intensity of their 
minds, and finally at a favorable moment swoop down with a tre¬ 
mendous rush and seize their prey. Such spontaneous concentra¬ 
tion requires something more than brain or nerves, bones or lungs. 
Nothing but the muscles could manifest such force, promptness, 
concentration, and spontaneity. 

The knowledge which can be gained from a comparison of 
animal and human physiognomies as to the origin of the “ will ” 
exceeds in practicality all of the numerous and labored metaphysi¬ 
cal essays on the subject which have been written. A comparison 
of the signs of Self-will in the faces of the most refined races with 
those of the uncivilized will prove that a high grade of Self-will is 
more characteristic of the higher races than of the lower. Its de¬ 
velopment in them is attended usually with a great deal of mental 
force . In some instances so great is this power for decision and 
self-assertion as to entitle it to rank as a talent. The lowest races 
of human beings do not exhibit that development of the nose where 
the principal sign for Self-will is situated. On the contrary, the 
noses of the aboriginal Australians, the Tahitians, many African 
tribes, and many Mongolians and others disclose very great depres¬ 
sion of this portion of the nose. This comparison of the civilized 
with the uncivilized races reveals to us the fact that Self-will is a 
high faculty, and related to and influencing the most important 
traits of character. Its situation being between the executive and 
mechanical faculties shows that it is the pivot, so to speak, around 
which all these conspicuous traits cluster, and upon which they are 
dependent for their power to illustrate most effectively their 
activity. Decision and self-assertion are among the most com¬ 
manding powers of the mind. Look, for example, at the portraits 
of Garibaldi, Julius Caesar, Mazzini, Ericsson, Humboldt, Talley¬ 
rand, Tasso, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Marco Polo, David Living- 

* Mind in the Lower Animals, J. L. Lindsay, M.D., vol i, p. 59. 


SELF-WILL. 


573 


stone, Charlotte Bronte, Mrs. Hemans, Catherine II of Russia, 
Elizabeth Barret Browning, Sir Walter Raleigh, and hundreds of 
others known to fame, and you will become convinced that this 
is a trait of superiority. 

There are many men and women, whose facial records prove 
them to be possessed of large Self-will, whose successful career 
demonstrates that this one faculty alone has served to make their 
other traits conspicuous, which, without the aid of a talented degree 
of Self-will would never have given their acts and works the atten¬ 
tion which they have gained. 

Self-will is a mental faculty, and belongs to the mind of 
the muscles. The plan of this system ascribes to each faculty a 
representation in the brain, but disagrees somewhat with the 
phrenological method of localizing signs of character upon the 
bones of the cranium, as well as with the restricted view that the 
entire mind is shut up in the skull, and mainly discoverable by 
the conformation of the bones of the head. 

Many of the secondary signs of Self-will are discovered in the 
several muscles of the body, most particularly in the muscles of 
the neck. All sorts of corroborative signs are found scattered all 
over the self-willed individual or animal, for wherever the back of 
the neck is full—developed in muscle—the eyes are found to be 
convex and large, and this is a sign of muscular power, as observed 
in the bull, whose thick neck and bulging eyes are indicative of 
strength and blind, unreasoning will. Of the characteristics which 
may be discerned in necks of the opposite conformation, Dr. Cross 
tells us that 

The slender neck bespeaks not only weakness and timidity, but also 
all the other qualities which follow in their train. The thick neck, on the 
contrary, bespeaks not only strength and courage, but also all the other 
qualities which flow from them. The former is pliable, alert, and calculated 
for obedience. The latter is stiff to a proverb, imperious, and destined to 
command.* 

An excellent comparison may be instituted between the thick 
neck of the bull and the long, slim neck of the giraffe. The 
former, secure in his abundant strength, makes his presence known 
by fearful bellowings; while the latter, timid as a hare, “has never 
been known to utter a sound” (Rev. J. G. Wood). Silence is 
one of the methods Nature uses to compensate the giraffe for lack 
of strength and fleetness, silence in its case serving to conceal its 
proximity to dangerous neighbors. This correlation of silence 
with weakness will illustrate my theory of the law of compensation. 

The facial sign for Self-will is more rare in the physiognomies 

* An Attempt to Establish Physiognomy on Scientific Principles, J. Cross, M.D., p. 115. 


574 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


of females than in the masculine countenance. Their changeful pur¬ 
suits and long-continued subjection to man have together prevented 
the development of any general and marked degree of prompt 
decision and self-assertion. This long-continued repression of 
Self-will has resulted in an arrest of development of this trait. 
Then, too, the life of woman in general is made up of constant 
changes,—of small occupations or trivialities; very few, compara¬ 
tively, have the opportunity to pursue one grand and continuous 
occupation. Domestic life, which occupies the attention of the 
majority of women, is made up of as many as twenty different and 
distinct trades, hence it subjects women to constant changes of 
occupations and constant variations of mental states. 

In the countenances of those persons, who have for many 
years made concentrated efforts of the will in a given direction 
two horizontal wrinkles across the facial sign for Self-will often 
appear. Many eminent commanders, both military and naval, as 
well as superintendents, teachers, and workers in art, science, etc., 
exhibit these wrinkles. In some they are quite deep; in others, 
less so; but wherever observed they have been caused by the 
concentrated effort of the will, and thus show this effort in the 
muscles which contribute their facial record. Phrenologians term 
this faculty “Concentrativeness” and “Continuity,” neither of 
which expresses the action. It is true that it enables one who has 
it largely developed to place his thoughts and feelings for a certain 
length of time with great force in a given direction, but it does 
not give that continuity of action and purpose exhibited by the 
faculty of Firmness. This latter faculty, although drawn many 
times from the pursuit of its object, returns again and again, and 
never withdraws from its aim until it is achieved. 

Those who are wanting in Self-will are measurably deficient 
in the power to concentrate with force all their thoughts upon a 
given subject, and in writing or speaking wander away from what 
they had intended to express. It is the same with the speaker 
who, with perhaps large intellectual acquirements but with small 
Self-will, fails to hold before his mind all that he desires to express, 
simply because he lacks the ready force of will to use at that 
moment. And this explanation serves to show how Self-will is so 
essential a component of the character of great actors. 

This sign (of wrinkles) is never observed in childhood. The 
former sign of height of the muscle where it joins the forehead is 
indicated in childhood where there is a large degree of inherited 
Self-will. 

Those persons who have been successful in carrying forward 
great commercial and architectural enterprises, such as building 


SELF-WILL. 


575 


railroads, laying cables, erecting bridges, aqueducts, and cathedrals, 
founding and managing communities and governments, and in all 
undertakings in art and inventions requiring persistent exercise of 
the will, disclose height at the root of the nose. In many faces in 
which this sign is large, the sign for Firmness (another sort of 
will) is often small or only average, and the chin in this case will be 
somewhat receding. In rare instances both of these will be large 
in the same face, and this combination gives an exceedingly set, 
willful, and obdurate character. A proper distinction must be 
made between the action of Self-will and Firmness, both of which 
express a personal force and reveal a great deal of selfhood ,—not 
selfishness necessarily, for whether these traits will result in selfish¬ 
ness depends upon other faculties in combination. Now, Firmness 
is evolved from the bony system and operated by its action. Will 
is changeable, shifting,and spontaneous in its action and movement; 
one moment in pursuit of an object, now against it, according to 
the impulse received; while bone is immovable and contributes by 
its solidity of structure and reliability to resist and overcome by a 
steady, firm pressure , or rather by its capacity for quiet, persistent 
action to accomplish its purpose. It is, hence, better adapted to 
the investigation and expression of law, rule, and the truths of 
Nature, while muscle is, by virtue of its flexibility and curving 
nature, better adapted to work in art and to express emotions, as 
in acting and oratory, or to delineate them with the pen, as in 
dramatic writing, fiction, and poetry. One must be able to feel 
or imagine the faculties of rage, love, sorrow, or destruction in 
order to depict them, and bony people are not as emotional and 
passionate as are the muscular classes, neither have they as nice 
an apparatus for illustrating passions. Self-will, pure and simple, 
does not require that one consistent and persistent course of action, 
either mental or manual, should be pursued. It may be exercised 
one hundred times a day in opposition or in many diverse pursuits 
or parts of a pursuit,—now, in a tempestuous burst of anger; 
again, in as vehement an expression of love; now, in a sublime 
flight of oratory, or, again, in a long-sustained, five-act tragedy, 
where all the passions are in turn “torn to tatters.” These varied 
states of mind require muscular force, enthusiasm, heat, and cer¬ 
tainly great changeability, for any dominating passion long sus¬ 
tained would, by its intensity, wreck the constitution of the one 
thus exercising it. The reason why actors do not thus make havoc 
with their constitutions is because they do not really and fully feel 
the emotions which they endeavor to represent. They only simu¬ 
late the feeling. Then, too, muscle is not sensitive like nerves; in 
fact, muscle is to a degree unfeeling. 


576 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


It is only by closely analyzing every quality and condition of 
a tissue that we can arrive at a true basis of mind and mental 
action. Each mental trait has its own personal force and manner 
of expressing itself. Selfishness is more apt to be revealed by 
those in whom the vegetative system is dominant, for the reason 
that this system is one of negative self-indulgence and does not 
bring into action any of the animal powers, such as the use of the 
bones and muscles, except in a most limited degree, as in the 
use of the hands in reaching for food, etc.; while the love of 
motion which inheres in the muscular system expresses itself in 
art in some form or other. In the characters of all the great 
creative artists and actors Self-will is one of their most prominent 
traits; being endowed with a fine quality and quantity of muscle, 
they exhibit in their countenances all the signs of character 
which muscle creates, and if one make an examination of a 
score or more of the physiognomies or portraits of the greatest 
artists and actors, he will find the sign for Self-will most con¬ 
spicuously developed, as well as all the other signs which are 
caused by the presence of muscle. Actors most especially need 
the reactive power of the muscles to enable them to sustain by 
a supreme effort of the will a character foreign to their own 
through the long plays of the great masters of the drama; and, 
when the long-sustained part is concluded, the actor must be able 
by the same muscular power to relieve the tension of one set of 
muscles by calling into action quite another set, and herein lies 
the secret of the actor’s skill. 

If the brain and nervous system were called into play in 
acting to the extent that the muscles are, and the burden of" the 
emotions expressed fell upon the brain and nerves (supposing the 
brain and nerves competent to express emotion), the actor would 
scarcely survive the representation of one grand drama like 
“Elizabeth,” “Marie Stuart,” “Richelieu,” or “Julius Crnsar.” 
The current idea that the brain is all-powerful in promoting artistic 
effort is wholly erroneous, for without a fine quality of the muscles 
no form of art could be manifested. It is true that a suitable 
brain for judging of art-work must be one attribute of an artist, 
but a love and appreciation of art merely may and often does exist 
with little capacity for executing art. Such people may make 
good art-critics, but cannot carry on art-works through absence of 
the necessary muscular mechanism. 

Now, although muscle gives to the character its power for 
exhibiting will , a suitable brain-and-bone system must be had, 
when consecution, imagination, completeness, and amplification are 
required; and this we observe in the physiognomies of those who 


SELF-WILL. 


577 


have led the world in creative art , invention, and literature, in 
grand material enterprises, and in scientific discovery. I offer as 
proofs of this statement the faces and biographies of all such 
characters in ancient and modern times. Physiognomy is rich in 
proofs of its basic principles and theories. 

Self-will is so useful a faculty that I can but recommend its 
cultivation (when deficient) by the same methods which were used 
by the Greeks, viz., by gymnastic exercises. A thorough course 
of physical culture will transform a timid, weak-willed child into a 
character possessed of a fair degree of will, resolution, and 
decision, and give the necessary courage to say No! to vicious 
companions. Oratory and elocution were special studies with 
the Greeks, and are of infinite service in developing will. In a 
timid child or adult a great deal of self-assertion can be aroused 
by these studies; besides, they act as a stimulus to the brain, 
carrying a great deal of blood to the head by the practice of loud 
tones and the development of the lungs by the several processes of 
physical culture. The sign for Self-will is one of the most marked 
facial peculiarities of the Greek physiognomy. Appeals to the timid 
to “brace up” and “speak out” are of slight avail, but with the 
assistance of a well-trained muscular system the vacillating, irreso¬ 
lute child will exhibit quite an improvement on his original state. 

I think a great deal of wickedness is committed through 
weakness of will—more perhaps through weakness of some one 
faculty than by a positively vicious trait. A child or adult (whose 
will is so defective as to be overpowered by the will of a vicious 
companion) may not incline to sin or vice, but will often consent 
to it through the influence of a stronger will. 

The habitual abuse of Self-will, like all other abnormal mani¬ 
festations, leaves its impress upon the physiognomy. A permanent 
scowl is one mark often seen in willful children and adults; 
glaring, disrespectful looks, another mark; drawing down the cor¬ 
ners of the lower lip like a carnivorous animal is yet another sign 
of unbalanced and unbridled Self-will. Self-will may manifest 
itself as selfish will , or destructive, revengeful will (when revenge, 
vindictiveness, malice, and spite are inherited); these signs are 
found in the peculiar appearance of the outline of the nostril, 
causing it to turn upward, either rounding up as though a piece 
had been bitten out, and exposing the interior of the nostril as is 
the case in vicious animals, or else describing an acute angle or 
acute arch in the lower outline of the wing between the tip of the 
nose and the place of junction with the cheek. These several 
formations will be found figured in the chapter on “ The Human 
Face,” under “ Criminal Noses.” 


37 


578 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


These peculiar nasal forms denote varying degrees of selfish 
will, force, and resistance, and prove their presence by acts of spite, 
malice, vindictiveness, or deep revenge. These acts will exhibit 
the more spontaneous and desperate phases where the color of 
eyes, hair, and complexion is deepest, but will partake more of the 
nature of spite and malice wdiere the color is lightest. 

In the race of life a good share of Self-will is required, yet an 
excess is dangerous and will defeat all one’s good intentions. In 
cases where there is too little the remedy has been pointed out. 
In order to check an excessive manifestation of will it is highly 
essential that parents should commence in early life , and endeavor 
by a suitable diet to neutralize selfishly-willful tendencies. Then, 
too, the other traits in combination must be leveled up to balance 
this excess. The affections must be cultivated, and, above all, the 
conscience stimulated and reason developed, and thus by bringing 
up other good faculties to a higher activity Self-will will sink into 
the background and become a useful instead of a dangerous force. 
Children who are allowed to indulge their will too much may 
become criminals of the deepest dye. 

In Nature’s great pharmacopoeia there is a sovereign remedy 
for nearly all the ills that flesh is heir to. Air, water, diet, rest, 
exercise, and self-control are the physicians that can heal the 
world. Add to these the knowledge of the scientific propagation 
of the race, and we should soon have a world so delightful to live 
in that we would prefer to remain here rather than risk the 
chances of existence elsewhere. 

CREDENCIVENESS. 

“Let us have truth for authority, not authority for truth.” 

Definition .—Belief in hearsay evidence, history, tradition, 
receptivity, biography, and in the laws of Nature ; love of novelty, 
and a desire to hear the “ news.” 

An excess of Credenciveness creates childish credulity, gross 
superstition, belief in the impossible, unreal, and imaginary, and 
gives a taste for fables and works of imagination; begets belief 
in dreams, ghosts, witches, fairies, demons, sprites, omens, charms, 
spells, fortune-telling, and incantations. It makes one a prey to 
frauds and impostors, and gives rise to belief in the supernatural 
power of priest, pope, and prophet, which in the Indian is shown 
by his confidence in the “ medicine-man,” and in undeveloped races 
is manifested by their childish and unreasonable beliefs in the 
sanctity and power of certain objects, animals, and images. 

A deficiency causes skepticism and unbelief, and makes one 
doubt or reject all evidence, even of the most unimpeachable sort; 


CREDENCIVENESS. 


579 


it destroys confidence among friends and associates, and causes one 
to be non-progressive. 

Facial and Bodily Signs. —A conspicuous facial record of 
Credenciveness is found in the height of the eyebrow above the eye 
at its inner terminus, also by a high arching of the brow at this 
point. In the Mongolian race, and in other superstitious races, 
the eyebrow at its inner terminus stands so far away from the eye 
as to leave a wide space between it and the eye, and seems to divide 
the forehead in half. Another sign is the wide-open eye, wide- 
open hands, and ears stretching forward. The mouth in children, 
undeveloped persons, rustics, and uncultivated people opens in as¬ 
tonishment and wonder at anything new or strange. Wonder, 
amazement, and astonishment relax the muscles, as evidenced by 
opening of the eyes, etc. 

Description of Credenciyeness. —This trait has been named 
“Wonder,” “Spirituality,” “ Marvelousness,” and “Faith,” none 
of which express its real office and normal action. Its real use, 
unperverted , is to give confidence in what is written and spoken, 
as, for example, in history, tradition, teaching, oratory, preaching, 
and current news. It is found most largely developed in Oriental 
races, such as the Chinese, Turks, Persians, Arabs, and Hindoos, 
as well as among other uncivilized tribes. It is a muscular 
trait and is found dominant in the muscular races of people, as 
above mentioned. The arching of the eyebrow , as is seen in poets, 
painters, prophets, seers, and dreamers, is added proof of its mus¬ 
cular origin. The wide-open eye is another sign, for where the 
muscular system dominates, or is one of the controlling systems of 
the body, arching of the brow and fullness of the eye is observa¬ 
ble. Its action and appearance are just the opposite to that of Ob¬ 
servation. This faculty draws down the inner corner of the eye¬ 
brow, and instead of relying upon hearsay evidence observes for 
itself, and thus substitutes a practical demonstration for recorded 
or verbal description. The development of the eye-bones causes 
the eyebrows to assume a horizontal appearance, and this is the 
form most commonly observed in practical characters, such as me¬ 
chanics and scientists, who are so constituted as to demand proof 
before belief, or who insist upon having reasonable evidence of 
everything. Where Credenciveness is uncommonly developed, or 
where it overbalances the reason and practical traits, it begets a 
love of the wonderful and superstitious, and those in whom it is 
large will place implicit reliance in all wonderful and improbable 
narrations, such as relate to ghosts, spirits, and “great-snake” 
stories. Many persons of good judgment in all the affairs of 
every-day life will accept as a religious belief statements founded 


580 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY, 



upon the impossible, and which truth and reason show to be 
such. 

This faculty is universal, and is found in degrees ranging all 
the way from its legitimate action , viz., a belief in history and well- 
authenticated facts, to childish credulity and belief in the impossi¬ 
ble, in fairies, ghosts, genii, and dragons. Those who possess a 
very large degree of this trait rely upon the power of charms, 

omens, incantations, and 
lucky and unlucky num¬ 
bers and days; or believe 
in the sanctity of certain 
birds, beasts, and insects- 
“ Plain sense will influence 
half a score of people at 
most, while mystery will 
lead millions by the nose,” 
said Lord Bolingbroke. 

The facial signs for 
this faculty are conspicuous 
in the physiognomies of 
Joan of Arc, Bajazet, Igna¬ 
tius Loyola, and Schamyl, a 
prophet and military leader 
of the Circassians; also Pope 
Alexander, Swedenborg, 
Mohammed, and other 
great 44 believers” and super¬ 
stitious leaders. In the 
faces of scientists the sign 
for Credenciveness is so 
small as not to be percep¬ 
tible. Why should we be¬ 
lieve anything without rea¬ 
sonable evidence when the 
proof is so easily obtained'? 
The world is full of truths 
and is founded on truth. Were not the laws of Nature regulated 
by mathematical precision the world could not remain in its 
orbit one minute. If one make the pursuit of truths—of demon¬ 
strable facts—his great aim, he will gather an immense amount 
of the most interesting knowledge; but if, on the contrary, he 
pursues myths, fictions, falsities, and fables, his mind will resemble 
a dust-heap,—nothing of any value will be found in it. Truth is 
good enough for anybody and needs no spicing, but to those with 


Fig. 87.— JOANNA SOUTHCOTT. (Founder of a 

Religious Sect, Fanatic, Prophetess, and 

Impostor.) 

Born in England, 1750. Principal facial sign, Creden¬ 
civeness, shown by height of the inner end of the eye¬ 
brow from the eye. The law of the curve governs this 
face. The domestic faculties are well defined. Love of 
Home, Benevolence, and Patriotism are marked ; Love 
of Young very large ; Amativeness normal; Conscien¬ 
tiousness hardly average. There is too much soft tissue 
and too little bone in this organism to create great in¬ 
tegrity. Friendship, Self-esteem, Hospitality, and Ap- 
probativeness are large. In the nose the signs for Human 
Nature, Ideality, Analvs : s, Mental Imitation, Venera¬ 
tion, and Self-will are well defined. The region about the 
eyes is very peculiar. Form and Size are wonderfully de¬ 
veloped. Credenciveness is very apparent. It was these 
traits which enabled her to see visions, which she 
palmed off upon her followers as coming from God. 
The curve of the upper eyelid is abnormal and shows 
agreeable deceit. Her Memory of Events and Language 
were large All this added to a very magnetic presence 
made her the successful leader of a mystic religion. 




CREDENCIVENESS. 


581 


large Credenciveness a wonderful narration without a grain of truth 
in it is more attractive than the most demonstrable circumstance. 

Credenciveness has its uses in the artistic mind, as, for ex¬ 
ample, in the works ol poets, artists, and painters, as it leads to a 
love of the wonderful as distinguished from the beautiful and sub¬ 
lime. It is a species of imagination devoted to the creation and 
representation of a class of ideas resulting in such works as Dante’s 
“Inferno,” Dore’s illustra¬ 
tion of the same, and Poe’s 
“ Raven.” It influenced 
largely the works of Mil- 
ton, Tasso, and Shakes¬ 
peare. The pictures painted 
by some of the great mas¬ 
ters of art prove Creden¬ 
civeness to be one element 
in the characters of artistic 


It is well wrought 
out in the following great 
paintings: “ St. George 

and the Dragon,” by Ra¬ 
phael ; “St. Michael Slay¬ 
ing Satan,” by Schoen; 
“ The Vision of St. Ber¬ 
nard,” by Murillo ; “ Pro¬ 
phecy of the Sybil,” by 
Peruzzi; and in the classic 
works representing “ Bel- 
lerophon Slaying the Chi- 
msera,” “ Hercules and 
Cerberus,” and the “ Lao- 
coon.” The age of art was 
replete with paintings, stat¬ 
uary, poems, plays, and 


genius. 



FIG. 88.—ROBERT SOUTHEY. (Literator AND 
Poet Laureate.) 

Born in England, 1774. Conspicuous facial sign, Cre¬ 
denciveness, shown by high arching of the inner end of 
the eyebrow. The law of the curve governs this coun¬ 
tenance. All of the signs of artistic talent are im¬ 
pressed in the numerous curves of this countenance. 
The dimpled chin, the curvilinear lips, the peculiarities 
of the tip of the nose, the convex eyes, curved eye¬ 
brows, dramatic jaw, and curly hair announce the 
artist. The signs for Patriotism, Love of Home, Be¬ 
nevolence, Amativeness, Love of Young, Approbative- 
ness, Modesty, and Self-esteem are well defined. The 
nose exhibits great intellectual powers. The signs for 
Hope, Analysis, Mental Imitation, Ideality, Sublimity, 
Constructiv'eness, Acquisitiveness, Veneration, Execu¬ 
tiveness. and Self-will are all prominent; while Pres¬ 
cience, Credenciveness, Color, Form, Size, Memory of 
Events, Music, Mental Order, and Intuition are pre¬ 
eminent. The outline of the face taken as a whole and 
of each feature separately suggests great originality and 
literary talent. 


books devoted to the expo¬ 
sition of the weird, grotesque, miraculous, and impossible acts of 
saints and sinners, as well as of satyrs, gorgons, and other unreal 
beings, which have been believed in by millions of people. The 
age of art was a muscular age and produced numerous singular 
faiths, and these led to universal superstition, which the science of 
the nineteenth century is slowly yet surely dispelling. We are 
coming up into the bony age,—the age of science, truth, integrity, 
and actuality; hence, squareness, solidity, and angularity are 
required instead of curves and flexibility. Bony races have less 



582 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Credenciveness than the muscular races, which are the most credu¬ 
lous and confiding, and most easily imposed upon, especially by any¬ 
thing that has a flavor of the wonderful, romantic, and improbable. 
A beggar who presents himself to such characters is always more 
sure of success if he relate an improbable, untruthful, or marvelous 
account of himself; while one with a true, plain, matter-of-fact 
story would fail entirely to enlist their sympathies. The muscular 
races exhibit the very height and intensity of this faculty. It shows 
in their mysterious, incomprehensible, and impracticable religious 
theories; in their belief in charms, incantations, spells, omens, 
oracles, visions, prophecies, and miraculous occurrences; and by 
their love of the weird, grotesque, romantic, sentimental, and im¬ 
aginative in art and literature. They are correspondingly distin¬ 
guished by the absence of scientific thought or mechanical ability, 
of practicality and accurate observation, and of all the faculties 
which are present with the bony system; hence, they are one grade 
lower in evolution than the bony races. Their literature is charac¬ 
terized by symbolism, by metaphoric and mystic language, such as 
only the imaginative and superstitious can enjoy, for comprehend 
it they cannot. It is so overladen with monstrous and mystical 
ideas that no mind can fathom it, as, for example, the Vedas of 
the Brahmin, the Zend Avesta of the Persian, the Koran of the 
Mohammedan, and the mythology of the Greeks, not to mention 
later literatures and religious theories which contain much of the 
mysterious, absurd, and impossible, borrowed from the old pagan 
religions. This class of literature does not obtain to any great 
extent among the bony races; neither do they believe in miracles, 
as formerly; for science is fast explaining by law what has long 
seemed to be miraculous, and 44 miracles,” Renan tells us, 44 are 
never performed in a country where people do not believe in 
miracles.” As evolution brings humanity up to a higher grade 
44 Earth outgrows the mystic fancies sung beside her in her youth.” 
Nearly all religious theories of the Orient, as well as a large part 
of its literature, are simply stupendous and barbaric nonsense, or a 
“license of imagination” which logic and the laws of Nature can 
disprove and will dispel. 

The best use to which we can put our Credenciveness is to 
have faith in ourselves and in the laws of God as shown through 
the laws of Nature, for these laws are infallible, and Nature has 
labeled everything so plainly that if we will but use our powers of 
observatio?i instead of faith and credenciveness we shall be able to 
demonstrate all that we need to know, and thus we shall be spared 
the vague uncertainties of the overcredulous. Children who have 
inherited this faculty in a large degree will be fond of fairy tales 


CREDENCIVENESS. 


583 


and descriptions of the wonders of Nature. Where this trait is 
excessive it should he led and trained to a useful purpose, and his¬ 
tory, biography, and accounts of natural phenomena should be 
substituted for the wonders that these minds crave. Teach them 
facts , but let them be presented in an entertaining manner. I am 
sure that an investigation of Nature’s works will afford sufficient 
scope for all the marvelousness in a child’s mind. Teach them the 
growth of the sponge, coral, and polyp; unfold to them the mar¬ 
vels and beauties of the sea-anemone, sea-urchin, octopus, and 
argonaut. Furnish them with a magic-lantern, a floroscope, and a 
microscope, and allow their youthful minds to expand in the light 
of Nature's truths , which are as marvelous and wonderful as the 
fables of old, and which can be presented to the minds of children 
in a manner as fascinating as are the fairy tales and novels, which, 
if read unrestrainedly in youth, will surely bear the fruits of im- 
practicality and disappointment in age. The hope of the world is 
in our youth, and just “as the twig is bent the tree is inclined; ” 
hence, I say, give to our youth the marvels and wonders of Nature 
upon which to feed the taste for the marvelous, and we shall soon 
have a race of trained scientists and naturalists. This course, 
adopted in youth, will produce innocent, truthful, and pure-minded 
men and women. I know of nothing which so cultivates the moral 
sense, purity, and truth as the study of the natural sciences, and 
as now written for children by our talented authors they are sim¬ 
plified and made interesting to any child not already corrupted and 
vitiated by a course of novels and fairy tales. It is a notable cir¬ 
cumstance that the great naturalists and scientists of the world, 
such as Newton, Humboldt, Herschel, Mrs. Somerville, Darwin, 
and others of the same pursuits, have led lives of such innocence 
and purity, truth and integrity, as will bear comparison with the 
best of the earth. They are examples worthy of imitation. A life¬ 
long study of the laws and truths of God as shown in Nature 
would seem best adapted to develop the sense of truth and morality 
in the human mind. Scientists and mechanicians present in their 
moral characters a grade of integrity not surpassed by any class. 

The Oriental religions have fostered a love for the marvel¬ 
ous, and a perusal of many of their dogmas, doctrines, and 
beliefs is enough to turn the head of a sane and common-sense 
person. The Romish church was the great patron of art during 
its supremacy, and thus it is that most of the works of the great 
masters are representations of its legends, traditions, and miracles, 
which are firmly believed in by the devotees of that faith. Faith , 
not evidence, is the crowning virtue of all religions. It is unfor¬ 
tunate for the human family that demonstrable truth is not the 


584 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


groundwork of all religions, more especially as the works of God 
are teeming with truth. A certain degree of faith and credence is 
essential in our intercourse with each other. The child ought to 
believe in his parents and teachers, the citizen in his rulers, and the 
people in their moral guides, but all these classes should be able to 
prove and show by conscientious conduct that this confidence is not 
misplaced. Fortune-tellers, astrologers, and so-called prophets de¬ 
pend upon an unbalanced condition of Credenciveness for their 
success. No class of people is more easily duped and cheated than 
they, for they are very responsive to the dominant faculty of 
their own nature. It is a law of human nature that one is most 
easily influenced by the action in others of the traits which are 
strongest in himself, and no impostor, fortune-teller, or prophet 
could long succeed who was lacking in the elements of superstition 
and credulity. Sir Walter Scott remarked that 

No man ever succeeded in imposing upon the public as a supernatural 
personage who was not, to a certain extent, the dupe of his own imposture. 

This exposition of the rationale of Credenciveness instructs us 
how essential it is that we should possess faculties which are in 
themselves true ,—that is to say, eyes which are 'perfect in their 
mechanical construction, possessing the capacity for correct vision, 
and set straight in their orbits; ears whose structure is such 
as to receive accurately the impressions made upon them; and a 
clear skin, sensitive to all external sensations of touch and tem¬ 
perature,—in order that this extensive menfcal sense shall conduce 
to correct feelings. The senses of scent and taste, when normal , 
assist in distinguishing odors and flavors, and thus all of the so- 
called five senses contribute to integrity , or wholeness and sound¬ 
ness ; in other words, trueness of all the sense-organs, and trueness, 
straightness, and rectitude (from the Latin word rectus , right) must 
be the condition of all the senses of the mind and body in order to 
gain correct impressions and right ideas of all subjects. Now, these 
straight and true sensations and ideas proceed naturally and spon¬ 
taneously from straight and true bodies, and not from crooked or 
warped bodies or features. Hence, education as to trueness, up¬ 
rightness, and straightness of conduct and thought will not eradi¬ 
cate inherited crookedness, but will no doubt modify considerably 
the tendencies to crooked and erratic action and speech. When 
one is able to perceive and hear everything correctly, he is most 
liable to repeat in his works and language the same true principles, 
and, as truth and straightness are underlying principles in Nature’s 
laws, the straighter the body and features, the more nearly correct 
will be his conceptions of duty, religion, and science. Crooked 
muscles, or even the tendency to curve easily, is a childish condi- 


CREDENCIVENESS. 


585 


tion relatively, and those nations, races, and individuals who are 
“believers” in very marvelous religions are those that curve easily, 
hence are liable to have ideas which are curved, warped, or askew, 
as compared to the straight and true ideas of those more rectan¬ 
gular in form and more solid and reliable in structure, as are 
the osseous races and individuals. “As a man thinketh, so is he” 
is true as regards his mind and body. As a man is formed, so will 
his thought and morals partake of the same conformation. For 
example, an analysis of the forms of different poets and a com¬ 
parison of their works corroborate the theory of straightness and 
curvativeness. Contrast the writings and form of Whittier with 
the writings and form of Dante. The former gives us truthful 
yet charming descriptions of life and rural scenery, clothed in 
rhythmic and melodious language, while his descriptions are so 
true to Nature that one can see the winding of the brook, hear the 
song of the sky-lark, inhale the odor of the new-mown hay, per¬ 
ceive the glistening dewdrops, and hear the murmuring of the 
insect world as he pictures them with his pen. But all are true, 
yet made ideal and vivid by the touch of his genius. On the other 
hand, the descriptions of Dante, in his “ Vision of Hell, Purgatory, 
and Paradise,” are most false and exaggerated, and deal with all 
sorts of supernatural personages and conditions. It is rather re¬ 
markable that the faculty of Credenciveness, as developed in most 
poets and painters, outworks in descriptions of the horrible and 
grotesque rather than of the beautiful and supernal. The following 
portraiture of a character in Dante’s “Hell” will illustrate his 
peculiar phase of the marvellous or Credenciveness in excess:— 

“ Oh ! what a sight! 

How passing strange it seemed to me when I did spy 
Upon his head three faces, one in front 
Of hue vermilion, tli’ other two with this 
Midway each shoulder joined, and at the crest 
Two mighty wings, enormous as became 
A bird so vast. Sails never such I saw 
Outstretch’d on the wide sea. No plumes had they. 

But were textured like a bat, and there 
He flapped i’ the air that from him issued still 
Three wings wherewith Cocytus to its depth 
Was frozen. At six eyes he wept! The tears 
Adown three chins distilled with bloody foam. 

At every mouth his teeth a sinner champed, 

Bruised as with ponderous engine, so that three 
Were in this guise tormented.”* 

A mind that could conceive and externalize in verse such a 
horrible being as this must surely possess a face quite different 
in its aspect from that of the mild and serene Quaker-poet, Whit¬ 
tier, to whom hell, devils, and monsters are perfectly abhorrent. 


* The Vision, Alighieri Dante, p. 118. 


586 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


A comparison of the faces of Dante and Whittier by the student 
of physiognomy will disclose the sources of the different kinds of 
talent exhibited by each. 

The physiognomy of Thomas Carlyle contrasted with that of 
John William Draper is a study, and corroborates the wildness 
and originality of Carlyle’s curious intellect, as well as the truth- 
loving disposition of Draper. It quite justifies Mr. Ruskin’s 
criticism of Carlyle that he was “ born in the clouds and struck by 
lightning.” 

A normal or balanced amount of Credenciveness enables one 
to receive and discuss new ideas and methods, hence is allied tc 
progress. Adventurers, navigators, and investigators of new and 
untried principles are assisted greatly by the receptivity of their 
natures. Announcement of the discovery of vast quantities of gold 
in California led thousands of wonder-loving and adventurous spirits 
to that country. The result is a community in which the love of the 
marvelous and sentimental is one very noticeable trait, for fortune¬ 
tellers, mediums, patent-medicine venders, and astrologers abound, 
and all sorts of mystic philosophies are entertained, their chief 
claim to consideration being that they are novel and mysterious. 
Many, too, having tired of the mysteries of orthodox faiths, search 
about constantly for some new and novel mystery. 

Mr. J. Stanley Grimes says:— 

We frequently see a spiritualist who does not believe in Christ, but 
believes in A. J. Davis ; he does not believe in the Virgin Mar}q but he 
believes in Kate Fox; he does not believe in the Apostles, but he believes 
in the Davenport boys ; he does not believe that the omnipotent God could 
assume the human form to make communications to man, but he believes 
that Katie King, John King, and any number of dead savages can become 
incarnate, and exhibit themselves to believers !* 

In cases of this sort, the man who changes from any super¬ 
stitious religion to another one still more so only proves that the 
strongest faculties gain strength with age, and exhibit themselves 
accordingly. 

As receptivity is one of the supreme conditions of childhood, 
so is it one of the elements of Credenciveness; hence, adapted to 
the reception and belief of what is heard or taught in the 
home, school, or church. The ancient Greeks were a wonderfully 
receptive people, and their mythology is replete with wonders, 
miracles, and impossible and mystic narrations. They were also 
a muscular and an artistic people. Sculpture and oratory reached 
their acme in that era. They were a philosophic people, and phi¬ 
losophy is the childhood of science. It precedes scientific discovery, 

* Mysteries of the Head and Heart, J. Stanley Grimes, p. 120. 


CREDEN CIV ENESS. 


587 


and when it is based upon an accurate knowledge of the laws of 
Nature it is of great use in illustrating and expounding principles; 
but, like the infant, it cannot stand alone , for philosophy without a 
basis of truth may be the merest nonsense: yet Greek philosophy 
was the forerunner of modern science; astrology of astronomy ; 
alchemy of chemistry. These infantile developments had their 
use to humanity, and while their devotees were looking for signs 
and wonders—for the “philosopher’s stone” and the “elixir of 
youth ”—they stumbled upon many a truth which the scientific 
spirit of this age has wrought into a practical result. 

Certain animals possess and exhibit a sense of the marvelous, 
and are superstitious in their own fashion. Dr. Lindsay remarks 
on this point that 

Such animals as the dog unquestionably possess superstition. It ex¬ 
hibits practically a belief in the supernatural or preternatural. It expresses 
alarm at apparitions, spectres, ghosts ; thus, it has been described as regard¬ 
ing an owl as a ghost, and the same kind of ghosts that are made use of in 
practical joking or for more serious ends—for the intimidation of man, and 
that frighten him—produce the same effect sometimes, at least, on the dog. 
A fertile imagination frequently leads the horse as well as the dog to be 
terrified at the first sight of perfectly harmless objects, animate or inani¬ 
mate, especially when seen in a state of motion and in comparative dark¬ 
ness,—objects, that is, which are simply for the moment new, not familiar, 
not understood, and which, therefore, being associated with supposed dan¬ 
ger, inspire timidity or terror as well as possibly a sense of the mysterious 
or supernatural. Bartlett speaks of a sense of mystery or of mysterious 
dread in certain animal inmates of the London Zoological Gardens. In 
many animals under certain circumstances awe or dread of the unseen, un¬ 
known, untried, unheard really gives birth not only to a feeling of mystery, 
but, as is pointed out in another chapter, to genuine delusion.* 

The position of the facial sign for Credenciveness is most 
significant. In its appearance it is precisely the opposite of Ob¬ 
servation,—a most practical faculty; the former drawing up the 
muscles away from the eye in awe and wonder, and the latter 
bringing the brow down close to the eye in order that it may focus 
readily upon the object under inspection and thus assist accuracy 
of vision. A wide-open eye will undoubtedly take in a wider ex¬ 
panse, but will not take as accurate and precise a view as the small 
eye with the eyebrow drawn down to shade it. Where the eyes 
are extremely large and protruding, the character exhibits natural 
exaggeration in describing scenes, conversations, etc. Hence, those 
thus characterized are not the most reliable witnesses. They are 
given to gush and emotional “sentimentality” in which there is 
little reality, and this gushing emotion ought to warn us not to 
give too much credence to these wonder-eyed believers in mystery. 

* Mind in the Lower Animals, J. L. Lindsay, M.D., vol. i, p. 223. 


588 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


The following beautiful comparison between superstition and 
science is quite apropos to our present subject. I append it, hoping 
it may give my readers as much pleasure as I have received from 
it:— 

Superstition is the vague dream of a miglit}^ mind half awakened from 
its midnight slumbers. Science is the perception of that same mind awake 
to all the realities of noonday. Superstition is a giant, naked and ignorant, 
struggling in a darkened cavern amid enemies and friends, whose forms are 
but imperfectly seen and whose powers and designs are dreaded but not 
understood. Science is the same giant, clothed in modern refinement, amid 
the full blaze of knowledge, with the press, the steam-engine, and the tele¬ 
graph at his command, and clearly perceiving that God is his father and all 
mankind his brethren.* 

PRESCIENCE. 

“Who taught the nations of the field and wood, 

Prescient, the tides or tempests to withstand?”—P ope. 

Definition .—Knowledge of events prior to tbeir occurrence; 
capacity for foreseeing, foreknowing, and u sensing ” events, phe¬ 
nomena, and transactions; the spirit of prophecy, forejudging and 
anticipating the future. It gives a taste for discussing a future 
life and divests one of the fear of leaving this world. 

An excess of this trait in an uncultivated person might lead 
to a superstitious belief in occult or supernatural powers, fortune¬ 
telling, etc. In this case it should be repressed. It is, however, a 
rare gift, and usually found only with great intellects or pure- 
minded and elevated characters; hence, it is seldom misapplied. 
Many claim these powers who do not possess them, and practice 
fraud and trickery for gain. 

A deficiency is not to he regretted, for it requires great 
Conscientiousness and rare judgment to make the highest use of 
prevision. 

Facial and Bodily Signs .—The region about the eye is the 
locality where signs for seeing, foreseeing, insight, intuition, won¬ 
der, credenciveness, and all that class of traits which have physical 
sight as their basis are to be found. Where Prescience is large 
the eye at its inner corner sets very far back under its bony encase¬ 
ment, and the subject seems to be looking far forward at something 
in the distance, while the expression of the eye is dreamy and 
contemplative, together with a wistful, mild, and amiable expres¬ 
sion. The faculty of Prescience is more frequently observed in 
those whose bodies are spare, skin fine and clear, limbs thin and 
relatively long, their hands and fingers thin and sometimes deli¬ 
cately pointed. It is also found in varying degrees in other for¬ 
mations, yet wherever it exists the sign near the eye will declare its 
presence. 

* Plireno-Geology, J. S. Grimes, p. 183. 


PRESCIENCE. 


589 


Description of Prescience.— Prescience is not Spirituality, 
Credenciveness, nor Intuition, although partaking somewhat of the 
nature of each. It is an eleA^ated and refined trait, never seen in 
the coarse and brutal. It is one of the rare faculties and not a 
common endowment, for some possess scarcely a germ of it, while 
in very rare instances a genius in this direction is observed,—scarcely 
one in a century, however. It is pre-eminently a poetic trait. (See 
the portraits of Dante and Longfellow.) 

The action of this faculty is the least understood of any, but 
sufficient is known to teach us that it is evolved from a peculiarly 
fine organization of brain and nerves. It is not always accom¬ 
panied by large reasoning and observing powers, yet when it is we 
have a first-class scientific mind, such as Charles Darwin and 
Alexander Humboldt, or an artistic one, such as Milton, Dante, Mrs. 
Browning, or Raphael. I have observed its action in many indi¬ 
viduals in private life not noted specially for any talent, yet always 
refined and of pure and noble traits, unspoiled and untainted by 
the world. I have also found it co-existent with ordinary minds 
in every nationality, yet more frequently among the Scotch or their 
descendants in other lands; also among the Scandinavians. 

There are, doubtless, many grades of power and development 
of the foreknowing faculty, and, like all the other traits, it is influ¬ 
enced by those associated with it. The shape of the ethmoid bone 
and superciliary ridge gives it its peculiar appearance, which is 
quite different from the appearance caused by a predominance of 
the signs for Locality and Observation. Prescience is thus shown 
to be exhibited by form and governed by quality in its manifesta¬ 
tions in divers persons. Its principal facial sign is a little difficult 
to find by a mere written description or by a picture, yet after 
once seeing its location and appearance in the living subject it can 
be always readily discerned. 

The action of Prescience is best observed in the aged subject, 
for long-continued use of a faculty makes a decided impression 
upon the face and imparts judgment in comprehending it and in 
using its powers; to the aged this faculty is particularly satisfying, 
as it relates them to a future state of existence as well as affords 
them glimpses of the coming of events before they occur. It is thus 
a species of mental meteorology which can foresee and predict the 
future occurrence and recurrence of affairs and events without 
having to rely upon the observation of signs, as does the meteor¬ 
ologist. 

The direction which Prescience will take depends upon the 
force or development of the other traits in combination. If the 
domestic traits are dominant or decided in one who possesses this 


590 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

power, he will be warned by presentiment of changes in his 
domestic affairs and occurrences, and will be able to prognosticate 
the death, sickness, mental disturbances, or suffering of members 
of the family at a distance. If Friendship is active he will fore¬ 
know what is going to transpire among friends. Where the 
scientific traits are supreme Prescience will lead to the discovery 
of principles, and enable one to predict with certainty the appear¬ 
ance of scientific discoveries and occurrences. With large in¬ 
tellectual powers and large patriotism combined, it will lead 

to precognition and almost 
to omniscience in forecast¬ 
ing great national events. 
With a large and culti¬ 
vated intellect, large Cre- 
denciveness, and large Lan¬ 
guage, the individual will 
write and prophesy in 
spiritual subjects, and fore¬ 
cast the future state of mind 
and spirit, as did Sweden¬ 
borg, Ann Lee, and other 
seers. If the poetical nature 
is exhibited, Prescience will 
show in poetic numbers, as 
in the following from Long¬ 
fellow :— 

“ O thou whose daitylife anticipates 
The thought to come, and in 
whose life and round 
The spiritual world preponder¬ 
ates,— 

Hermit of Amesbury ! thou too 
hast heard 

Voices and melodies from be¬ 
yond the gates, 

And speakest only when thy 
soul is stirred.” 

Almost every person is acquainted with some dear old lady 
who foresees and predicts domestic events, such as change of 
weather, sickness, death, or disturbances among family or friends, 
just at or before the time of their occurrence, and later finds 
that those events transpired just as she had stated. It is remarked 
that the gift of Prescience is more common to woman than to man. 
This is owing probably to her higher quality; yet there have 
been men of commanding intellect, combined with large Prescience, 
who have excelled in predicting and forecasting the future, and in 
anticipating great events; such a one was Alexander Humboldt, 



Fig. 89.—ALICE CARY. (Reformer, Poetess.) 

Conspicuous facial sign, Prescience, shown by ver¬ 
tical depth of the inner corner of the eye. The law of the 
straight line and curve governs this face. Firmness and 
Conscientiousness are well defined; so, also, are Pa¬ 
triotism, Love of Home, Benevolence, Mirthfulness, 
Self-esteem, Modesty, Friendship, Amativeness, and 
Color. In the nose the signs for Pneumativeness, 
Ideality, Human Nature, Constructiveness, Acquisi¬ 
tiveness, Veneration, and Self-will are most apparent. 
Language is highly developed; while Form, Size, Lo¬ 
cality, Memory of Events, Credenciveness, and Intuition 
are quite noticeable. This lady’s poetic talent was of a 
high order. Her labors for woman’s advancement and 
equality are lovingly and gratefully remembered by the 
women of America. 




PRESCIENCE. 


591 


author of “Kosmos, a Physical Description of the Universe,” who 
also foretold the day and hour of his death. Swedenborg* was 
another gifted in this direction. Charles Wesley also exhibited 
previsive power in a religious way. 

Many accurate predictions in regard to the weather are made 
by those Avho possess this gift, and some have forebodings of 
something sad or calamitous about to happen, yet cannot state 
what it will be. Others, with a more previsive perspicacity, 
can detail accurately the course of coming events, which are 
justified by their occurrence. 

As humanity emerges 
from its infantile condition 
it parts with many of its 
youthful traits and takes 
on a more mature endow¬ 
ment. The race, as a whole, 
has progressed rapidly since 
mediaeval times; hence, 
all those traits and powers 
which were then dominant, 
such as credenciveness, 
faith, prescience, prophecy, 
foreknowing, foretelling, 
and prevision are not now 
as general as formerly. 

Science has given to the 
world such positive and 
demonstrable methods of 
arriving at results that the 
former methods have by 
disuse become weakened 
and have gradually ceased 
to attract the attention and 
command the same con¬ 
sideration as formerly. 

Prescience, like Intu¬ 
ition and Instinct, has in 
some respects both an infantile and a matured nature. It is 
not always clear in its foreknowledge and not always sure, hence 
it is not unerring; yet in some instances its predictions and proph¬ 
ecies are scientifically correct. I have known those who could 
foretell the result of an election or a trial by jury with considerable 
accuracy, also the result of a battle or campaign. Their predic¬ 
tions were looked upon with more or less respect, and if they 



Fig. 90.—JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER. 
Reformer, Philanthropist.) 


(Poet, 


Born in Massachusetts. Principal facial sign, Pre¬ 
science, shown by vertical depth of the eye at its inner 
corner. The law'of the straight line and curve governs 
this face. The brain, bone, and muscular systems in the 
order named are highly developed in this subject. The 
signs for Firmness, Conscientiousness, Benevolence, 
Patriotism, Love of Home, Self-esteem, and Modesty 
are all well defined. In the nose the signs for Mental 
Imitation, Sublimity,Ideality,Constructiveness, Human 
Nature, Cautiousness, and Acquisitiveness are very 
pronounced; while Veneration, Executiveness, Self- 
will, Observation, Form, Size, Language,Color, Locality, 
Order, Prescience, Memory of Events, Reason, and In¬ 
tuition are large. Credenciveness, Alimentiveness, Bi- 
bativeness, Amativeness, and Love of Young are below 
the average. An expression of purity, serenity, benevo¬ 
lence, and of mental and moral power is stamped unmis¬ 
takably upon the countenance of this philosophic poe^ 
whose pen has been ever bravely used in the c i 
the oppressed. 


cause of 






592 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


coincided with the results of the event predicted they were looked 
upon as “shrewd guessers.” Relying too much upon these 
methods of anticipating events leads to fraud, trickery, and delu¬ 
sion, for, unless one knows the physiognomical signs for this power 
he may be misled and humbugged by those frauds and charlatans 
termed “ fortune-tellers,” “clairvoyants,” etc., who infest all large 
cities and thrive off the too-credulous portion of the public. The 
application of the laws of scientific physiognomy in their case 
shows that science is for the purpose of prevision or fore¬ 
knowing, for, by applying its principles to the physiognomy 
of rogues one may, with certainty, predict that they are going to 
cheat and deceive,—an instance of previsive power not excelled by 
any exhibition of the faculty of Prescience. 

August Comte, in his “Philosophie Positive,” observes that 
science is previsive, and that by a knowledge of various sciences 
we can foreknow, foresee, and avert dangers, death, and calamities. 
This is a strong assertion, yet a true one. We now have the 
facilities in most large cities, and at other points, for foreknowing 
the approach of a storm, sometimes two or three days in advance 
of its appearance; also from which direction it will come, and 
thus mariners and others may take advantage of these prognostica¬ 
tions and avert disaster and losses. 

Our present knowledge of sanitary science teaches us how to 
avert epidemics by well-devised systems of cleansing great cities by 
drainage and the use of disinfectants. All these methods are pre¬ 
visive. By a scientific knowledge of a man’s face one can say 
with certainty (if in that face he observes the signs for Friendship 
large), “ This man will always have friends,”—a previsive knowl¬ 
edge of character to be known only by the laws of Scientific 
Physiognomy. It is a settled law of human nature that we re¬ 
ceive in kind that which we give. If one continually extends 
friendly offices, hospitality, kindness, love, and amiability, he will, 
in the long run, receive the same treatment; but if, on the con¬ 
trary, he deals out hatred, malice, deceit, slyness, and treachery, 
he will find those who will mete out to him a good share of the 
same, and some even who will be ambitious of excelling him in 
this direction. 

As science advances in its upward progress, and discovers laws 
and principles in regard to mind and matter heretofore unknown, 
we enlarge our ideas of the possibilities of mental powers, and 
thus many things which have appeared “supernatural,” the “works 
of the devil,” or operations of the “black art,” are now referred to 
as mental or psychological phenomena; and, although our knowl¬ 
edge of the occult powers of the mind is in its infancy, yet we are 


PRESCIENCE. 


593 


gradually arriving at a more comprehensive and liberal view of 
what is obscure, mysterious, or unusual in connection with the 
mental powers of man. The liberal and scientific spirit of the age 
encourages the examination and discussion of all subjects, unhin¬ 
dered by persecution and legal penalties, hence it is probable that 
great light in the direction of psychology will be attained in this 
century. Such knowledge can come only by thorough investiga¬ 
tion and research, not by ignoring phenomena, nor by ascribing 
them to the “devil” or other suppositious characters and powers; 
and, if we cannot immediately solve every riddle and unfold every 
mystery, we can at least be candid, and suspend judgment until 
the facts and evidence are all in and the related laws discovered 
and connected. No one can say a thing is impossible until he 
can prove that it is so. Arago, the eminent mathematician, 
conscious of many mysterious appearances in Nature, exclaimed: 
“He who outside of pure mathematics pronounces the word 
impossible lacks prudence ,” and I may add that he would also lack 
conscientiousness, for to deny what one cannot disprove is evidence 
of a total lack of both truth and logic. While not ignoring sin¬ 
gular appearances, nor ascribing all mysteries to fraud or delusion, 
one should beware of accepting as truths the many singular phe¬ 
nomena put forth as such by ignorant, vicious, or deluded persons. 
“Try all things; hold fast that which is good,” is an excellent 
maxim. 

Prescience, like all other mental faculties, is a fallible trait, 
and cannot be trusted implicitly in every one; yet when one’s pre¬ 
dictions, prophecies, or forewarnings have proven true in the 
majority of cases much stress may be laid upon them, and credence 
given to their prognostications. There are many and varied ways 
in which the prescient faculty manifests itself. In some it appears 
in warning dreams, yet not all the dreams of such are to be relied 
upon; in others, foreknowledge and predictions of the approach 
of death are often found to be correct. Some are forewarned of 
approaching death or disasters to themselves or friends by appa¬ 
ritions, while others, still, see in a trance or in a cataleptic state 
events that are occurring, or foresee that which will occur in distant 
places, and the results often confirm their visions. 

The evidence bearing upon the existence of so-called occult 
powers in large numbers of persons of all ages, sexes, and condi¬ 
tions is incontrovertible, and I shall not deny the existence of such 
mental powers simply because I cannot state their laws nor clearly 
analyze their origin and operation. I leave this for time and more 
fortuitous circumstances to reveal. The history of all nations, 
ancient and modern, are replete with accounts of the prophecies, 

38 


594 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


sibylline utterances* trance-visions, and forewarnings of seers, 
prophets, poets, clairvoyants, spirit-mediums, etc., and these phe¬ 
nomena form so great a part of modern knowledge that he would 
be a hard-headed skeptic who would doubt the reality of powers 
which are as mysterious as they are abundant. A vast literature 
has been elaborated in these days upon the occult powers of the 
mind, and societies for the purpose of psychical research are to be 
found in all civilized lands. It is to be hoped that these associ¬ 
ations in connection with scientific instrumentalities will be enabled 
to throw some intelligence upon this somewhat obscure subject, 
and that some well-understood laics in relation to this entire class 
of phenomena will be elaborated. 

The possession of the prescient faculty gives to its possessor a 
love and desire for a future life, and thus robs death of its terrors. 
I have a dear friend who exhibits this trait in a wonderful manner. 
She is unusually cognizant of any great suffering, mental trouble, 
or sickness and death in any member of her family at a distance. 
Sometimes this knowledge comes in dreams; sometimes she “feels 
it,” as she says, when awake. This lady on one occasion was very 
ill, and given up to die. She derived great happiness from the pros¬ 
pect, and prepared for her laying out and her funeral services. 
She selected the dresses of every member of the family, the position 
of her coffin in the parlor, and named the hymns to be sung at her 
funeral. All this gave her as much satisfaction as some would 
derive from the preparations for a wedding. She spoke with im¬ 
patience and longing for the meeting with friends and relatives 
who had gone before, and said to me that she was just going into 
another state, and felt as contented about it as if she were prepar¬ 
ing to travel to a distant part of the land to visit her relatives 
there. Every article for her entombment was submitted to her, 
and chosen with taste, and made up and laid aside for her expected 
demise; but she recovered, and still keeps all these articles in order 
that the same preparations will not have to be again made. This 
aged lady possessed a most beautiful character, and one might well 
believe that such a character would not be afraid of any fate in 
the future which destiny might have in store for her. This lady 
was not a professing Christian, hence her longing for the future 
life did not come from a belief in those doctrines, but was the 
offspring of the action of the faculty of Prescience , which was 
manifested all through her life in many ways, although in her own 
case they were not accurate. 

The manifestations of Prescience are different in each indi¬ 
vidual ; not only does it differ in its mode of manifestation, but 
also in the degree of power which it exhibits, just as with every 


PRESCIENCE. 


595 


other trait. Some have scarcely a germ of prescient power, and 
such characters are not able to comprehend it in others. I was for 
many years a disbeliever in the reality of its existence, believing 
that honest people who professed a belief in it were dreadfully 
deluded; but years of research, aided by discoveries in Physiog¬ 
nomy, revealed its presence in the human mind, and by comparison 
of those who were gifted in this respect I was able to locate and 
describe its most salient features and signs in the face. 

The most common manifestation of this trait is in the form of 
presentiments; in some instances they are faint and obscure, in 
others clear, distinct, and profound. Some persons are continually 
forewarned by presentiments, and by acting upon information thus 
obtained trouble and danger are averted. There are many persons 
who have never had a presentiment of coming events, nor been 
warned in dreams, nor seen visions nor spirits, nor ever experienced 
any form of so-called supernatural phenomena. Such characters 
are usually very practical persons, hence assistance of this sort is 
not necessary to their well-being. 

Where the gift of Prescience is excessively exhibited, it will 
be found upon analysis to be the compensation for the absence of 
some other trait or traits, as, for example, deficient practicality or 
keen powers of observation; or it may be the lack of the elements 
of self-defense, and previsive knowledge steps in and protects its 
possessors from threatened dangers; it may compensate for too 
great delicacy of body. 

The faculty of Prescience is exhibited in various animal races 
in as many modes as in the human family. Their foreknowledge 
of approaching storms and weather-changes has always been ob¬ 
served. It is suggested that they have some peculiarity of the 
senses which is so acute as to give them notice of slight variations 
in the temperature,—too slight for man’s observation. In regard 
to this peculiarity, Dr. Lindsay tells us— 

Many animals are so susceptible to atmospheric influences that they 
are sometimes supposed to be gifted with a sort of Prescience of coming 
weather-changes, such as rain, wind, cold, heat, or thunder. They are popu¬ 
larly regarded as a kind of weather-prophets, forecasters, or prognosti¬ 
cators, superior in some cases, it is averred, to the barometer itself. Among 
sensitive animals of this kind are to be mentioned the common crow, the 
robin of England and Canada, and the blackbird of England; the porcupine, 
South American cattle, dolphins, and spiders ; the swallow, duck, sea-mew, 
heron, common fowl, and other birds; the cat, tortoise, dog, swine, and 
monkeys. The prairie-dog, Gilmore assures us, is superior to a barometer.* 

Again, he speaks of another sort of Prescience exhibited by 
animals. He observes:— 

* Mind in the Lower Animals, J. L. Lindsay, M.D., p. 307. 


596 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Many animals show a singular Prescience of certain classes of coming 
events. Thus, certain birds and other animals appear to know when a given 
district or country is becoming infected with epidemic disease , in whicii 
case they leave or avoid the infected district or country till the epidemic 
has disappeared. This has been especially noticed prior to outbreaks of 
such diseases as cholera in man. In the autumn of 1874 a paragraph taken 
from a French journal called the “ Jardin Zoologique,” and relating to 
supposed or alleged foresight in birds, went the round of British medical 
journals and newspapers. It stated that “ a few da} r s previous to the terrible 
ravages of cholera in Galicia in 1872 all the sparrows suddenly quitted the 
town of Przemysl, and not a single bird returned until the end of November, 
when the disease had entirely disappeared. The same circumstance was 
remarked in Munich and Nuremberg. During the attacks of cholera at St. 
Petersburgh and Riga in 1848, in Western Prussia in 1849, and in Hanover 
in 1850, every swallow and sparrow forsook the towns, and remained absent 
until the eradication of the scourge.” Other illustrations, varying greatly 
in their character of apparent foresight or prescience in the lower animals, 
are to be found : 1. The discovery of a master’s thoughts or intentions by 
the dog or cat, including, for instance, the discovery of intended murders or 
robberies. 2. The discovery of water-supply in the desert, steppe, or prairie 
by horses, cattle, camels, frogs, baboons, as well as by the blacks in the 
central deserts of Australia. Here, again, the so-called instinct of the lower 
animals or savage accomplishes that which too often baffles all the intelli¬ 
gence of the white man. 3. The coming of ships long before they are 
sighted by man. Thus, long before a ship is sighted off the coast of Tahiti 
she is signalled by the simultaneous crowing of all the cocks in the island. 
It is next to impossible to attribute the fact to a fortuitous coincidence, as 
it reproduces itself regularly without any exception,—so regularly, indeed, 
that pilots, both French and native, act upon this species of signal by 
putting off to sea in their canoes in search of the coming vessels. 4. Pre¬ 
monitions or presentiments of death, danger, or misfortune, especially by 
the dog, cat, and horse. These premonitions include a forewarning of 
coming earthquakes on the part of the ox, sheep, and horse, which take 
alarm and betake themselves to flight and safety. * 

Many animals show the presence of various sorts of prescient 
instinct, thus proving that a faculty which many suppose to be 
superhuman or spiritual is possessed in nearly all its phases by 
some species of animals. This should teach us that in this phase 
of existence every faculty is material and exhibited by means of a 
material medium , viz., by our senses. 

In all ages of the world there have been sibyls, prophets, 
diviners, seers, and in these days they are termed clairvoyants, 
spirit-mediums, etc. Some are pretenders and impostors. Others 
doubtless have the gift of seeing and foreseeing what is hid from 
the less-developed senses of the majority. It is the same with all 
mental gifts. Some have the faculties of Music, Number, Color, or 
Construction in a wonderful degree, while others are greatly lacking 
in these directions. We are not to infer that because some are 
deficient in Prescience all others are equally so. This method of 

* Mind in the Lower Animals, J. L. Lindsay, pp. 152,153. 


PRESCIENCE. 


597 


thinking is illogical, and not warranted by fact. It would be just 
as reasonable for a man who could not distinguish one tune from 
another, and who disliked music, to say that because he could not 
sing no one else could, and that all the so-called music was nothing 
but noise. I have known persons so destitute of musical ears as to 
hate music, and to consider all singing “ squalling ” and piano¬ 
playing “banging,” yet this was not proof of the absence of melody 
in others nor want of harmony in the science and art of music. 

While recognizing the fact of the existence of the faculty of 
Prescience we should be on our guard against the pretensions of 
would-be diviners, for all obscure phases of character present a 
wide field for the operations of pretenders. It is just the same in 
the remedial science; there are quacks and pretenders without 
number. Were it not for the aid of scientific physiognomy they 
might continue to pass for true physicians; but science, which is 
unveiling, discovering, and enlightening us in every direction, will 
strip the mask off these charlatans, and the full light of its bril¬ 
liancy will unfold the character of every one of them to our gaze. 

It has often been questioned whether the face of childhood 
gives evidence of traits which seem to the ordinary observer to 
be the result only of age and experience. 

Prescience, like some other faculties,—Amativeness, for ex¬ 
ample,—exhibits greater activity after childhood is passed ; yet both 
of these faculties, when largely inherited, disclose their power by 
unmistakable facial indications. 

Children who inherit Prescience, and who show its presence 
in action, are thought to be “queer” and given to “fanciful no¬ 
tions,” etc. The cause of the peculiar action on their part arises 
from the lack of experience by which to properly translate their 
instinctive feelings in this direction in an intelligible manner. 

Prescience is one of those faculties which certainly shows its 
greatest power with advancing age, but where this faculty is in¬ 
herited in a large degree the infantile physiognomy will very early 
disclose its presence. The portrait of “ Little Stanley ” is proof 
of the high development of prescient power in infancy. This 
beautiful child comes of poetic and dramatic ancestry, and in the 
aesthetic classes we find often a high degree of the foreseeing 
faculty. Many poets and seers write of the future progress of 
race and of the world with unerring, prophetic vision. 

Although the face is that of an infant only two years of age, 
the features show the most uncommon development, and very 
decided characteristics, exhibiting both high poetic tendencies and 
a promise of much artistic talent. 


598 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 



The portrait on this page is a very interesting and instructive 
illustration of Prescience in the adult. 

The present age seems to be evolving universally more of the 
higher and rarer faculties of the mind; hence, we observe in every 
civilized community most active research into the so-called “occult 

forces ” of mind and matter. 

The mind in its upward 
evolutionary progress is de¬ 
veloping those faculties which, 
in action in former ages, were 
held to be the suggestion of 
evil spirits, hence inimical to 
the human faculty. The spirit 
of inquiry which a more lib¬ 
eral and scientific age has 
fostered offers every facility 
for investigating those mys¬ 
terious phases of mentality 
which were at one time under 
the ban of religion and of 
society, and which subjected 
those who exhibited them to 
most severe penalties. 

Among these natural 
gifts of mind are found many 
which are now being investi¬ 
gated by the most learned 
persons of the age, with the 
view of discerning the laws 
which underlie them. 

Their aim is to obtain, 
if possible, the use and pur¬ 
pose of these singular and 
obscure forces which cannot 
now be explained to be de¬ 
monstrable theories; nor can 
they be ascribed to the 
“devil,” as was the vogue 
during the “ dark ages ” whenever mysterious occurrences took 
place which theologians could not explain,—a short-hand way 
of hiding their ignorance from the masses. 

Of the many occult human forces now attracting the attention 
of scientists, hypnotism seems to be no nearer a scientific solution 
than other obscure phenomena. 


T. DE WITT TALMAGE. 

(Divine, Lecturer, Author, etc.) 

Conspicuous facial sign Prescience. The law of 
the curve governs this physiognomy. The brain, 
muscle, and bone, in the, order named, govern this 
mind. In the face of this celebrated man there is 
much to interest the student of Human Nature. In 
the chin we observe the signs for Conscientiousness, 
Firmness, Patriotism, and Love of Home. The slight 
dimple in the chin shows aesthetic tendencies. In the 
lower lip Benevolence is well represented. In the 
upper lip Love of Children and of pets are very 
noticeable, while the sign for Amativeness in the 
centre of the upper lip shows not only that he has a 
high appreciation of the opposite sex, but it also in¬ 
dicates a talented degree of Creative ability. Mod¬ 
esty is well shown, and is needed in this character to 
balance Self-esteem and Amativeness. Hospitality, 
Friendship, and Approbation assist his social efforts. 
The intellectual powers are shown in the mouth, 
nose, and eyes. The mouth and eyes denote Lan¬ 
guage most eloquent. In the nose the signs for 
Ideality, Sublimity, Imitation, and Construction are 
conspicuous, as are also Executiveness, Veneration, 
and Self-will. Prescience is exceedingly large, while 
Intuition and Memory make up a most unique indi¬ 
viduality. 








PRESCIENCE 


599 


This force, like all other human power, seems to be productive 
ol both harmful and beneficial effects. Another phase of occult 
power is seen in what is termed “ Spirit Manifestations.” Large 
numbers of persons in every community claim to be able to pro¬ 
duce certain tangible effects and obtain most astounding informa¬ 
tion through what they believe to be “ Spirit Power.” 

As yet, no laics have been discovered which place these 
phenomena upon a scientific basis. There is no doubt but that, 
as time rolls on, the laws necessary to understand all mental phe¬ 
nomena will be known ; for nothing in the universe exists without 


underlying and governing 
laws. Possibly the faculties 
essential to the discovery of 
these now-hidden laws are 
not evolved. Every day is 
adding to the achievements 
of science, and it is not im¬ 
probable that, in the near 
future, some scientific genius 
may arise, Newton-like, and 
give to an expectant world 
the laws which operate to 
produce the manifold phe¬ 
nomena known as Electrici¬ 
ty, Magnetism, Spirit-power, 
Hypnotism, Foreseeing the 
Future (Clairvoyance), Mind- 
Reading, Describing Distant 
Scenes and Persons, Thought- 
Transference (Telepathy), 
Communicating Mentally 
without Speech, Seeing Appa¬ 
ritions, etc. 

There is too much evi¬ 



LITTLE STANLEY. 


Conspicuous facial sign, Prescience. The law 
of the ovoid and curve governs this physiog¬ 
nomy. The brain and muscular systems 
dominate. In this face the social and domestic 
faculties are well defined. The signs for 
Modesty, Self-esteem, Hospitality, Love of Chil¬ 
dren, Digestion, Approbation, Ideality, Friend¬ 
ship, and Analysis are large. The faculties of 
Veneration, Self-will, and Executiveness are 
pronounced, as are also Language, Construction, 
Memory, Size, and Intuition. Altogether, these 
traits assist in making a marked artistic 
individuality. 


dence of all these phenomena to dismiss them with the cry of 
“ fraud.” For myself, I believe that every phase manifested by 
the human mind is intended for the good of humanity. The 
fact that we do not understand all phases of mentality does not 


prove their uselessness. 

Very few persons understand the rather-obscure faculties of 
Intuition, Prescience, Human Nature, etc. Yet in these pages 
the laws which govern these, as well as other mental faculties, are 
explained and proven. 

To such an extent has the hitherto obscure and mysterious 


600 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY* 


science of physiognomy advanced that it is now, by the methods 
herein elaborated, brought even to the comprehension of school- 
children. 

One of the greatest pleasures in connection with my work 
in the field of physiognomy is instructing children in its laws and 
theories. It is amazing how easily they learn how to discern and 
locate the signs of character in the face. 

The theory is too profound for young children; but the prac¬ 
tical part can be as easily comprehended by the average child as 
can the localities, forms, and colors of a geographical map. 

I advise all parents who read this work to spend some 
moments each day imparting to their children some of the practi¬ 
cal truths herein contained. 

Children are very susceptible to Form and Color, and the 
human face is most richly endowed with varied colors, forms, and 
motions, making a more interesting subject for study than a lifeless 
map. 

It seems to me that no subject can be made so fascinating as 
the study of the human physiognomy. 

It is the first object upon which the eye falls in infancy; the 
last upon which the eye looks in death. All through life one is 
confronted with faces, and yet no preparation is made in our 
schools for its study in youth, at the age when this most essential 
of all studies should be taught. 

The time is certain to come when the colleges and high 
schools will make this an adjunct study with physiology. The 
Young Men’s Christian Associations of many cities are now 
beginning to form lecture classes on Character Efficiency, and vari¬ 
ous branches of salesmanship courses devote one-third of their 
courses to the study of faces. 

I have never found any study, not even that of music, more 
attractive to children than physiognomy. As soon as they have 
learned to discern the signs of character in the face, and can 
locate them, they begin to apply this knowledge to the faces about 
them with great accuracy; and as they have no preconceived 
ideas in regard to the face, as have most adults, they learn much 
more readily. 

By all means, instruct the children in physiognomy. 


CHAPTER II. 

(CONTINUED.) 

The Practical Division of the Face. 

We are now about to take up the consideration of the prac¬ 
tical or mechanical group of faculties. These depend mainly upon 
the peculiarities of osseous and muscular development, assisted by 
their connection with the motory and central nerves. It must be 
borne in mind that the facial signs of the faculties found clustering 
about the eyes, those of Form, Size, Observation, Locality, and 
Weight are not fully developed until childhood is passed, as the 
bones and muscles of the entire body, as well as of those about the 
eyes, have not at this period assumed their normal size, form, and 
strength. Moreover, some of these signs are produced by develop¬ 
ment of muscular tissue, others by deposition of osseous material; 
hence we must connect them with the gradual and progressive de¬ 
velopment of those systems as well as with the exercise of these 
traits. In view of these facts, it is absurd to claim that the evolu¬ 
tion of these faculties and powers is due to brain development 
alone. It is true that the brain enlarges pari passu with the gen¬ 
eral growth of the body up to a certain age or stage, but the pro¬ 
jection caused by bone and muscular tissue in the lower part of 
the skull near the eyes is not due to this circumstance. It is not 
caused by brain matter, as I have shown elsewhere, but to the 
growth of other tissues. Deposition of brain-substance could not 
take place here at this point, for the frontal sinus and the mus¬ 
cles of the corrugator supercilii , the superciliary ridge, the os 
frontis and ethmoid bone prevent any such accumulation of the 
brain-matter here. The development of this portion of the head 
arises from the natural and general development and perfection of 
the muscular and osseous systems , and these are the systems most 
used in mechanical and scientific pursuits as well as in aiding all 
artistic efforts. This evidence is conclusive. Moreover, we have 
the following evidence from one of the early and most original 
writers on phrenology to emphasize what is here stated. It is 
taken from a work on Phreno-Phrenology, p. 78, published in 1851 
by J. Stanley Grimes, who observes:— 

The bones of the skull and of the bice change by a regular law of de* 
velopment in all healthy persons alike, and nearly in the same degree in all. 
The hones of the forehead in childhood and in mature age are very different; 

(601) 


602 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


the frontal sinus becomes developed ; the superciliary ridge , the zygoma 
and the mastoid and corrugator muscles all develop and enlarge so as to en¬ 
tirely change the appearance of the head and induce unskillful observers to 
suppose that the growth of the brain has produced all this difference in the 
external appearance. The brain itself undergoes changes by the regular 
and natural development of its parts, some parts being more developed at 
certain ages. Whether the cranial organs are exercised or not the head 
will tend to assume the form which was possessed by the ancestors at the 
same age. 

The evidence here given by this observer is a corroboration of 
my observations of a life-time and is most appropriate at this junc¬ 
ture, just as we are about to examine minutely the facial signs of 
those faculties which have been erroneously named “mental or¬ 
gans,’’ and said to be caused by the development of “ brain-sub¬ 
stance” at these points. The signs of character in the lower part 
of the face about the mouth, chin, cheeks, and nose are self-revealing 
and cannot be called “organs of the brain,” but, as we arrive at an 
examination of the signs about the forehead and eyes, “unskillful 
observers,” as Mr. Grimes says, “ might believe these signs due to 
the development of brain-matter.” 

With these preliminary remarks and an invitation to closely 
inspect the parts now coming under investigation, I proceed to the 
description and analysis of the facial signs of the practical and 
mechanical faculties in man and animal. 

FORM. 

Definition .—The capacity for remembering forms and shapes; 
ability for spelling, drawing, modeling and (in combination with 
Weight) for carving and sculpture, anatomy, portraiture, and physi¬ 
ognomy ; it assists science, especially in geometry, mineralogy, 
architecture, mechanism, dress-fitting, and pattern-making. Form 
is always large in naturalists, navigators, astronomers, actors, and 
poets. A square-built man will remember and reproduce square 
and angular shapes best, while the round-built person will deal 
best with the circle and curve. 

An excess of Form might result in useless mechanism, but, as 
the field for configuration is simply illimitable, a large degree of 
this most useful trait generally results in activity of a useful sort. 

Deficiency in Form incapacitates one for many mechanical and 
artistic pursuits. It causes poor spelling and creates defective 
judgment as to the form or outline of everything in existence. 
No one greatly deficient in Form should attempt the study of 
surgery, the making of machinery, dresses, or art-works. 

Facial and Dodiiy Signs .—W idtli of the bony structure 
between the eyes is the facial evidence of good judgment in con- 


FORM. 


603 


figuration and memory of the form or shape of things observed, 
and of ability to reproduce form in art, science, or mechanism. 

Description of Form. —The anatomical base of the faculty 
of Form is found in the bony framework of the body. This is so 
patent that one needs only to observe the differences of structure 
in one who exhibits a large degree of Form and one who is greatly 
deficient in this trait. The bony system, like all other systems, 
undoubtedly has its representative in the brain, but to say that the 
width which is caused by the peculiarities of the osseous formation 
is an “organ” caused by a deposition of brain-matter at this place 
is a most palpable absurdity. Width between the eyes is the result 
of a wide construction of the bones at th is point. Breadth between 
the eyes is not only indicative of the mental power of memorizing 
and reproducing form and shape, but it is indicative, first and 
primarily, of the power of certain physical functions. Where there 
is breadth between the eyes the whole median line of the brain 
is wider than where the bony framework is contracted at this 
point. Not only is the brain wider through its middle portion, but 
the nose is wider and the lungs exhibit more of a sidewise growth ; 
the heart has more room within the ribs; the pelvis is broader; 
the legs set farther apart, and the whole outline of the individual 
is on a broader scale than where the eyes are set close to the nose 
and where the orbits are near together. 

The logical person can, from this description, readily infer 
what important results would flow from a wide conformation of 
the human body through its middle portion. The visceral organs 
would be relatively stronger through having more room for sidewise 
expansion , and, as in the carnivora (notably in the lion), a strong 
visceral structure creates vigor of mind as well as of body, so a 
broad human head on a broad body denotes visceral vigor, pri¬ 
marily, and, secondarily, breadth of intellect. The nose and nostrils 
of the lion are broader than the nose of any other beast, and 
men whose noses are broad between the eyes, as well as high, 
possess strong will and great breadth of mentality as compared to 
those whose noses are narrow between the eyes. I have known 
many brilliant writers and speakers who were narrow between 
the eyes, but were incapable of breadth and profundity on any 
subject; they were poor spellers, too, although higlily edu¬ 
cated. 

As all things in existence possess form or shape of some 
sort, the one most gifted in this direction is, therefore, more capa¬ 
ble of becoming universally intelligent. It is impossible for the 
human mind to conceive of anything without form or shape. Even 
those who claim that they see divine or celestial beings and scenes 


604 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


always describe them in terms of earthly formation. It is impos¬ 
sible for the human mind to imagine anything that is not earthly 
in its appearance; especially is this true when they come to deal 
with “ divine” forms. Sir Charles Bell, on this point, writes thus:— 

The idea of representing divinity is palpably absurd. We know noth¬ 
ing of form but from the contemplation of man.* 

The chapter on the “Basic Principles of Form’’traces Form 
to its origin,—at least, as far as the human mind can reach out for 

illustration. Form, whether 
exhibited by the cube, plane 
surface, or circle, is based 
on the sciences of geometry, 
mathematics, and architec¬ 
ture,—the ruling principles 
of universal form. 

Form is the basis of all 
trades and professions, for 
upon its principles the 
mechanic, artist, engi¬ 
neer, surveyor, astronomer, 
draughtsman,botanist, anat¬ 
omist, actor, musician, op¬ 
tician, jurist, and statesman 
depend for the illustration 
and expression of their 
work and ideas. Thought 
has form , and is first 
shaped in the mind of man 
ere it is put upon paper. 
The idea of the actor in 
regard to his impersonation 
of a character results in 
gestures and in attitudes of 
the body, and the gestures 
of the actor, elocutionist, 
and orator must describe curves in order to be graceful and ex¬ 
pressive. The musician depends upon the form of the sound¬ 
waves which are carried through the air to his ear. The waves 
of sound are curved or wave-like as they pass through the air, 
while the external ears of those who hear best are rounded 
and the inner ear, or cochlea , is spiral in form. The sounds 
proceeding from wind or stringed instruments are curved, and 
all force of every sort whatever has form or produces a certain 

* Anatomy of Expression, Sir Charles Bell, p. 22. 



Fig. 91.—MISS HARRIET HOSMER. 

Sculptor.) 


(Eminent 


Born in America. Conspicuous facial sign, Form, 
shown by width between the eyes. The law of the 
straight line, curve, and square governs this face. The 
signs for Conscientiousness, Firmness, Patriotism, Love 
of Home, Benevolence, Approbativeness, Love of 
Young, Amativeness, Modesty, Friendship, Alimentive- 
ness, Mirthfulness, and Sanativeness are all exceedingly 
well defined. Self-esteem is only average. The artistic 
signs in the nose of Sublimity, Analysis, Ideality, Con¬ 
structiveness, Acquisitiveness, Veneration, Executive¬ 
ness, and Self-will are prominent. Form and Size are con¬ 
spicuous, while Observation, Locality, Weight, Order, 
Calculation,Memory, Language, Intuition, and Artistic 
Reason are very apparent. Credenciveness and Pre¬ 
science are small, and the practical or observing powers 
are in the ascendency. A face of power, dignity, and 
sympathy. 


Form. 


605 


form while in action. The undulations of light and heat, as 
well as of sound, describe forms. The earth is spherical in its 
form as well as the primitive cell of animal and vegetable tissues. 
We can mention nothing which exists that is shapeless. This 
being the case it is readily seen that a good form in man is most 
essential, for we can best express in our works the principles which 
are the strongest within us; hence, well-formed, symmetrical people 
are best adapted to the use of this faculty in external work. 
Round-bodied persons use and express a different class of form 
from that used by square-built people. Now, square-built people 
love set, square, precise, and orderly forms and shapes, while round 
people love and create objects which are curved, wavy, or circular 
in their conformation. Again, round-built, muscular people make 
more graceful gestures than square-boned people. The former 
dance, skate, gesticulate, pose, and walk with more ease than 
the latter, hence they make better artists, acrobats, actors, and 
orators than the latter class; while the square-built person is 
better adapted to trades and professions requiring order, precision, 
and the use of angles, right lines, cubes, planes, solids, and 
mechanical principles, and a knowledge of the relations of shape 
and extension. Round persons who are broad between the eyes 
are well adapted to setting up and running machinery, judging of 
diameters, weights, and magnitudes, and are able to balance well, 
climb dizzy heights, and retain their equipoise; while square-built 
persons are better judges of horizontals, angles, obliquities, and 
perpendiculars of objects, edifices, and machinery, and are better 
able to build machinery than they are to manipulate it after it is 
built. Those who possess Form large and Size small will be able 
to reproduce the shape or outline of an object, but will not so 
readily delineate the size. On the other hand, one with Size large 
and Form small may be able to describe the size well but not the 
form. These two faculties are closely related, and Size will be next 
described. 

The art of spelling depends upon the development of Form, 
so also does phonography. They are both mechanical gifts, 
depending upon the degree of the development of Form for their 
illustration. Writing is an art; hence, round-built people exhibit 
the most beautiful handwriting, abounding in graceful curves, while 
tall, square-built persons show an angular, long-looped hand¬ 
writing. Many highly-educated persons cannot acquire a fine 
and graceful handwriting through lack of the requisite amount and 
quality of muscle, for writing, like gesture and oratory, requires 
flexibility of muscle, and in square-built persons the bones are 
supreme, hence they cannot bend and curve easily. 


606 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


The difference in the “ musical touch ” upon the piano or other 
instrument of these two classes of persons is in harmony with the 
differences observed in their formation. Muscular persons produce a 
round, full, rich tone, while the more angular, bony persons give out 
a clear, ringing, resonant, decided tone. In manipulating a sewing- 
machine the operator with soft, muscular fingers will produce the 
best work, but the angular or square-built Worker will best cut and 
fit the work, yet will not run the machine as easily nor produce as 
artistic work as the former. 

All great artists are very wide between the eyes and all pos¬ 
sess Size as well developed as Form. These two faculties are 
necessarily related, and, although some persons possess a large 
degree of one and a small amount of the other, yet eminent artists, 
mechanics, naturalists, anatomists, etc., possess both large. They 
are uncommonly large in the faces of Baron Cuvier, naturalist; 
Humboldt, scientist; Sir Astley Cooper, Dr. Jenner, Dr. Harvey, 
physicians; Linnaeus, botanist; Watt, Fulton, and George Stephen¬ 
son, mechanical inventors; Sir Isaac Newton, discoverer ; Hogarth, 
Titian, Guido Beni, Baphael, Fra Bartolommeo, Carracci, Murillo, 
Paul Veronese, and Domenichino, artists. Michael Angelo said :— 

An artist should have his measuring tools not in the hands, but in 
the eye. 

All great composers are broad between the eyes. Music is 
primarily a science. The art of music is the superstructure which 
rests upon a scientific base. Mathematics and Form are the me¬ 
chanical bases of music, for sound, like all forces, has shape, and 
nearly all the great composers possess a large bony framework with 
a well-developed brain, together with an excellent' muscular system, 
while Beethoven, the “ father of music,” exhibits a square-built 
appearance. Wagner has a very bony face, as well as Liszt, Verdi, 
Weber, and Haydn. 

Singers and players, as a rule, are more muscular and round 
in form than composers. They require flexibility mainly. Less 
intellect and less bone are required for the production of sound 
merely. Intellect and stability are not the predominating charac¬ 
teristics of singers and instrumentalists. Many of them exhibit 
childish and capricious characteristics. Yet some good singers have 
an average intellect, but the great ones, as a rule, display musical 
intelligence mainly. 

Physiognomists must possess large Size and Form in order to 
judge of and retain the shapes of persons, faces , and features ; 
hence, we see both these faculties large in the physiognomy of 
Locke, Aristotle, Cicero, Porta, Averroes, Lavater, Bedfield, and 


FORM. 


607 


Walker, and all the great minds that have observed and written 
upon this subject. It is an essential constituent of the mind of the 
detective, shopkeeper, policeman, railroad conductor, and teacher. 
Form has been extensively used in kindergartens, in object-lessons, 
in the past few years. It is destined to produce the most important 
results, developing in children a taste and talent for fashioning 
articles upon true geometrical principles. In these schools young 
children learn how to reproduce the form of the cube, square, 
sphere, circle, pyramid, and other geometric forms, and thus lay 
the foundation for all the trades and arts in early childhood. All 
young children should be taught to draw upon their slates and 
afterward cut out in paper the outline of every garment and the 
separate parts of every garment that they wear. Both boys and 
girls should be trained in this method at home and at school. 
Boys, in addition, should be taught to draw and cut out the indi¬ 
vidual parts of a house, a ship, and all sorts of machinery, and 
draw pieces of all things used in the mechanic arts, in order that 
they may be equipped for active work in a trade or profession as 
soon as they are old enough to commence the more advanced 
branches of mechanism. 

The basic principles of Form, as given in this work, will assist 
the artist, mechanic, and inventor, and give physiognomists an in¬ 
fallible chart and compass to depend upon. These principles 
should be taught in schools in connection with physiognomy, as 
well as in relation to all object-lessons. 

Animals possess in a most remarkable degree the faculty and memory 
of configuration. As low down in the animal tribes as the toad there are 
evidences of the presence of Form and Size, shown hy its examining and 
testing the size of crevices in walls in relation to the dimensions of its own 
bod} r ; in other words, it takes measurements—makes calculations—of size 
and shape. Bees, as all bee-keepers know, can tell their attendant from a 
stranger. Smuggling dogs distinguish custom-house officers. Certain 
London railway dogs recognize their own special friends among the porters 
or other officers at the different stations, making, it is asserted, no mistakes. 
Other dogs frequently distinguish from other men the murderer, burglar, or 
thief, the butcher-dog or dog-stealer, the poor beggar or tramp, their mas¬ 
ters’ inferior and well-conditioned visitors, policemen and foremen, with 
their callings and their objects.* 

Here it will he perceived that animals are guided not only by 
the shape and appearance of their friends and masters, but have an 
uncommon knowledge of human nature in a degree not possessed 
hy man. Some animals, like some men, possess large Form and 
small Size, or the reverse. The parrot shows a decided power of 
recognizing persons, and pigeons localities, but not vice versa 

* Mind in the Lower Animals, J. Lauder Lindsay, M.D., vol. i, p. 249. 


608 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


(Darwin); while every one has seen the feats of “ learned dogs 
and pigs,” which are very expert in selecting alphabetical blocks 
by their shape and also perform many simple arithmetical problems, 
—of course, guided by the sense of Form as well as of Calcula¬ 
tion. Animals suffer from perversion of this trait just as do human 
beings, and show it in just the same manner, viz., by suspicion of 
things but half perceived in the twilight or darkness of the night. 
Persons possessed of large Form, whose nervous systems have be¬ 
come impaired, are often great sufferers from morbid fancies, 
imagining scenes of suffering or violence, in which they and 
their friends are actors. With large Credenciveness they believe 
in supernatural appearances, and with a talent for poetizing they 
can produce in verse forms, figures, and landscapes with sur¬ 
prising fidelity. Form in a large degree is an especial attribute of 
the poet, and the works of all talented poets teem with descriptions 
of figures, both supernatural and real. The physiognomies of 
Byron, Tennyson, Longfellow, Swinburne, Goethe, Schiller, Whit¬ 
tier, Burns, Mrs. Piemans, Shelley, Dryden, and Shakespeare are 
uncommonly broad between the eyes, and Size also is large, show¬ 
ing that they had the power of visualizing the characters and 
scenes which they have portrayed in verse. 

Chess-players invariably exhibit large Form and Size. Paul 
Morphy, Zukertort, Steinmitz, and Blackburn possess a phenome¬ 
nal degree of Form. 

Blackburn and Zukertort could play blindfold as many as sixteen or 
twenty games at a time, and win 20 per cent, of them at least. 

The fact is that they could picUire in the mind the positions of 
the chess-board and remember the positions of the pieces as they 
are played. It is related by the biographer of William Blake, 
poet and painter, that he could paint for hours the figure of 
a sitter long after he had gone. He said “ he could see the per¬ 
son just as plainly as before leaving.” Such power for mental 
photography is rare, indeed. 

The sense of visualizing Form is not confined to those in 
civilized life, hut is often exhibited by barbarous tribes. The 
Bushmen are excellent draughtsmen, and, according to recent 
travelers, are very expert in free-hand drawing, and draw the out¬ 
line of a giraffe or buffalo with such unerring precision as to need 
no correction. Mr. Galton says :— 

The Esquimaux are natural geographers, and draw charts of their 
coasts which accord with those done by the most skilled draughtsmen of 
the admiralt}^. 

From this description of the faculty of Form it is shown that 


SIZE. 


609 


it is adapted to the knowledge of everything in existence, and 
that it is required alike by animals, barbarians, and civilized men. 

The location ol its facial sign adjoining the eye is a conspic¬ 
uous example ol the relation of faculty with function, for forms must 
be seen to be comprehended, and the eye is the centre of the signs 
of several practical faculties. The sign for Size adjoins Form and 
Locality, while the sign for Observation bounds them above. All 
these traits work together , and are naturally connected in their prac¬ 
tical operations. The group of signs about the eye is an eminently 
noteworthy one, and serves to emphasize the wonderful methods 
Nature takes to make her meanings known to man. The grouping 
of the signs in the face is, next to physiognomy, the most wonderful 
fact in existence, as it is the most perfectly demonstrable. 

SIZE. ' 

“A dark 

Illimitable ocean without bound, 

Without dimension, where length, breadth, and height 
And time and place are lost; where eldest night 
And chaos, ancestors of Nature, hold 
Eternal anarchy amidst the noise 
Of endless wars, and by Confusion stand ; 

For hot, cold, moist, and dry, four champions fierce, 

Strive here for mastery, and to battle bring 

Their embryon atoms.”— Milton’s “Paradise Lost.” 

Definition. —Capacity for judging, by the eye, of size, height, 
depth, breadth, length, extent, volume, bulk, bigness, magnitude, 
distances, proportions, perpendiculars, plane-surfaces, angles, 
levels, etc. 

An excess of this faculty could scarcely work injury to one, 
unless its activity interfered with business or pursuits in which its 
function was not required. 

Its deficiency causes one to be inaccurate in the estimation of 
proportion, perspective, outlines, and of the sizes of the globe, 
sphere, prism, octagon, triangle, octahedron, hexagon, cylinder, 
cube, and other geometric figures, while perhaps able to draw and 
remember their forms. 

Facial and Bodily Signs. —The facial sign of the capacity for 
remembering, judging, and reproducing the size of objects is found 
in the width or development of the ethmoid bone,—the bone 
which connects the nose with the forehead. When large, it gives 
width between the inner terminus of the eyebrows and forms a 
V-shape on the upper part of the nose, just below and at its junc¬ 
tion with the forehead. The faces of all good artists, mechanics, 
draughtsmen, sculptors, architects, and dress-fitters exhibit this 
formation. 


39 


610 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Description of Size.— The anatomical base of the mental 
faculty of Size is found in the width ol the ethmoid bone. It can 
not be caused by brain development at this point for the reason 
that the bones and sinuses in this vicinity JUl up the space which 
phrenology allots to the “ organ ” of Size. The following descrip¬ 
tion of this portion of the 
face discloses the origin 
of the width at this junc¬ 
tion :— 

On account of the frontal 
sinuses and of the diploe the 
external surface of the skull 
does not by any means exactly 
represent the internal, but is 
more smooth and even, and 
never accurately presents emi¬ 
nences and depressions in¬ 
versely corresponding to those 
within. To some extent, how¬ 
ever, and only to some, does 
the external surface of the 
bones indicate the projections 
on the surface of the brain. 
When a certain portion of the 
latter or a certain group of 
convolutions are very promi¬ 
nent, the skull in that region 
will be prominent, and vice 
versa; but we very seldom 
find distinct external elevations 
corresponding to individual 
convolutions. The bones, as 
well as the sinuses at this por¬ 
tion of the face, are numerous, 
and any person who will take 
the trouble to dissect a human 
skull and brain can soon con¬ 
vince himself that the brain- 
substance does not cause the 
width at this part, and which is 
termed an “ organ ” of the mind 
by phrenologists. The ethmoid bone contributes to form the base of the 
cranium, the nose, and the orbits. It has little or no cellular tissue in its 
composition, except in the cliristi galli and in the turbinated plates. It is 
joined to two bones of the cranium, the frontal and sphenoid, and to eleven 
bones of the face.* 

Besides the sinuses and bones situated within this small space 
the bulbs of the olfactory nerves here find lodgment, as well as the 
ophthalmic division of the fifth pair of nerves. The bony ridge, 
denominated the superciliary ridge, or bones of the eyebrow, so 

* Practical Anatomy, Robert Harrison, pp. 393, 584. 



Fig. 92.—ROSALIE BONHEUR. (Celebrated 
Painter of Nature and of Animals.) 

Born in France, 1822. Conspicuous facial sign, Size, 
shown by width of the ethmoid bone. The law of the 
straight line and curve governs this face. The quality 
of this subject is very fine; the color-sense of the 
highest order. The lower part of the face is oval, the 
lips curved, the hair wavy, Form and Size pre-eminent; 
all are signs of the artistic nature. Conscience and Firm¬ 
ness are normal. Love of Home, Patriotism, Benevo¬ 
lence, Love of Young, Approbativeness, Friendship, 
and Alimentiveness are evident; Amativeness onlv 
about average; Modesty and Self-esteem well defined. 
The nose is high, long, almost sti’aiglit, and shows the 
signs for Human Nature, Mental Imitation, Analysis, 
Hope, Ideality, Constructiveness, Acquisitiveness, Ven¬ 
eration, Executiveness, and Self-will large. Language 
is noticeable, while Form, Size, Order, Locality, Calcula¬ 
tion, Observation, Weight, Memory of Events, and 
artistic judgment and Reason are well defined. Great 
perseverance and industry added to great talents have 
produced a grand artist in this subject. Her great 
merit has met with due recognition. Of her it has 
been said : “She is not beholden to the Louvre Gallery 
nor to Poussin; she does but look at the clear and 
open face of Nature.” 




Size. 


611 


completely hides the brain that it is impossible to make any esti¬ 
mate ot its size or shape here. So true is this that all physiolo¬ 
gists and anatomists have remarked it, and Dr. Dalton, writing, 
upon the peculiarity of the brain-substance, observes:— 

A very extensive portion of the cerebral surface remains concealed in 
sncli a manner that it cannot 
possibly be subjected to ex¬ 
amination, viz.,.the entire base 
of the brain with the under 
surface of the anterior and 
middle lobes, the upper surface 
of the cerebellum, and the in¬ 
ferior surface of the posterior 
lobe of the cerebrum which 
covers it, that portion of the 
cerebellum situated above the 
medulla oblongata, and the two 
opposite convoluted surfaces 
in the fissure of Sylvius where 
the interior and middle lobes 
of the cerebrum lie in contact 
with each other. The whole 
extent, also, of the cerebral sur¬ 
faces which are opposed to 
each other in the great longi¬ 
tudinal fissure throughout its 
entire length is equally pro¬ 
tected by their position and 
concealed from external exami¬ 
nation. The whole of the con¬ 
voluted surface of the brain 
must, however, be regarded as 
of equal importance in the dis¬ 
tribution of the mental quali¬ 
ties; and } T et it is evident that 
not more than on e-third or one- 
quarter of this surface is so 
placed that it can be exam¬ 
ined by external manipulation. 

It must, furthermore, be recol¬ 
lected that the gra}' matter of the cerebrum and cerebellum is every- 
where convoluted, and that the convolutions penetrate to various depths in 
the substance of the brain. Even if we were able to feel, therefore, the ex¬ 
ternal surface of the brain itself, it would not be the entire convolutions, 
but only their superficial edges, that we should be really able to examine. 
And yet the amount of gray matter contained in a given space depends 
quite as much upon the depth to which the convolutions penetrate as upon 
the prominence of their edges. While phrenology, therefore, is partially 
founded upon acknowledged physiological facts , there are } T et insurmount¬ 
able difficulties in the way of its practical application.* 

In the preceding paragraphs I have offered the evidence de¬ 
rived from the writings of two of the best-known anatomists, as to 

* Dalton’s Treatise on Human Physiology, p. 429. 



Fig. 93.—LUDOVICO ANTONIO DAVID. (His¬ 
torical and Portrait Painter.) 

Born in Italy, 1648. Conspicuous facial sign, Size, 
shown by width of the ethmoid bone just above the 
sign for Form. The law of the straight line and curve 
governs this face. Here we behold all of the salient 
points of the artist,—curves in every feature, and even 
in the hair the same curvilinear principle is observed. 
The chin is round and dimpled, the lower jaw curved, 
the mouth exhibiting a “cupid’s bow” in the outline 
of the upper lip. The domestic and social traits are all 
well defined, among which Amativeness, Love of 
Young, Love of Home, Patriotism, Friendship, Mirth¬ 
fulness, Approbativeness, and Benevolence are very 

P rominent. Color and Sanativeness are conspicuous, 
n the nose the signs for Mental Imitation, Ideality, 
Sublimity, Constructiveness, Acquisitiveness, Venera¬ 
tion, Executi veness, and Self-will are very pronounced. 
Form, Size, Observation, and Calculation are excellent. 
Memory of Events and Intuition are large, while Reason 
(of the artistic sort) is well developed. 






612 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


the impossibility of judging of the shape and size of the brain- 
matter by an external examination. More particularly is this im¬ 
possibility emphasized when we endeavor to find the existence of 
a mental or cerebral “ organ ” of Size at the sides of the ethmoid 
bone. The evidence of our senses in dissection, as well as by 
outward observation, shows that there is nothing but bones and 
sinuses (little hollow openings which assist the resonance of the 
voice) at this place. I am quite earnest in my endeavor to prove 
to the student that this is the case, for, in order to be intelligent in 
the science of physiognomy, one must be able to trace phenomena 
to their origin, otherwise the knowledge will be merely surface- 
knowledge. The protuberances observed about the superciliary 
ridge are caused by bony deposition and by muscular development, 
as can be proven in the local signs for Weight and Locality. 

Now, having given very good evidence from those who do 
not accept the phrenological theories of “brain organs,” I next 
offer evidence just as conclusive from the writings of George 
Combe, one of the founders of phrenology. He remarks thus:— 

One part of the brain, however, does sometimes present a difficulty. 
I refer to a cavity called the frontal sinus. It lies above the nose, and is 
found between the external and internal surfaces of the skull. The size of 
this sinus varies, but recollect that it only interferes with five organs —- 
Form, Size, Weight, Individuality (Observation), and Locality. 

Again, below the age of twelve it does not exist , and, as the five 
organs before mentioned are generally very active before that age , the sinus 
cannot interfere with our observation of them before that period. The 
sinus, therefore, presents no difficulty in the way of our discovering the 
functions of these organs if we study subjects below twelve years of age. 
The opponents conceal these facts. After this age it appears, gradually 
enlarges, and after twenty may present some difficulty to the observer.* 

In a foot-note he observes:— 

I was the first to maintain that it was impossible for us to determine 
with exactness the development of certain convolutions by the inspection 
of the external surface of the cranium. 

This corroborative evidence from this gentleman and from the 
others, equally distinguished, is offered not so much to prove 
phrenology wrong in some of its conclusions as to prove the 
basic theories of scientific physiognomy right. The reasoning 
of Mr. Combe is not tenable where he says that “as the frontal 
sinus does not exist below twelve years of age it cannot interfere 
with our observation of these five ‘organs.’” The truth is that 
by the absorption of the cellular tissue and the separation of the 
bony plates the cavities called the frontal sinuses are formed at or 
about the age of puberty, and this change assists the resonance of 

* Combe’s Lectures on Phrenology, p. 131. 


SIZE. 


613 


the voice as it changes from the fine, soft tones of childhood to 
the sonorous and deep bass of adult life; and that is all the sig¬ 
nificance to be attached to this change, except the further fact 
that complete ossification of the bones of the superciliary ridge and 
of the ridge of the nose does not take place nor cause their perma¬ 
nent and true form, size, and solidity until the age of puberty, and 
in some cases not until after that period. Hence it is that we are 
better able to judge of the size of the practical and mechanical 
faculties whose local facial signs are situated upon and about the 
bones and muscles of the 
superciliary ridge, after they 
have become developed by 
age and matured by the 
action of the evolutionary 
process described above. 

The localities of many of 
the “perceptive” faculties, 
as given by phrenologists, 
are correct. Their idea of 
ascribing to brain-substance 
what is palpably a bony or 
a muscular structure is er¬ 
roneous. The whole course 
of the development of the 
several tissues of bone, 
brain, and muscle also 
proves this, and reveals the 
true origin of the faculties 
of Size and Form to be in 
the width of the median 
portion of the bony struc¬ 
ture, ’recorded in and cer¬ 
tified to by the width of 
the os frontis and ethmoid 
bones of the face. 

The uses and function of the faculty of Size are unlimited 
and beyond enumeration. In conjunction with Form its applica¬ 
tion is to every single atom of matter in space and to every object 
whatsoever in existence. Every thing has form, consequently has 
magnitude or dimensions. All mental imagery is formed through 
the agency of these two dominant faculties. Plans for conducting 
a campaign or a law case, or for carrying on a business, are aided 
by the faculty of shaping. Every writer upon any subject what¬ 
ever relies upon these two geometrical qualities for carrying out 



Fig. 94.—JOHN LEO GEROME. (Historical, and 
Portrait Painter.) 

Born in France, 1N24. Conspicuous facial sign, Size, 
shown by great width between the eyes. The law of 
the straight line and curve governs this physiognomy. 
The lower division of the face discloses tlie signs for 
domesticity and moral power. Firmness, Conscien¬ 
tiousness, 'Benevolence, Love of Home, Patriotism, 
Approbativeness, Economy, and Sanativeness are all 
large. From the form of the eyes and general curva- 
tiveness, we know that Love of Young and Amative¬ 
ness are normal at least. In the nose the signs for artis¬ 
tic capacity are apparent. Mental Imitation, Ideality, 
Sublimity, Constructiveness, Acquisitiveness, Vener¬ 
ation, Executiveness, and Self-will are prominent, 
while Form, Size, Color, Calculation, Observation, and 
Locality are of the highest order. Memory of Events, 
Language, and Intuition are well defined. 




614 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


his plans. All architects, artists, sculptors, dress-makers, carpenters, 
shoe-makers, and mechanics of every sort depend upon these traits 
for the basis of all they construct. Their action is universal, 
and illimitable. In combination with Constructiveness they enter 
largely into the works of fiction, of poetry, and of plays. The 
writings of the poets abound in images of all sorts, and some of 
them, as, for example, Milton and Dante, portray the figures of 
monsters of horrid mien and gigantic size in a manner most vivid 
and graphic. In the physiognomies of these writers the signs for 
Size, Form, Constructiveness, Credenciveness, and Imagination are 
very large. So also we find the same development in Bunyan’s 
face, as well as in Dickens’. Taine describes Dickens’ character 
most admirably, and quite in accord with the principles of scien¬ 
tific physiognomy. He shows that the power to form or visualize 
his characters is one of his strongest traits, and he thus describes 
him. He says:— 

There is a painter in him, and an English painter. Never surely did 
a mind figure to itself with more exact detail or greater force all the parts 
and tints of a picture. If he is describing a home, he will draw it with 
geometrical clearness ; he will put all his colors in relief; discover a face and 
thought in the shutters and the spouts! He will make a sort of human 
being out of the home, grimacing and forcible, which attracts our attention, 
and which we shall never forget.* 

A scientific delineation of Dickens’ physiognomy shows how 
accurately Taine paints Dickens’ portrait from his works. This is a 
very subtle and philosophic method, and one which requires the 
best intellect, aided by the best intuition. 

The capacity for calling up at will the size and form of any 
object once seen is the active memory of the twin faculties of Form 
and Size. The ability to bring up colors in all their vividness be¬ 
longs to the memory of color; and so of every faculty. Each has 
a memory peculiar to itself, and this could not be unless every 
faculty was a force capable of sending out toward persons and 
objects a palpable living power from the human and animal mind. 
It meets with a response, showing that the special faculty in 
activity has thrown outward toward others in contiguity a positive, 
active, intelligent force, which, like lightning, is unseen, yet most 
decidedly felt, and by sensitive more keenly than by coarse¬ 
grained men and animals. The theory is that coarse people— 
those on a low mental grade—are more sensitive to the stronger and 
lower classes of passions, such as revenge, hatred, malice, force, 
and resistance, than they are to the higher and nobler traits of 
love, sympathy, patriotism, and sublimity; the lower passions 
or forces being more powerful in their action, while the higher 

* History of English Literature, H. A. Taine, pp. 585-589. 


SIZE. 


615 


ones send out a more subtle force, and can be better sensed and 
appreciated by the finer and higher order of beings. 

The ideas of relative size change with age and with practice 
in judging of dimensions, by noting discrepancies in goods or 
objects handled. Size in combination with Form, Weight, and 
Reason give ability for geometrical studies, while Size, Form, 
Constructiveness, Ideality, and Mental Imitation give the talent for 
novel-writing, and, with Music and Time added, ability for writing 
poetry. Add to these large Love of Young, and capacity for 
writing stories and poetry for children will be developed. 

Form, Size, and Weight assist the sculptor, the dentist, and 
the engraver. They must all have the same combination to enable 
them to imitate forms, and also to assist in guaging the force of 
the bloiv of the chisel and graver. Engravers must also have a 
good color-sense, else they will be deficient in judging of the proper 
shading of their pictures. I once employed a very superior en¬ 
graver, but he lacked color, being of a very light complexion, and 
having light, sandy hair. It was with the greatest difficulty that I 
could get him to put sufficient black color into my pictures; but 
in Size and Form he excelled, and engraved portraits (the most 
difficult branch of the art) with unerring fidelity and precision. 

The botanist, naturalist, chemist, physician, and explorer 
require the faculty of Size. It is found large in the physiognomies 
of Stanley, Livingstone, Fremont, Marco Polo, Captain Cook, 
Sir Joseph Banks, De Soto, and Hendrick Hudson, Linnaeus, Des¬ 
cartes, Sir Astley Cooper, Dr. Pasteur, John Dalton, Liebig, 
Huyg hens, Sir Isaac Newton, Blaise Pascal, Torricelli, Copernicus, 
and Paracelsus. Minds such as these men possessed had the 
power of visualizing the objects and combinations of forms which 
they dealt with, and were thus enabled to picture in the “mind's 
eye” the inventions and discoveries made and scenes visited and 
explored. In Galton’s work on “Inquiries into Human Faculty,” 
the author devotes great space to the investigation of what he 
terms “mental imagery,” the capacity for which depends upon the 
faculties of Form and Size being large, although I believe he 
nowhere speaks of this as the origin and base of what he terms 
“ visualizing.” Physiognomy proves that where these two faculties 
are large, the ability to reproduce mentally shapes and outlines 
is much greater than where they are not so well developed. The 
following very just remarks by Mr. Galton are appropriate to the 
subject, and I quote them to show his understanding of the mental 
aspect of Size and Form. He observes thus:— 

There can, however, be no doubt as to the utility of the visualizing 
faculty when it is duly subordinated to the higher intellectual operations. 


616 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


A visual image is tlie most perfect form of mental representation, wherever 
the shape, position, and relations of objects in space are concerned. It is 
of importance in every handicraft and profession where design is acquired. 
The best workmen are those who visualize the whole of what they propose 
to do before they take a tool in their hands. The village smith and the 
carpenter who are employed on odd jobs employ it no less for their work 
than the mechanician, the engineer, and the architect. The lady’s maid who 
arranges a new dress requires it for the same reason as the decorator em¬ 
ployed on a palace or the agent who lays out great estates. Strategists, 
artists of all denominations, physicists who contrive new experiments, and, 
in short, all who do not follow routine have need of it. The pleasure its use 
can afford is immense. I have many correspondents who say that the 
delight of recalling beautiful scenery and great works of art is the highest 
that they know; they carry whole 'picture-galleries in their minds. Our 
bookish and wordy education tends to repress this valuable gift of Nature. 
A faculty that is of importance in all technical and artistic occupations, 
that gives accuracy to our perceptions and justness to our generalizations, 
is starved out by lazy disuse, instead of being cultivated in such a way as 
will, on the whole, bring the best return.* 

The practice in early life of fashioning objects with tools, and 
of drawing, undoubtedly develops the faculty of Size as well as of 
Form, and men who are put at books early in life, and deprived of 
all mechanical employments, suffer deterioration of these faculties. 
Then, too, the mental action of these faculties, as well as the inten¬ 
sity of their power, changes with advancing age and change of 
pursuits. In childhood, if the observing faculties are keen, and 
Form, Size, and Locality very decided, the outlines and location of 
every thing observed will be remembered, and nothing, however 
minute, will escape the sight of one who is gifted in the observing or 
practical traits; but as age advances, and brings with it a develop¬ 
ment of the reasoning powers, the observing faculties assume a 
partially introspective action, and the mind works more interiorly , 
hence sees fewer material objects, and the individual will pass by, 
unnoticed, things which formerly would have attracted his attention 
and have been photographed upon his memory in all the accuracy 
of their form, size, and position in relation to other near objects. 

The antagonism between the power for visualizing external 
material objects and the capacity for abstract memory has been 
noted by Mr. Galton, and on this topic he says:— 

My own conclusion is, that an over-ready perception of sharp mental 
pictures is antagonistic to the acquirement of habits of highly-generalized 
and abstract thought, especially when the steps of reasoning are carried on 
by words as symbols, and that if the faculty of seeing the pictures was ever 
possessed by men who think hard it is very apt to be lost by disuse. The 
highest minds are those in which it is not lost , but subordinated, and is 
ready for use on suitable occasions. I am, however, bound to say that the 
missing faculty seems to be replaced so serviceably by other modes of con¬ 
ception—chiefly, I believe, connected with the incipient motor sense, not of 

* Inquiries into Human Faculties, Francis Galton, p. 113. 


OBSERVATION. 


617 


the eyeballs only, but of the muscles generally —that men who declare them¬ 
selves deficient in the power of seeing mental pictures can, nevertheless, 
give life-like descriptions of what they have seen, and can otherwise express 
themselves as if they were gifted with a vivid visual imagination . They can 
also become painters of the rank of Royal Academicians. * 

When I read thoughts such as the above, which come so 
closely to scientific analysis of character and then just miss it 
through lack of the knowledge of scientific physiognomy, I grieve 
that the writer has not that light by which to elucidate more 
clearly the differences existing between the two classes of persons 
of which he is writing. His first paragraph relates to mechanical 
men,—men with square, bony frames , who are practical, and 
seldom develop into abstract thinkers; never, certainly, to any great 
extent; hence, they dwell largely all their lives in the region of 
the practical, and visualize the forms of objects, and deal with 
them professionally, as in the mechanic arts; while the class 
alluded to in the second paragraph are muscular, round, men, who 
imagine forms instead of remembering those once seen, and these 
last really do use the muscular sense in order to reproduce their 
images mentally, and can become painters of high degree; and, as 
they are gifted in imagination chiefly by reason of the dominance 
of the muscular system, so they are able by voice and brush to 
reproduce vocally and on canvas the forms which they, by means 
of a vivid imagination, see before them. This class of persons 
idealize forms, whereas the mechanical class reproduce with exact¬ 
ness the forms and shapes which they have really beheld. When 
gifted metaphysicians, like Mr. Galton, come to understand the 
principles of scientific physiognomy, they will be able to aid the 
advancement of science in a wonderful manner. Many gifted 
writers show by their writings that they are grand physiognomists, 
only wanting the knowledge of the laws and principles of physiog¬ 
nomy to enable them to draw the external features and peculiarities 
of their characters in accordance with the mental analysis which 
they make of them. George Eliot, Dickens, Taine, and Thack¬ 
eray are all intuitive, so also was Shakespeare, and came very near 
to being scientific expounders of character. The faculty of Size is 
pre-eminent in all of them, and to it they are largely indebted for 
their skillful delineations of their characters, as well as for the 
plan of their books. 

OBSERVATION. 

Definition. — “The act or power of observing or taking 
notice; the act of seeing or of fixing the mind upon anything; 
capacity for close attention ; adherence in practice.” (Webster.) 

* Ibid ., p. 88. 


618 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

* i 

The love and capacity for examining objects which attract the 
attention, such as natural phenomena, machinery, pictures, books, 
plays, spectacles, etc. It is the faculty which creates a desire for 
looking at what transpires about us, and is the basis of all material 
knowledge. Mechanicians, travelers, artists, linguists, and scien¬ 
tists, etc., depend greatly upon its development for their knowledge. 

An excess of Obser¬ 
vation can scarcely be 
harmful, yet if one allows 
Observation to end in look - 
ing merely , without reflect¬ 
ing or acting upon knowl¬ 
edge thus gained, excessive 
Observation would he det¬ 
rimental. To remedy such 
want of balance, the facts 
already observed should be 
put to some useful purpose 
before searching for other 
facts or phenomena. 

Its deficiency may he 
remedied by patient inves¬ 
tigation of all sorts of 
objects, by prolonged scru¬ 
tiny, and an endeavor to fix 
the attention and thought 
upon the form, size, color, 
quality, and proportions of 
objects, and to note care¬ 
fully the particulars and 
details of objects and occur¬ 
rences coming under one’s 
observation. 

Facial and Bodily 
Signs .—The most con¬ 
spicuous facial sign of the 
faculty of Observation is 
situated in the middle of 
the lower part of the forehead, between the inner terminus of the 
eyebrows and above the root of the nose; when large, filling out 
the muscles at tins part and causing the eyebrows to draw down 
in order to facilitate more accurate vision. 

Description of Observation.— The location of the facial sign 
for Observation is one proof of its muscidar origin. Another 



FIG. 95.—MARCUS TULLIUS CICERO. (Orator, 
Statesman, and Jurist.) 

Born in Arpinum, 106 B.c. Conspicuous facial sign, 
Observation, shown by development of the muscles of 
the inner terminus of the eyebrows, caused by approx¬ 
imating them while engaged in closely scrutinizing ob¬ 
jects. The law of the curve governs this face. The 
size of the features and their proportions announce an 
ambitious and able mind. In the chin are seen the 
signs for Firmness, Patriotism, Benevolence, and Love 
ol Home well defined. Alimentiveness and Bibative- 
ness are less than average. In the upper lip Amative¬ 
ness, Love of Young, and Mirthfulness are apparent; 
Self-esteem of only a moderate degree. The size of the 
mouth and fullness of the lips and eyes announce lin¬ 
guistic and oratorical ability. The nose is very high 
above the plane of the face, and is long, bony, and con¬ 
vex in its outline. At the point the signs for Ideality, 
Sublimity, Mental Imitation, Human Nature, Analysis, 
Constructiveness, Acquisitiveness, Veneration, Execu¬ 
tiveness, and Self-will are very pronounced. The 
region about the eyes is remarkable in appearance. 
Credenciveness is small. Locality and Observation are 
equally and uncommonly developed. Form, Size, 
Calculation, Weight, Language, Order, Time, Reason, 
and Intuition are pre-eminent. The neck is massive 
and statuesque. The nose, by its size, indicates large 
Pneumativeness. His color was dense, and this gave 
force and intensity to all his faculties. The physiog¬ 
nomy altogether announces a mental colossus. History 
corroborates this facial delineation. 



OBSERVATION. 


619 



proof is had in the fact that all observation is made with the eye, 
which is the facial representative of the muscular system. That 
this faculty is represented in the brain, as well as all other parts 
of the muscular system, is undoubted, but the idea that brain- 
matter causes the protuberance seen in adnlts after long and pro¬ 
tracted scrutiny of objects is not tenable. In childhood the 
muscles of the face at this 
place are not greatly de¬ 
veloped, but, on the con¬ 
trary, they are scarcely 
noticeable. They become 
perceptible only after years 
of close observation of the 
things observed. Children, 
it is true, look and gaze 
with curious eyes upon all 
that attracts their attention, 
but they reflect very little, 
if any, in early life upon 
observations thus made. 

And many go through life 
looking , without any very 
deep impression being 
made upon the mind by 
objects observed and scenes 
visited. The mere fact of 
being able to look at an 
object does not involve 
knowledge of the object 
perceived. “ The eye sees 
what it brings the power to 
see,” and if one has not the 
capacity for fixed and pa¬ 
tient attention he fails to 
take in the full meaning 
and import of what he be¬ 
holds. Because children look and ask a multitude of questions about 
what they see is no proof that they observe in the highest meaning 
of the term. Their minds are comparatively empty , and they look 
and question for entertainment mainly, and not always for the pur¬ 
pose of acquiring knowledge; hence, the facial record of Obser¬ 
vation does not appear very large until after the habit of accurate 
and thoughtful observation has been formed. 

Persons with excessive Credenciveness never develop this 


Fig. 96.—HENRY JAMES. (WRITER, EDITOR AND 

Journalist.) 

Principal facial sign, Observation, shown by 
development of the muscle adjoining the sign for 
Locality. The law of the curve and sphere governs 
this physiognomy. The parts of the face nearest 
the eyes reveal large Observation and Locality; 
the results of these powers have been given to the 
world in many able articles of interest by this 
gifted writer. The domestic nature is fully de¬ 
veloped. The luxuriance of the Intellect assures 
us that it must have a rich basis upon which to 
build so elegant a superstructure. In the nose, 
which is aquiline, are all the signs of literary 
power. Hope, Analysis, Human Nature, Sublimity, 
Ideality, Acquisitiveness, and Constructiveness are 
conspicuous. Veneration and Executiveness are very 
marked, while Self-will is manifest. Credenciveness 
and Prescience are only average. Locality, Obser¬ 
vation, Weight, Order, Language, Music, and Time 
are well defined. Memory of Events, Reason, and 
Intuition are uncommonly large. A great deal of 
'mental force is apparent in the outline of the nose, 
and this gave power and emphasis to all his efforts. 
Color was exceedingly well developed, and was the 
basis of order and enthusiasm, and permeated his 
descriptions, which were glowing, vivid, and life¬ 
like. 



620 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


sign, and the portion of the space between the inner terminus of 
the eyebrows and the eye is wide and comparatively flat, as seen 
in the Chinese and other superstitious races and in all superstitious 
persons. In these cases it is Credenciveness vs. Observation, or 
belief without evidence. Many of the signs of character which 
cluster about the eyes are mainly representative of the muscular 
system, and these signs are caused by protracted use of the 
eyes and other parts of the muscular system, as, for example, 
in the use of the sense of Weight, as in balancing, by sailors 
and acrobats; in wielding the hammer, as by blacksmiths, 
sculptors, mechanicians, dentists, etc. The use of the muscles 
in these directions, in combination with the eyes which guide 
these several acts, causes the muscles of the face, denominated 
the pyramid alls nasi and corrugator super cilii, to enlarge, and 
in adult life they sometimes appear like a small wen. This sign 
is noticed only in the faces of the most continuously observant 
and practical persons. It is large in the physiognomies of 
Arago, Buffon, Michael Angelo, Fulton, Charles Darwin, James 
Watt, Professor Morse, George Stephenson, Elihu Burritt, John 
and Joseph Le Conte, Professor Tyndall, Professor KirchofF, Boer- 
haave, Joseph Black, and the Herschels. In all these persons the 
eyebrows will be found drawn down close to the eyeball; and in 
those in whom the bony system predominates additional assistance 
is rendered in the way of accurate vision by the projection of the 
bony superciliary ridge. 

The base of the faculty of Observation may be safely ascribed 
to the muscular system, assisted by the optic nerves. The peculi¬ 
arities of structure in the two diverse classes of persons, the ob¬ 
serving and the non-observing, will confirm this statement. Cre- 
dencive people are great lookers, but it does not follow that they 
observe; that is to say, they do not observe closely, keenly, and 
accurately , for the reason that they are not built upon an observing 
plan; their eyes are too large, too wide-open for instant and accu¬ 
rate sight, and they have no bony superciliary ridge to shut off the 
superfluous rays, and thus enable them to instantly focus their 
vision and concentrate all their visual and mental observation upon 
one minute or infinitesimal atom. Hence it is that the one who 
is able to focus his vision instantly is capable of more practical 
work in the mechanic arts and in many branches of science than 
those whose eyes are too large and not shaded by a projecting 
bony brow. 

The uses of Observation are as many as there are things to 
observe. It is adapted to the recognition of the divisibility of 
matter, substance, and space; to the peculiarities of form and 


OBSERVATION - . 


621 


number; to mechanics, mathematics, and geometry. In short, it 
is a basic faculty upon which many other faculties depend for 
assistance to carry forward their peculiar operations. Observation 
gives the capacity to comprehend everything in Nature as a sepa¬ 
rate and distinct entity, and is required in literature as well as in 
the mechanic arts. Navigators and discoverers find it most useful, 
as it enables them to retain an accurate memory of the forms, 
colors, and related positions of scenes visited and countries explored. 
It is useful to the linguist, and aids him in the acquirement of 
language, by enabling the student to comprehend the separate and 
individual parts of speech, as nouns, verbs, adjectives, and interjec¬ 
tions, and shows him the relationship they bear to each other in 
combination. A man who possesses large Observation never loses 
a moment’s time, for, place him where you will he employs himself 
with stormy his mind with whatever surrounds him, and when 
needed he extracts from the photographic studio in his mind the 
forms, colors, relations, and positions of all the objects which he 
has laid away for use. This looking faculty is a fine one for a 
traveler to possess. A real good looker will bring back from a 
short excursion more accurate information than a mere gazer will 
gather while making the “grand tour.” 

Children should not only be encouraged to look at all that 
attracts their attention, but should be trained to describe what they 
have seen , thus assisting and testing the accuracy of their observa¬ 
tions. Their questions should he answered with reason and truth, 
and, unless they talk for the sake of listening to their own voices, 
should not be suppressed, except in cases where they are making 
themselves conspicuous at the expense of politeness and the comfort 
of those present. 

Historians need to be good observers of what transpires in 
government and the affairs of the nation, as well as lovers of 
truthful statement, and observation of this sort should characterize 
all who undertake to treat of such matters for the edification of 
posterity by writing records. The difference between the historical 
writings of Voltaire and those of John William Draper, for 
example, illustrates and corroborates the principles of scientific 
physiognomy, as exhibited by their physiognomies. Voltaire’s face 
shows a lack of keen and accurate observation, but sparkles with 
wit and imagination. His historical works reflect all the beauties 
of his face in youth; they are brilliant and entertaining, but inac¬ 
curate; while Draper’s histories and his other works are like his 
f ace —truthful, orderly, solid, accurate, and highly interesting, as 
any one will admit who has read his “ History of the United States,” 
“The Intellectual Development of Europe,” or the “Conflict 


622 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


between Science and Religion,” any one of which is nearly as 
charming and delightful in style and more accurate in detail than 
any of Voltaire’s historical works. Voltaire’s histories of Charles 
XII and Peter the Great, although brilliant and entertaining, are 
not held up as models of truth and exactness. 

In analyzing the grade or quality of Observation found in 
different persons, great attention must be paid to the peculiar ex¬ 
pression of the eye. In the portraits of all the great naturalists, 
discoverers, scientists, mechanicians, and inventors the eyes seem 
to be looking fixedly and intelligently at some object; there is a 
knowing look in them which the painter and the camera have 
happily caught. The habit of fixed and intelligent attention which 
these classes of persons have practiced for years is transferred to 
their physiognomy, and is most noticeable in and about the eye and 
eyebrow, more particularly in the bright, alert, keen, intelligent 
expression of the eye. This is a most remarkable circumstance, 
and one which explains a great deal. The face is connected with 
all the nerves of the special senses as well as with the nerves lead¬ 
ing to all of the important visceral structures, hence is capable of 
expressing and expounding all the permanent as well as temporary 
feelings and conditions existing or active at every period, as well 
as those which have existed for any considerable length of time. 
Now, in the physiognomies of those classes that do not depend 
upon accurate observation for the foundation of their pursuits no 
such expression is visible. If we compare the portraits and coun¬ 
tenances of the former classes with the faces and portraits of 
singers, instrumentalists, poets, athletes, acrobats, elocutionists, and 
commercialists, generally, we shall find that the earnest, penetrating, 
thoughtful gaze of the former is absent in the latter. The explana¬ 
tion is not far to seek. The most observing classes are obliged by 
the very nature of their pursuits (which is a search after and an 
application of the laws of Nature) to be as nearly true to Nature 
in their actions and descriptions as the human senses will permit, 
for the senses are the avenues through which the world comes into 
the human mind. The more observation a man possesses, the 
more of the world will he conquer and own . A blind man is 
almost shut out from the world of form, and entirely so from a 
knowledge of color. The deaf lose entirely the harmonies of 
music and the power which vocal expression brings. A man 
whose practical and observing faculties are greatly deficient has less 
of this world’s knowledge than he who has them in a lar^e 
measure; he is consequently thrown back upon what he hears 
instead of what may be seen and known by accurate sight. This 
class of persons are bound to become superstitious and believers 


OBSERVATION. 


623 


of all sorts of fantastic dogmas, while the observant person uses 
his God-given senses and relies upon his power for seeing and 
judging for himself. The only way which we have in this material 
and mundane sphere of becoming cognizant of truths as they 
exist and appear is by the use of our senses primarily and of our 
reason and conscientiousness finally. It is rational to infer that 
the stronger and more perfect these faculties are, the more perfect 
will be our knowledge of truths. It becomes our duty, then, under 
this logic, to endeavor to build up our bodies by an application of 
the best principles of hygiene, for, the more perfect and normal the 
body, the better equipped will it be for the work of life. The 
mediaeval method of degrading the body by filth, fasting, fear, and 
flagellation, in order to create a saint or seer, will not conduce to a 
noble manhood and womanhood, suited to the work of redeeming 
and civilizing the world; and as useful men and women are needed 
for this purpose, and as visionaries are incapable of aiding these 
efforts, we must therefore reverse the old-time methods and strive 
to improve the race by design and laic. 

The cultivation of the faculty of Observation is one of the 
best steps toward a knowledge of truth. The habit of accurate 
and patient observation cannot be overestimated. The celebrated 
Newton once remarked, “If I have made any discoveries, it was 
owing more to patient attention than to any other talent.” The 
great minds of all ages bear testimony to the fact that the capacity 
for close and continual observation is the main factor in the lives 
of the great geniuses that have arisen and dazzled the world. 
Every town and hamlet in the country possesses a lazy genius , who 
imagines himself destined to astound the world by the greatness 
of his natural powers, and yet who is never heard of outside of a 
limited circle, for the reason that he lacks patient observation or 
industry. There are scores of “mute, inglorious Miltons” of whom 
the world never hears. 

In the animal kingdom it is found that those that possess the 
best power of attention are the most teachable. The elephant, 
with his small, accurate, mechanical eye, can see and pick up with 
his proboscis a cambric needle. 

Even butterflies have been tamed and taught to come at man’s call; 
they also possess most decided observation of colors, as do bees also, with 
great taste for bright ones.* 

And with the talent of close observation used in way-find¬ 
ing by beasts and birds no man of the highest powers can com¬ 
pare. The “ homing ” faculty of the pigeon is far better devel¬ 
oped in it than the sense of locality is in man, while the 

*Mind in the Lower Animals, J. L. Lindsay, M.D., vol. i, p. 61. 


624 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


observation of dogs leads them to understand not only the meaning 
of man’s language in phrases, and their own name when called, 
but they are observant of and understand 

Looks, facial expression, countenance-changes, the character of the eye, 
actions or movements, with gestures and gesticulations; natural voice-sounds 
and their varied tones or intonations; artificial, musical, and other sounds, 
such as those made upon or by the bell-gong, horn, whistle, pipe, bagpipe, 
lute, drum, or bugle. They understand comments and remarks when they 
themselves are spoken of, also proper names of persons, places, and things; 
signals of eye, look, action, including those which are called secret, which 
are preconcerted by and between and understood only by the animal and 
its master.* 

I might fill a volume devoted to illustrations of animal 
observation, proving that in common with man the highest types 
of each class are those which possess superior powers of Observation 
and capacity for continued attention. 

The cultivation of this faculty has been commenced on a 
scientific basis in the past few years by the kindergarten system of 
object-teaching, which not only instructs children in the knowledge 
of geometrical forms, but also assists the color-sense by a use of all 
the chromatic hues. The latter feature is most useful and should 
be taught to boys especially, inasmuch as they inherit less of the 
color-sense than females, owing, doubtless, to the fact that they 
make little use of color in the majority of masculine pursuits, also 
to that other and sad fact—the great use of tobacco by men, which 
vitiates the action of the glands to that degree that the colors are 
not eliminated from the food nor taken into the system by the lungs 
as readily as by those who are not the victims of this vice. This 
inferiority of the color-sense has become a distinctively sex-type, 
and is transmitted from father to son rather than from father to 
daughter,—so surely do our deeds follow us and live after us. 
We are immortal in more senses than one. 

Observation has its own especial memory and recollects best 
the class of objects which most attract the attention. These vary 
in different individuals, as, for example, one in witnessing a scien¬ 
tific experiment will be impressed with certain parts and be able 
to explain them clearly, while another will be attracted by other 
features of the experiment and describe them best. 

MEMORY OF EVENTS. 

“Why should I write this down that’s riveted, 

Screwed to my memory? ”— Shakespeare. 

Definition .—The capacity for remembering historical, political, 
social, domestic, and all passing events; adapted to the memorizing 

* Mind in the Lower Animals, J. L. Lindsay, M.D., vol. i, pp. 346, 347. 


MEMORY OF EVENTS. 


625 


of news of all sorts, such as public measures, scientific theories, 
experiments, and neighborhood gossip, facts, occurrences, and 
actions, and of events as they transpire from time to time. 

An excess need not be guarded against. A man cannot 
know too much, provided his knowledge be accurate and he can 
apply it practically. 

A deficiency causes one to be unready, unintelligent, and 
unreliable as to facts and occurrences. 

Facial and Bodily Signs. —A general fullness of the upper 
and middle portions of the forehead is the facial record of large 
Memory of Events, together with a broad and vigorous muscular 
and visceral organization. The last are secondary and subordinate 
signs, but necessary as establishing a sure foundation for that 
strength and vigor which creates and sustains sound and strong 
mental action. 

Description of Memory.— Memory of Events is a portion 
of the general memory and is devoted exclusively to the accumula¬ 
tion of that class of knowledge which is named in the above 
definition. Each faculty and sense has its own special memory , 
and each depends for its power upon, first, the natural or inherited 
quality, and, secondly, upon the normal, healthful, and vigorous 
condition of the body. There is no special faculty devoted to 
Memory. The ancient metaphysicians treated the Memory of 
Events as if it were the entire memory, not taking into account 
the sense-memories of sight, sound, taste, scent, and sensation, but 
always referred to “Memory” as if it were a single and complete 
faculty and seated and centred in the brain, where, indeed, the 
phrenologists finally located every single , individual power of the 
mind. It is the mission of scientific physiognomy, aided by evolu¬ 
tion, anatomy, physiology, and cognate sciences, to unload this 
poor, overtaxed organ, and restore to its own rightful domain each 
one of the misplaced functions and faculties, and so relieve the 
overburdened skull of the weight of that which was never in it, 
except in the fancy of half-fledged scientists. 

I shall now commence an analysis of the Memory devoted to 
the acquisition of historical knowledge,—that is to say, of events 
as they transpire, including in this comprehensive term all the 
current and passing events and occurrences of every-day life, 
leaving until later the discussion of the other departments of 
Memory, such as the memories of scent, form, size, color, words, 
tones, etc. 

The automatic action of Memory of all the intellectual facul¬ 
ties shows it to be related to the muscular as well as to the 
nervous systems, for muscles exhibit automatism and nerves 

40 


626 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


periodic activity, after exercise of the muscles and nerves in any 
given direction. Individuals who have been good skaters or piano- 
players in youth have been able, after years of abstention from 
these exercises, to resume them with slight effort. This result is due 
to the stored-up memory of the automatic action of the muscles and 
to the periodic response of the nerves involved, for muscles once 
trained to a particular work retain the memory of the movements 

in their elements, and,, 
when these elements are 
exhausted and replaced by 
new tissue derived from 
nutrition, they are replaced 
in precisely the same form 
as those which had become 
exhausted by the general 
and regular daily waste of 
the bodily elements. When 
Memory begins to fail, 
either by reason of old age 
or by disease, it fails in the 
inverse of its development. 
The intellectual faculties 
weaken first, inasmuch as 
they were the last to 
be evolved, and the sen¬ 
timents,—domestic and 

social,—those depending 
upon the development of 
the visceral organs, which 
are first exhibited, such as, 
for example, Amativeness, 
Love of Young, Friendship, 
Benevolence, etc., fail last. 
On this point Mr. Ribot 
throws some light. He 
observes thus:— 



Fig. 97. — FREDERICK HENRY ALEXANDER, 
BARON VON HUMBOLDT. (Traveler, Au¬ 
thor, Scientist.) 

Born in Germany, 1769. Conspicuous facial sign, 
Memory of Events, shown by fullness of the upper 
part of the forehead. The law of the straight line, 
curve, and sphere governs this face. It rarely falls to 
the lot of the physiognomist to delineate so splendid a 
countenance. The mouth, chin, nose, eyes, eyebrows, 
and forehead are all remarkable in size, outline, and 
in detail. The chin and mouth express the most ami¬ 
able and benevolent feeling. The chin by its width 
denotes Conscientiousness,—by its length, Firmness. 
The dimple indicates a love of the beautiful in the 
opposite sex and a generous nature. The signs for 
Love of Home and Patriotism are large, so also are the 
facial representatives of Benevolence, Approbativeness, 
Amativeness, Love of Young, Alimentiveness, Mirth¬ 
fulness, Friendship, Sanativeness, Color, and Modesty. 
In the nose Sublimity, Ideality, Constructiveness, 
Acquisitiveness, Veneration, Executiveness, and Self- 
will are conspicuous. Observation, Language, Form, 
Size, and Locality are most apparent, while Memory of 
Events, Reason, and Intuition are of the highest grade 
and power. This face gives us an idea of what humanity 
might attain to were high-breeding of the human race 
attempted scientifically. 


It has been noticed by the best observers that the affectional faculties 
are extinguished far more slowly than the intellectual. It may at first seem 
strange that states so vague as those of feeling and sentiment should be 
more stable than ideas and intellectual states in general. But reflection 
shows that the feelings are the deepest, the inmost , the most persistent 
features of our mental constitution, whereas the intelligence is somethin^ 
acquired and, as it were, external to us. Considered in their origin, aside 
from any refined and complex forms they may assume, they are the direct 

and permanent experience of our organism. The viscera , muscles , fames,_ 

every tissue of our bodies contributes its share toward their formation. 



MEMORY OF EVENTS. 


627 


What are we but our feelings and sentiments ? To forget them is to forget 
ourselves. Hence amnesia of the feelings must naturally occur only at a 
period when disorganization has gone so far that the personality begins to 
break up. It has been observed that idiots often have no memory save for 
adjectives. The idea of quality is the most stable because it is the one first 
acquired , and because it is the basis of our most complex conceptions.* 



Now, the parts of the organism involved chiefly in the recep¬ 
tion of the knowledge of* passing events are the eye and ear, with 
some assistance from the 
other sense-memories, as 
the sense of scent, taste, and 
touch, for example. In 
seeing what transpires and 
in listening to what is 
going on the ears and eyes 
are most active, and con¬ 
vey to their representative 
fibres in the brain the 
knowledge received, and 
here it is registered in a 
more or less permanent 
manner, depending, for the 
strength of the impression 
which it makes, upon the 
health and general vigor of 
the entire system, or upon 
the peculiar character of 
the natural or inherited 
power of this particular de¬ 
partment of Memory. Some 
persons inherit a phenome¬ 
nal memory, and, like other 
faculties, it becomes perma¬ 
nent and they are able to 
transmit it to their off¬ 
spring, like the taste for 
music or ability to con¬ 
struct or to paint. 

Where the Memory of Events is weak it can be strengthened 
by toning up the physical system , and by slowly, carefully, and 
thoroughly committing to memory by constant repetition or by 
reading attentively such selections as may be desired. This 
method is the best one for this purpose. It exceeds all the so-called 
systems of mnemonics in vogue, and as there is no royal road to 


Fig. 98.—WILLIAM HICKLING PRESCOTT. 

(Celebrated Linguist and Historian.) 

Born in Massachusetts, 1796. Principal facial sign, 
Memory of Events, shown by width and general develop¬ 
ment of the upper part of the forehead. The law of 
the curve and sphere governs this face. In the accom¬ 
panying physiognomy we have the record of a colossal 
intellect. The size and form of the nose, without even 
a glance at the capacious forehead, reveal its power. 
The domestic and moral traits are all normally devel¬ 
oped. Firmness, Conscientiousness, Alimentiveness, 
Patriotism, Benevolence, Love of Home, Mirthfulness, 
Love of Young, and Self-esteem are well defined. The 
point of the nose stands high above the plane of the 
face, showing Human Nature to be large. The signs 
for Sublimity, Ideality, Constructiveness, Acquisitive¬ 
ness, Veneration, Executiveness, and Self-will are un¬ 
commonly large. Language, Observation, Prescience, 
Credenciveness, Calculation, Form, Size, Order, Time, 
Locality, Memory of Events, Reason, and Intuition are 
very conspicuous. This mind, like that of Humboldt, 
was an immense structure. Mr. Prescott was obliged 
to push his memory to its utmost by reason of his loss 
of sight, and, as exercise increases capacity, so his 
Memory of Events acquired a phenomenal power. 


* Diseases of the Memory, T. H. Ribot (Humboldt Library), pp. 28-&9. 


628 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


learning, so there is no easy flower-strewn path to the building of 
a good memory; yet it can be done,—easier, it is true, in early 
life, before the mind has become engrossed with a great variety 
of subjects. 

Individuals in speaking of Memory are perhaps more inexact 
and confusing than when speaking of any other faculty. One 
says, for example, “ Oh, I have such a poor memory,” and then 
sits down to the piano and astonishes his listeners by the display 
of his musical memory. Another says, “ I have a very excellent 
memory,” and shows uncommon memory for language, yet soon 
discloses the greatest ignorance of localities. These and similar 
occurrences go to prove that Memory is as varied and numerous 
in its manifestations as there are faculties to be affected by its 
action . One may possess large verbal memory and very little 
memory of color. Another may display intense love for and 
memory of color and not of locality. Another may exhibit large 
memory of size and form and scarcely any of color; all of which 
proves that each faculty and every system of the body has its own 
peculiar memory. Memory of Events is large in historians, 
editors, literates, descriptive writers, orators, statesmen, and poli¬ 
ticians. The portraits of Victor Hugo, Dean Swift, Prescott, and 
Gibbon, historians; Gladstone, statesman ; as well as the physiog¬ 
nomies of Daniel Webster, Baron von Humboldt, Julius Caesar, 
the Scaligers, Mezzofanti, Richard Porson, and Elihu Burritt, the 
“ learned blacksmith,” exhibit large Memory of Events, while 
Porson, Burritt, Mezzofanti, and Scaliger possessed also marvelous 
verbal memories and became renowned as linguists. 

The strongest and most primitive memory in man is the 
Memory of Scent This is the first sense used, for as the child 
enters the world the atmosphere rushes through the nostrils and 
inflates the lungs; hence scenting air is his first act. All experi¬ 
ence attests that the primitive functions of life, those first exercised, 
are the most permanent and abiding; hence it is that drinking, 
being the first gustatory act, becomes a more decided taste than 
eating, and is, in fact, a more necessary function than eating. 
Man could live a life-time upon milk or other nourishing fluids, 
but could not exist long upon merely solid foods without water or 
other liquids. 

This primitive act of drinking shows why it is more difficult 
in adult life to break up the habit of indulging in drinks such as 
tea, coffee, or stimulants, than it is to dispense with certain solid 
foods; whereas, to leave off any particular article of solid food is 
comparatively easy. Abstaining from meat is not at all difficult, 
although it is in a sense a very great stimulant. The diet has a 


MEMORY OF EVENTS. 


629 


tnost decided effect upon the Memory of Events, as well as upon 
verbal memory. Exhaustion through lack of food or through 
sickness has been known to permanently impair and sometimes to 
destroy this department of Memory. Sir Henry Holland relates 
his own experience thus :— 

\ 

I descended on the same day two very deep mines in the Hartz Moun¬ 
tains, remaining some hours under ground in each. While in the second 
mine, and exhausted both from fatigue and inanition, I felt the utter impos¬ 
sibility of talking longer with the German inspector who accompanied me. 
Every German word and phrase deserted my recollection, and it was not 
until I had taken food and wine and been some time at rest that I regained 
them again.* 

o ✓ 

Psychologists are beginning to understand the complex and 
varied powers of Memory and have learned that accidents and 
illness, as in the case of insanity, afford the richest sources for 
discerning the action of the several memories. Pibot recites the 
following case of a gentleman, who, 

Having received a blow on the head, lost all he ever knew of Greek, 
his memory appearing in other respects to be intact. This loss of languages 
acquired by study has often been noted as a result of sundry fevers. So as 
regards music. A child having received a blow on the head was uncon¬ 
scious for three days. On coming to himself he had forgotten all the music 
he had learned. Nothing else was lost.f 

These examples should teach parents not to strike children 
upon the head nor 44 box their ears ” in punishment for offenses. 
There are other modes of punishment more in accord with sense 
and humanity. 

The evidence of the best writers on mind points to the fact 
that memory and nutrition are in direct relation. Pibot, in his 
work on 44 Diseases of the Memory,” remarks that 44 Memory is 
directly dependent on nutrition.” The physique of many of the 
most eminent English jurists illustrates this principle. Examine, 
for example, the portraits of Earl Eldon, Lord Thurlow, Lord 
Mansfield, Earl Shaftesbury, Lord de Grey, Matthew Hale, Edward 
Hyde, Earl of Clarendon, and they will be found to exhibit stout, 
well-nourished bodies, and the sign for Memory of Events co¬ 
existent. The same is true of all eminent statesmen, judges, and 
lawyers, as well as of editors; they must have and do possess the 
strongest memory for facts, incidents, occurrences, etc. The com¬ 
plex derivation of this branch of memory (being in its origin both 
nervous, visceral, and muscular) gives the individual power to 
remember events of which the visual organs—the eyes—take cog¬ 
nizance. If the region about the eye is well developed it gives 

* Mental Physiology, Wm. B. Carpenter, M.D., p. 441. 
f Diseases of the Memory, T. H. Ilibot (Humboldt Library), p. 34. 


630 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


great practical inclinations to the character, in all of which the eyes 
assist. In listening to news the ear and auditory nerves are con¬ 
cerned, and thus this department of Memory is indebted to the 
nervous system and cerebral connections, as well as to the mus¬ 
cular powers of these organs. Fatigue, hunger, and the use of 
narcotics and stimulants are fatal to Memory. The use of tobacco 
impairs the memory of color, and narcotics, such as hasheesh, 
opium, and bromide of potassium, injure Memory of Events as 
well as other departments of Memory. 

The memory of nouns is the strongest part of verbal memory. 
Children make use of nouns first to express their ideas, such as 
mamma, papa, dog, cat, man, house, etc.; later they use the qual¬ 
ifying power of adjectives. 

Memory of faces is a department of the general memory 
which varies greatly in different individuals, some possessing an 
almost phenomenal power in this direction. The late Stephen 
A. Douglas exhibited ability of this sort almost unprecedented. 
It is related of an old gentleman who was singularly deficient in 
this memory that, being in the company of his wife one evening, 
he took her to be a lady whom he had formerly been in the habit 
of visiting every evening, and he would repeat over and over: 
“ Madam, I cannot remain longer; I must return to my wife and 
children.” 

The capacity for and memory of the adjective element are most 
pronounced in those having the muscular system predominant, 
while the bony man uses nouns,—hard, concrete, simple words,— 
which include an entire idea in a single word, as, for example, 
home, mountain, horse, etc.; the large-eyed, muscular subject 
deals in the descriptive and ornate,—the adjective part of lan¬ 
guage; while the soft, vegetative individual uses the softest words, 
and overflows with gush, sentiment, poetry, and “ soft talk ” gen¬ 
erally, and all are in harmony with his own soft, fatty structure. 
Singers like Parepa Rosa, who was described by Ole Bull as a 
“ mountain of fat, a mountain of delight,” use the most mellifluous 
tones, soft and melting; while singers in whom there is relatively 
less fatty tissue bring forth clear, resonant, ringing tones. The 
harmony between the bodily structure and artistic and mental 
powers can be traced indefinitely and almost unlimitedly, not only 
in regard to color, tissue, and form, but also in relation to the 
quality and proportion of the individual. A symmetrical man will 
be a good judge of proportion, while a very unsymmetrical one is 
less capable in this respect. A man full of fine color in his eyes, 
hair, and skin has a stronger memory for colors, tints, and shades 
than the colorless, pallid person. It is thus shown that Memory 


631 


MEMORY OF EVENTS. 

has a manifold aspect and pertains to every separate and distinct 
faculty, and, as lias been shown in Part I, it inheres in every atom 
of the physical being, for “ it is impossible,” as Professor Pibot 
remarks, “ to say where Memory, whether psychic or organic, 
ends.” 

“Memory is not wisdom, a fool can rote volumes,” and a 
large memory merely does not of itself make a man wise; indeed, 
it is sometimes the compensation which Nature makes for a lack 
of original thought. The best intellects do not always possess the 
greatest memory. Yet, where a tine intellect co-exists with a 
strong memory, it forms a mind of the first magnitude. Many semi- 
idiotic persons have possessed phenomenal memories of various sorts. 
Blind Tom exhibited phenomenal music-memory, but was almost 
idiotic in many other departments of mind ; but Mozart, who com¬ 
posed at four years of age and lived to manhood, showed the greatest 
musical memory of all great composers', and was a person of consider¬ 
able intelligence in other branches of mentality. Bichard Porson, a 
celebrated Greek scholar of England, was noted for a phenomenal 
language-memory, which Galton termed 44 stupendous.” Nicholas 
Bidder, of England, and Zerah Colburn, of our own country, were 
celebrated in their youth for most uncommon numerical memory 
as well as for skill in calculation. Among historians possessing 
powerful memories, I may mention Grotius, Josephus, Macaulay, 
Prescott, and Gibbon. Among editors Horace Greeley stands pre¬ 
eminent for his marvelous memory of events, liis mind being a per¬ 
fect magazine of facts, while his reason was on a very high scale. 
The uncommon development of these two faculties was the compen¬ 
sation for absence of the practical traits, which in him were small. 
Cardinal Mezzofanti, considered the greatest linguist that ever 
lived, could express himself in fifty-six languages, and was ac¬ 
quainted with sixty-four others. Lord Byron described him as 44 a 
walking polyglot, a monster of languages, and a Briareus of parts 
of speech.” Julius Caesar Scaliger was one of the most extraor¬ 
dinary men of his day. He had a most comprehensive memory and 
a sound intellect, and endeavored to ascertain the basis of Memory. 
His mother possessed a remarkable memory, and transmitted it in¬ 
tensified to her two sons and a daughter. George Bartholdi Nie¬ 
buhr, an historian of Boman history, a Dane (the son of a laborer 
who also became eminent by reason of his natural energy), pos¬ 
sessed a still greater memory than his father’s, which was considered 
phenomenal. Thomas Babington Macaulay, historian, poet, and 
essayist, was a man of transcendent power of memory (Galton). 
Here memory of events, words, and ideas is meant. Among ancient 
scholars, Marcus, the father of Lucius Annaeus Seneca, exhibited a 


632 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


prodigious verbal memory. It is said that he could repeat two 
thousand words in the order in which they were spoken. Madame 
de Stael, authoress and brilliant conversationist, had a very retentive 
memory and was a good reasoner. Sir William Hooker, celebrated 
botanist of England, possessed a remarkable memory for form, color, 
and words; was made director of the Royal Gardens at Kew. He 
was a writer on botany. His talent in this line was transmitted to 
his son, Hr. Joseph Dalton Hooker, who succeeded him in the 
directorship of the Royal Gardens. He inherited talents from his 
mother’s family as well as from his father. Gottfried Wilhelm 
Leibnitz, mathematician and metaphysician, could repeat in his old 
age the whole of Virgil. James Watt, the inventor, had a memory 
of mastodon proportions, and was a clear and logical reasoner. 
Watt possessed not only a great memory of events, but one equally 
good of form and motion (the muscular sense) and of mechanical 
principles. Most of the persons named above possessed good con¬ 
stitutions, and by keeping up their powers by suitable nutriment 
were able to sustain great mental labors and maintain a great store 
of ideas upon which to draw at their pleasure. The habit of close 
scrutiny is a great assistance to general memory, for by looking 
attentive!g and intelligently —that is to say, thoughtfully—at any 
scene or object, it is photographed, so to speak, and becomes 
a part of the mental furnishing of the mind. Careless lookers 
do not memorize objects as do the thoughtful. One who prac¬ 
tices upon a musical instrument mechanically, without fixing his 
attention earnestly upon it, fails to receive as much benefit from his 
exercise as he would were his entire attention centred upon 
it. The power for abstraction is an excellent thing to possess. It 
inheres in the muscular system, and is a great adjunct to memory 
of several kinds. It is said that Horace Greeley could sit down 
amid the din and noise of the Loyal League Club, of New York, 
and write olf his leaders perfectly unmoved by the uproar 
about him. This gift of concentrativeness, like memory, can be 
cultivated; yet, as it is a muscular gift, the muscular system must 
be cultivated in order to strengthen it. The faculty of Self-will 
assists one very greatly in the act of abstraction. 

Memory of Events is subject to many disorders, and some 
have lost this gift almost entirely by overtaxing it. The system of 
“cramming” in our public schools, and for examinations in all 
institutes of learning, induces a sort of mental dyspepsia, the re¬ 
sult of which is in many cases to permanently impair the memory 
of events and otherwise weaken the mental processes. 

The historic evolution of Memory shows us that its course of 
development commences with the function of digestion, viz., by the 


MEMORY OF EVENTS. 


633 


use of the sense of scent and taste. The Memory next brought 
into existence is connected with other sense-organs, viz., the sense 
of sight, of sound, of touch, and of temperature and pressure. The 
muscular sense comes into use a little later, at about the third 
month, when the child commences grasping, and thus the muscu¬ 
lar sense involved in the adjustment of the muscles leads to acts 
which soon become purposive and intelligent , involving the exer¬ 
cise of the faculty of Self-will. It is after these faculties have all 
been exhibited and the foundation of these memories laid that 
the higher intellectual faculties, such as speech and conscious 
thought, are developed by the progressive evolution of the human 
powers. The memory develops in precisely the order in which the 
faculties make their appearance, and, as the visceral structures lie 
at the foundation of our domestic sentiments, our loves and appe¬ 
tites possess the most lasting and abiding memories, and only fail 
when the organs from which they derive their power become dis¬ 
integrated by disease or old age. The sense-organs (after these 
faculties) exhibit the next most permanent memories,—the memory 
for size, form, and color, for sound, motion, and language, remain 
fixed in the mind in their numerous manifestations long after the 
higher powers of the intellect have been lost or become enfeebled, 
viz., the power for abstract reason and generalization. In disease 
and old age the inverse order is observed in the weakening of these 
traits and their associate memories. 

There are not only great personal differences in regard to the 
Memory of Events, but there are also great national differences. 
The ancient Greeks doubtless possessed the best verbal memories of 
any nation, ancient or modern. Their muscular development assisted 
this, and the proofs of both these circumstances is further supple¬ 
mented by their great oratorical, dramatic, and artistic skill. They 
depended greatly upon memorizing what they heard, and thus 
strengthened their verbal memories by not resorting to written or 
printed copies of that which they wished to memorize. As sculp¬ 
tors they have never been excelled, and here the memory and 
faculty of Form, assisted by the universal symmetry which charac¬ 
terized them as a race, contributed to this result. The Continental 
Europeans, particularly the Celtic races among them, excel as lin¬ 
guists, for in them the muscular is one of the dominant systems, 
and hence verbal memory is regnant. The memory of color is 
also very general among them. Particularly is this true of the 
Italians and French, while among the Germans, who have rela¬ 
tively less color than the former, the color-sense and color-memory 
are relatively inferior. This is also true of the Britains and the 
Scandinavian races. They are fairer and possess less capacity and 


634 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


taste in the arrangement of colors, tints, hues, and shades than the 
darker-hued races. The Americans, being a mixture of all races 
and possessing considerable delicacy of the color-sense, exhibit 
generally a good degree of taste in colors, as well as a good mem¬ 
ory of tints, hues, and shades. Thus we see that the several and 
numerous departments of Memory can be traced in a national, 
racial, and personal manner, and compared and verified. 

In animals may be observed as many hinds of memory as are 
exhibited in man. They prove by their actions that their love for 
and memories of color, form, locality, and individuals is as strong 
as that in the human race. They are able by the sense of touch 
(as among the insect tribes, such as ants, wasps, bees, etc.) to distin¬ 
guish one another, and to communicate their designs and desires. 
Of course, these acts build up a memory related to them. The 
memory of the walk, voice, gesture, and faces of their own and 
of the human race, has been attested by mountains of evidence. 
Memory of numbers is well defined in some birds and other ani¬ 
mals. In fact, it goes without saying that they have memory of 
all sorts, for they possess precisely the same physiological and 
anatomical bases as human beings, through which to create and 
store their experiences, which later become memories. 

In the memory of faces several faculties are involved, as, for 
example, Form, Size, and Color, for a human face is a complex 
combination of many appearances; but the more expressive it is, 
the stronger will be the impression made upon the mind of the 
observer. The presence or absence of color in the human being 
affects very greatly not only memory of colors, but it bears directly 
upon the memory of all the sense-organs, as, for example, sight, 
hearing, taste, and scent, as is well-known in Albinos, the absence 
of color enfeebling all their senses. But we may go further in 
tracing the relation of color to the higher intelligences, and can 
safely assert that a condition of permanent pallor indicates enfeebled 
powers of Memory of Events, as well as of other departments of 
Mind and Memory. Color denotes activity and power, and one 
who can by a course of hygienic living tone up a pallid complexion 
to that degree that it will exhibit a fair share of natural color will 
improve all his faculties in just that degree. 

The pleasures of Memory form one of the most satisfying and 
permanent methods of enjoyment and personal improvement. The 
power to recall beautiful scenes, objects of art, and fine colors, as 
exhibited in art and Nature^ the noble expressions of living 
countenances and portraits, as well as the grand thoughts of the 
master minds of literature, all alike assist in forming a mental 
storehouse of incalculable value. Nature in her munificence has 


LOCALITY. 


635 


furnished us with every apparatus for the purpose of recalling 
pleasurable sights and emotions, but in her kindness has left us 
destitute of any apparatus by which we can remember and repro¬ 
duce pain and suffering once experienced. We may be able to 
recall the fact that we have suffered, but we cannot recall and live 
over again the agony and actual suffering caused by sickness and 
sorrow. This is a beautiful example of beneficence unparalleled 
in Nature’s works. Let us, then, store our memories with beauti¬ 
ful sights, sounds, forms, colors, and experiences, in order to draw 
at will upon this reservoir. We should in early childhood memorize 
fine poems and sentiments in order to be able in adult life to draw 
them forth for instant use. Many adults are unable to readily 
commit to memory the beautiful poems, speeches, and sentiments 
which would often prove of infinite service to them, but, owing to 
the multiplicity of thoughts and affairs which fill their minds, they 
cannot memorize readily. Parents should cause their children to 
memorize and store up forms, colors, harmonies, melodies, and 
sentiments, in order to have a large accumulation of useful material 
for use in after life. 

“Lull’d in the countless chambers of the brain, 

Our thoughts are link’d by many a hidden chain 
Awake hut one, and lo ! what myriads rise ; 

Each stamps its image as the other flies !’’— Rogers. 

LOCALITY. 

Definition .—Capacity for recollecting localities, positions, direc¬ 
tions, places once visited, and the relative positions of objects to each 
other. Locality gives a desire for traveling, and is the base of the 
talent for navigation and geographical research, map-making, etc. 
It is a dominant faculty in surgeons, anatomists, scientists, natural¬ 
ists, and physiognomists, and is essential to all the trades and 
professions. 

An excess might cause one to become a confirmed rambler, 
but otherwise could not be harmful. 

A deficiency is a serious defect in any character, as it lessens 
one’s power for practical work, and makes one dependent on others 
for finding articles and localities. Characters thus deficient spend 
a great deal of time, not only in searching out localities, but fail to 
remember where they have placed articles, such as tools, gar¬ 
ments, etc. 

Facial and Bodily Signs .—The most prominent facial signs 
of Locality are found just above the sign for Weight and below 
the sign for Memory of Events. Locality is known by a fullness 
of the muscles at this point, is surrounded by other muscular 


636 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


'##////?/» 
§Hi 


signs, and is in close proximity to the eye, its chief assistant in 
localizing places and things by sight, the eye being also a muscu¬ 
lar feature. This sign is not very large until adult life, because 
the faculty is not developed until the individual has used the eyes 
in closely scrutinizing positions, localities, and objects; in other 
words, not until after the muscles of locomotion and of sight have 
been called into continuous action, and after years of* drawing for¬ 
ward the muscles termed 
corrugator supercilii to as¬ 
sist the vision in scanning 
objects. The muscles form¬ 
ing this sign become en¬ 
larged by use, and some¬ 
times develop a size as large 
as a kernel or a wen. 

A long, thin, and high 
nose is still another facial 
characteristic of Locality, 
for the body must har¬ 
monize with the face, and 
where the limbs are long 
and active the nose will be 
found to harmonize in 
shape. Long-limbed people 
are much inclined to walk 
and visit strange localities 
—are natural travelers. 

Long-nosed animals 
are better travelers than 
short-nosed ones, as witness 
the speed of the deer tribes, 
Arabian horse, giraffe, 
chamois, antelope, and 
greyhound, compared with 
the short-nosed sheep, 
llama, koala, or Australian 
bear. 

In giving local signs it must be understood that the faculty 
and power are general and diffused through that system to which 
the local facial sign indicates it as belonging, as, for example, 
Weight and Locality inhere in the muscular system, and show them¬ 
selves in the face by muscular development, while Form and 
Size depend upon the osseous system, and are exhibited by bone 
development, 



Fig. 99.—CAPTAIN JAMES COOK. (Marine Sur¬ 
veyor, Navigator, and Discoverer.) 

Born in England, 1728. Principal facial sign, Local¬ 
ity. The law of the straight line, curve, and square 
governs this face. Conscientiousness, Firmness, Patri¬ 
otism, Love of Home, Alimentiveness, Mirthfulness, 
Benevolence, Economy, Love of Young, Amativeness, 
Force, and Modesty are strongly represented in the 
lower part of the face. The nose is large, long, high, 
broad on the back the entire length, and shows the signs 
for Sublimity, Mental Imitation, Ideality, Human 
Nature, Constructiveness, Acquisitiveness, Veneration, 
Executiveness, and Self-will well defined. The signs 
about the root of the nose are worthy attention. Ob¬ 
servation, Locality, Weight, Form, Size, Language 
(both in the eyes and mouth), Time, Order, and Calcu¬ 
lation are very remarkably developed. Reason is large, 
while Credenciveness is not at all apparent. The look 
of earnest attention shows that this character relied 
upon Observation mainly for his knowledge of facts. 
His peculiar combination of the practical faculties, 
among which the faculty of Locality is pre-eminent, en¬ 
abled him to make many great discoveries in geographi¬ 
cal knowledge. 


LOCALITY. 


637 


I lie chief bodily signs for Locality are long limbs and slim 
or medium-sized body, with about equal degrees of tlie muscular 
and osseous systems. Very large, fat people, with the vegetative 
system predominant, seldom exhibit much of tlie localizing 
sense. 

In the animal kingdom the high-flying birds and the fleetest 
animals possess the best locative powers. The corresponding 
structure in the human 
family exhibits similar 
powers. Locality is related 
to motion , and the muscu¬ 
lar system is the principal 
system involved in locomo¬ 
tion, and hence is the prin¬ 
cipal exponent of the sign 
for Locality. A person who 
remained stationary would 
develop only a limited de¬ 
gree of Locality; his mus¬ 
cular system would be 
correspondingly enfeebled. 

This illustration serves to 
show how motion, muscle, 
and the sense of localities 
are related or bound to¬ 
gether. 

Description of Lo¬ 
cality.— The most active 
persons and animals are 
those that possess the best 
sense of Locality. The most 
inactive are those that ex¬ 
hibit the least of this power. 

We are warranted, then, in 
inferring that this trait bears some relation to the motory system; 
and when we add to this inference the fact that the local facial 
signs for Locality are disclosed by muscular development , as in 
the signs in the forehead, and also that a fine development of 
the muscular system is one of the necessary adjuncts toward 
the development of this sense, we feel justified in declaring that 
system to be the base of Locality. If this sense was derived 
from brain development, purely and solely, it would show at 
birth by a projection in that part of the forehead where, in 
adults, we find its signs; but all the evidence goes to prove that its 



Fig. 100.—GEORGE ALFRED TOWNSEND. 

(Author, Journalist, Lecturer.) 

Principal facial sign, Locality, shown by develop¬ 
ment of the muscle at the inner terminus of the eye¬ 
brow, just above the local sign for Weight. The law of 
the curve and straight line governs this physiognomy. 
The domestic nature is normally represented, and there 
is sufficient Conscientiousness and Firmness to give 
rectitude and stability to the character. The curving 
jaw shows dramatic tastes. Patriotism is well defined; 
so also are Benevolence, Friendship, Approbativeness, 
Mirthfulness, Pneumativeness, Self-esteem, Force, 
Cautiousness, Hope, Analysis, Mental Imitation, Sub¬ 
limity, Ideality, Constructiveness, Veneration, Execu¬ 
tiveness, and .Self-will. The signs for Observation, 
Form, Size, Language, Memory of Events, Order, Time, 
Reason, and Intuition are well developed. The color- 
sense is strong, and gives force, color, and brilliancy to 
all his descriptions of persons and places. 



638 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


origin is muscular , and that the parts of the organism used 
mainly in its action are the muscles of the limhs and the eye. It 
is true that the eyes as well as the muscles of the limbs are con¬ 
nected with cerebral nerves, but these nerves are not the chief 
agents in the exercise of the locative sense. They assist, but are 
* subordinate. There have been men of commanding intellect in 
certain directions who were greatly lacking in this practical faculty. 
Brain development merely will not give this sense. There must 
be in combination a fair or superior muscular endowment, either 
as regards quantity or quality , or both. 

The possession of large powers of Locality gives a desire to 
move about, travel, and observe; hence the greatest travelers have 
developed this trait, and are therefore able to describe by writings, 
by pictures or maps, the countries visited and peoples and objects 
encountered. The physiognomies of Captain Cook, Marco Polo, 
Christopher Columbus, Hendrick Hudson, Sir Martin Frobisher, 
David Livingstone, Sir John Franklin, and Captains Boss and . 
Parry exhibit large facial signs of Locality. Their portraits show 
them to have possessed bodies suitable for continuous motion and 
great activity. 

The classes of birds that are migratory in their habits exhibit 
a greater degree of the localizing sense than those classes of birds 
whose habits are stationary, as, for example, the domestic fowls. 
The “ homing ” of carrier-pigeons is due to their large locative 
sense. The incidents noted of the ability which these birds have 
displayed in finding their way to their homes from long distances 
prove that they possess a locative sense superior to that of man. 

Animals, in the wild state particularly, exhibit uncommon 
powers of Locality, and are able to return to their lairs, dens, and 
dams after long and extended journeys. Some birds annually 
revisit their old nests and occupy them, after having passed a 
portion of the year in distant lands. The migratory nature and 
the localizing faculty are part and parcel of one trait, hence 
expressed in muscular symbols. Without migrating from one 
place to another, one would have hut little need of recollecting 
places, distances, and directions, but with the taste for travel comes 
the necessity for being able to localize and store up the memories 
of the places visited and the direction and distance traveled. 

Not only is this faculty useful to travelers and navigators, but 
all trades and professions depend upon its power. It is indispensa¬ 
ble to the naturalist, geographer, astronomer, the mechanic, sur¬ 
geon, inventor, musician, chemist, shopkeeper, and housekeeper. 
Everything in existence occupies space and must have a location, 
and this faculty is adapted to the placing and memorizing the place, 


LOCALITY. 


639 


position, and locality once observed. It enables one to find his 
way through trackless forests, crowded cities, and over boundless 
seas. 

Locality assists Order and really partakes somewhat of its 
nature. If Locality does not give the love for placing things and 
keeping them placed, it aids one to remember where they are 
situated, and one is thus enabled to find without effort the road, 
city, path, or object which he has once seen. 

Surgeons and anatomists require a fine development of Locality 
to enable them to picture to their “ mind’s eye ” the exact position 
of the nerves, veins, arteries, and muscles in the human body. 
All great, natural surgeons possess a very large development of the 
muscular system, as witness their round heads, bodies, and limbs. 
Physiognomists also must have a fine localizing sense to enable 
them to correctly place the local signs of character, as well as to 
picture at will, mentally , the exact and minute details of faces 
once inspected. The face is a complex object, and presents a 
combination of forms, sizes, colors, lines, wrinkles, elevations, and 
depressions, which the skillful physiognomist must be able to seize 
upon and “photograph” mentally, and retain each in its own place, 
in order to recollect the minute details of faces once observed. 
The signs of this trait are very conspicuous in the physiognomies 
of Porta, Lavater, Cicero, Averroes, Camper, and in those of all of 
the best-known physiognomists. So also are the facial signs of Lo¬ 
cality excessive in the faces of all the great astronomers. Examine 
the portraits of Laplace, Galileo, Lalande, De Lanbre, the Her- 
schels, Harrison, Bradley, Leverrier, Kepler, Lockyer, Olmsted, 
and Miss Maria Mitchell, and Locality will in every instance be 
found well defined. The life-long habit which this class of 
observers practice, of using the eyes for close observation , and the 
habit of drawing forward or approximating the superciliary 
muscles, develops a large amount of muscidar tissue near the sign 
for Weight. The muscles of locomotion (in which Locality and 
the sense of Weight come into activity) are greatly exercised by 
all classes of travelers, and by observers in the sciences and in the 
mechanic arts. The housekeeper should possess ability to localize 
objects and articles in the home, for without this power great 
confusion would ensue, and a constant searching for things would 
be necessary. The same capacity must be had by the shopkeeper, 
in order to facilitate the placing and finding of his goods and wares. 
The apothecary and chemist must have a fine localizing sense, else 
serious disasters might result. Many persons exhibit large Locality 
and small Order. The one is, in a sense, a compensation for the 
lack of the other, and is really the only compensation which Nature 


640 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


could make for this defect. Many persons possess a large develop¬ 
ment of Locality and a small degree of Calculation or sense of 
numbers. Such persons can find the way to places better by a 
description of the locality than they can by the numbers of the 
street and house. Locality in combination with Constructiveness 
give the ability to remember the parts of machinery and to set it 
in motion. Engineers require large Constructiveness, Calculation, 
Form, Size, and Locality, and carpenters should possess large 
Form, Size, Locality, Calculation, Reason, Physical Imitation, 
Economy, and Force. Artists should possess large Color, Form, 
Size, Locality, Ideality, Constructiveness, and Mental and Physical 
Imitation. Surgeons should combine large Locality with Form, 
Size, Constructiveness, Force, and Reason; while the navigator and 
pilot must possess large Locality, Form, Size, sense of direction, 
together with large Observation and Calculation. In short, 
Locality is essential to every person, in all the walks of life. 

With Observation, Locality, Human Nature, Memory of 
Events, and Form large, a desire to travel and to study men and 
tilings generally will be evinced; for, in order to make the most 
of traveling, and to derive the greatest possible amount of instruc¬ 
tion from visiting strange countries, a scientific knowledge of the 
human face is indispensable. Lavater observes that “the traveler 
should possess money, health, and physiognomy.” To study forms 
of government, inspect castles, palaces, art-galleries, and great 
public works undoubtedly enlarges the mind,—instructs in art and 
architecture; but this knowledge does not compare in importance 
with the knowledge derived from a correct understanding of the 
various races and peoples one meets in an extended tour. 

The study of geography is one excellent method for developing 
Locality, and children should be taught first on a globe instead 
of from flat maps. Very young children can be taught to discern 
the points of the compass, and should be trained as early as four 
or five years of age to find at any hour of the day the direction of 
the points of the compass by the position of the sun. There is no 
method of education which children enjoy so much as instruction 
out of doors in every department of Nature. In this way they 
learn faster and more accurately than by book-study. Living forms 
are more attractive to them than pictured representations of coun¬ 
tries and objects. Indeed, the main part of a child’s education 
should be gained out of doors, whether studying from books or by 
observation. An intelligent mother or teacher could impart more 
real knowledge to a party of children in a single country excursion 
than they could gain by a week’s study indoors from books alone. 
In starting out, let the points of the compass be firmly fixed in the 


LOCALITY. 


641 


mind, and then have observations made at every important turn in 
the road. This will cultivate the sense of Locality. The nature, 
form, and uses of the several varieties of trees observed could be 
made useful in many ways. The outlay or topographical features 
of the landscape as it is divided up into hills, valleys, lakes, ponds, 
etc., should be pointed out and studied. In this manner children 
would be so trained to thought fid observation as to enable them to 
“ photograph ” mentally every minute change in the features of the 
country observed. The wild flowers and herbs met with could be 
utilized, and a lesson in practical botany and medication, as well as 
in form and color, could be drawn from these living hieroglyphics of 
Nature. The forms and habits of birds, beasts, and insects met with 
would serve to illustrate a large department of natural history, and 
would, under the guidance of an intelligent parent or teacher, make a 
lasting impression upon a child’s mind. Every little deviation and 
turn in the route should be noted down, and the landmarks made 
by certain trees or clumps of bushes, and elevations and depressions 
of the land made to serve as points of observation and verification 
of distance, direction, and locality. One day passed in this manner 
in the forest or fields with a class of children will afford more 
rational and healthful amusement than all the fine parties which 
modern society has evolved for the purpose, evidently, of crushing 
out of children all natural, wholesome, childish sentiments and 
pleasures. 

Another excellent method of cultivating Locality is by the 
study of astronomy, the local part of which can be taught by 
observation of the heavens any clear night. If taught in childhood, 
it gives a life-long satisfaction and entertainment. Nearly every 
one is familiar with the location of the constellation of the Great 
Bear (Ursa Major) or the “big dipper.” Taking this as a starting- 
point, one can locate the position of the polar star, which is found 
by means of the “pointers” of the big dipper, which always point 
toward it. Ursa Minor, the “little dipper,” is the constellation 
in which the pole-star is situated. Cassiopeia, “ the lady in the 
chair,” is on the opposite side of the pole from the big dipper. 
These objects are the best known of the constellations, and with 
the assistance of a star-map any parent can soon locate and trace 
the others, and by reading up in mythology can give the children 
the legendary history of all the constellations. The fanciful names 
and their appended traditions will interest, fascinate, and amuse 
children, and make a permanent impression upon their mind, while 
a knowledge of the relative localities of the stars and constellations 
will assist them in after life in finding their way over oceans, wastes, 
and pathless wilds. The stories and legends attached to Perseus 

41 


642 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Cygnus (the swan), Auriga (the charioteer), Capella (the goat), 
Taurus (the bull), Gemini (the twins), Canis Major (the great 
dog), and Canis Minor (the little dog), the Milky Way, Cancer 
(the crab), Leo (the lion), and all the other well-known stars and 
constellations, will unfold to children not only a knowledge of 
localities, but will store their minds with astronomy, mythology, 
ancient history, and an understanding of the religious beliefs of 
former ages. A few evenings every season passed in this manner 
would soon give a child a great store of practical matters. It is 
most gratifying to observe the enthusiasm with which children 
enter into the study of the sciences out of doors and upon the 
living subjects, as among birds, beasts, and vegetation. 

The study of physiognomy is one of great interest to children. 
I have seen a class of little girls interested in this science who 
were able to make out just and accurate observations of form, 
feature, and color, as observed in the human face, and who could 
apply many of the rules and laws for distinguishing and localizing 
the several signs of character in the face and body. 

Locality is a universal fact for the reason that everything in 
existence is placed, located, situated, or positioned in relation to 
every other object in the universe. Locality, like Number, is 
omnipresent, for the base of all things is Number; all things may 
be counted and reckoned, hence time (which has in it the element 
of Number) and space (or position, situation, or place) are general 
and universal, and govern and control, underlie and lie back of 
all matter, materials, and objects. 

As we advance in our study of the higher faculties of mind, 
such as we are now investigating, we find that they assume very 
broad proportions, and are related to all things in Nature, as well 
as relate man to all other material objects, laws, and principles. 
Man is the embodiment of all laws, forces, principles, and forms 
known, as shown in the second chapter, Part I, but which are 
more minutely elaborated in the chapter on “ The Basic Principles 
of Form.” 

In order to be in harmony with his surroundings, man must 
be able not only to recognize the ethnic characteristics inscribed on 
the physiognomies of all races and people, but he must be able to 
comprehend the hieroglyphics of the Infinite inscribed upon every 
atom and object in the universe. This knowledge coidd only be 
sought through the agency of faculties partaking of the nature of 
the object or law investigated. The science of physiognomy proves 
this, for we know that a man who possesses a strong color-sense is 
best able to judge of colors; that one with a musical build is best 
able to judge of musical tones and harmonies; and that one 


THE MUSCULAR SYSTEM. 


643 


endowed in the matter of Form is most capable of judging of shapes, 
etc. So one possessed with a fine sense of Locality and direction is 
best able as an astronomer, scientist, or geographer to comprehend 
the immensities of space, and to trace with the eye of the mind, as 
well as with the physical sight, the paths of worlds through time, 
space, and eternity. In short, man must be en rapport with his en¬ 
vironment, and as time wings its onward flight, and brings about 
great revolutions in Nature, so we find that man also, under the irre¬ 
sistible law of progressive evolution, is prepared to take his place, 
and work in harmony and unison with the advanced order of the 
universe. And all this progress is by plan, design, and law of the 
Creative Mind , for we cannot conceive of anything but mind being 
able to control such vast and complex interests, because we per¬ 
ceive that nothing but mind is able to comprehend these grandeurs. 
It is true that in this physical state it is embodied in a fleshly form 
suited to its environment, yet the mental part of man is the part 
which takes cognizance of and applies all material forces to his 
needs. When I say the “mental part” of man I mean to include 
every sensation, feeling, sentiment, faculty, and thought of which 
he is capable; they are all mental in different degrees and in 
different ways, and all together make up what is termed “human 
character,” as exhibited in our present phase of existence in time 
and space. 

The Muscular System, 
weight. 

Definition .—Natural perception of the laws of resistance, 
gravity, momentum, direction, balance, motion, and weight; capac¬ 
ity for estimating weights by lifting and by sight; ability to adjust 
the muscular mechanism of the body to suit shifting positions, as 
when on shipboard, in skating, dancing, using hammers and 
tools, etc. 

An excess leads to excess of motion, as in dancing, skating, 
athletics, and other sports, and to speculations upon gravity and 
futile inventions based on the principles of mechanics. 

A deficiency tends to inertia, lack of force, and inaccuracy in 
many arts; also feebleness in walking, dancing, athletics, balanc¬ 
ing, jumping, leaping, and skating. It causes, also, poor judgment 
of weights and of the mechanical forces which are the propelling 
and controlling powers in running machinery. 

Facial and Bodily Signs .—The most decisive facial sign of 
the muscular system (next to the eye) is the local sign for the sense 
of Weight. I might with perfect accuracy term this the sign for 
the muscular system, but as all have eyes by which they can easily 


644 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


and accurately estimate the amount of muscle as well as its quality, 
and as every one does not possess a large sign for the sense of 
Weight, and, again, as this sign is not very conspicuous until after 
the muscles have been used continuously in some mechanical or ar¬ 



tistic pursuit, I cannot accept it as the principal facial sign for the 
muscular system. The sign for Weight is known by a fullness of the 
superciliary muscle at the junction of this muscle with the ethmoid 
hone or at the inner terminus of the eyebrow. There are other 

facial signs of the muscular 
sense of Weight subordi¬ 
nate to these principal ones. 
They are found in the 
rounding out of the sides 


of the forehead, full con¬ 
vex eyes, and curving lower 
jaw,—the “ dramatic jaw.” 
These are all signs of the 
dominance of the muscular 
system, and are representa¬ 
tive of parts which assist 
the sense of Weight in its 
attempts at muscular ad¬ 
justments, as in posing, 
balancing, climbing, play¬ 
ing instruments, skating, 
and in the use of mechani¬ 
cal tools and machinery. 
The shape of the limbs, 
hands, and feet are also 
indices of the sense of 
Weight. Arms and legs 
that are well rounded show 
a greater degree of the 


Fig. 101.—FRANCOIS JEAN DOMINIQUE ARAGO. 
(Distinguished Mathematician, Astron¬ 
omer, and Scientist.) 

Born in Spain, 1786. Conspicuous facial sign, Weight, 
shown by muscular development at the junction of the 
brow and nose. The law of the straight line, curve, 
and sphere governs this face. The signs for Con¬ 
science, Firmness, Patriotism, and Love of Home are 
large. Benevolence, Love of Young, Modesty, Mirth¬ 
fulness, Approbativeness, Alimentiveness, and Friend¬ 
ship are conspicuous. The sign for Modesty is well 
defined, while Amativeness is normal. The length of 
the nose announces Caution ; in it the signs for Human 
Nature, Sublimity, Analysis, Constructiveness, Acquis¬ 
itiveness, Veneration, and Self-will are very pro¬ 
nounced; Observation, Locality, Weight, Form, Size, 
Color, and Calculation are marked, while Language, 
Memory of Events, Reason, and Intuition are pre¬ 
eminent. Credenciveness and Prescience are only 
slightly manifested. 


muscular sense of Weight 
than very thin, bony ones, 
or those which are greatly lacking in muscle. Hands that are 
muscular, with tapering lingers and oval nails, announce the 
presence of this sense. The body most favorably constructed for 
the active use of this faculty is one in which the bony system is 
square , with limbs long rather than short, and the muscles round 
and dominating the bones. 


Description of Weight. —The proofs as to which system is 
the base of the sense of Weight are so numerous and so easily 
observed that the bare mention of them will suffice to demonstrate 



WEIGHT. 


645 


that the muscular system is (with slight assistance from the ner¬ 
vous mechanism) the main source of this sense, which promotes in 
a most supreme manner the hundreds of complicated movements 
of the muscles which are necessary in the pursuit of every trade 
and many professions. Suppose, for illustration, that a man could 
be born and exist with a mere thread-like trace of a muscular 
system and with a large brain of fair quality, capable of clear 
thinking and susceptible of education from books, his hands would 
be, of course, very small 
and feeble, his limbs use¬ 
less for extended locomo¬ 
tion, and he would be 
utterly unable to be taught 
any art or trade, owing to 
want of muscular develop¬ 
ment. This fine, large brain 
might think out good or 
even grand thoughts, but 
he would not be able to 
play an instrument well, 
fill a tooth, make a chair, 
play ball, or dance, row, 
skate, or swim skillfully. 

If to this otherwise good 
brain and physique a fair 
share of muscle could be 
added he might perform all 
of these acts. The mus¬ 
cular mechanism in com¬ 
bination with the bony 
frame-work is the source 
of external motion, of the 

activity of the members of the body, and of the movements of the 
trunk. 

One portion of the muscular system—the heart—is the centre 
and source of all internal motion. The heart is also a purely mus¬ 
cular organ. The heart once set in motion by vital processes 
creates the motive power (by its periodic contractions and rhythmic 
motions) by which the lungs, liver, and all other organs are kept 
at work. The circulation of the blood is the principal business of 
the heart. This circulation, by sending the blood to the brain, 
gives it power to think, and by carrying blood to all parts of the 
body—to the hones as well as to the muscles—it gives them the 
power to move and act. 



Fig. 102 —MARCO POLO. (Celebrated Traveler 
and Author.) 

Born in Venice, 1250. Conspicuous facial sign, 
Weight. The law of the straight line and curve gov¬ 
erns this face. The signs for many of the domestic 
traits are hidden, yet a very good judgment can be 
formed from those that are visible. Alimentiveness, 
Sanativeness, Friendship, and Benevolence are large. 
Conscientiousness and Firmness are well defined. In 
the nose the signs for Ideality, Sublimity, Analysis, 
Hope, Constructiveness, Acquisitiveness, Vneumative- 
ness, Veneration, Executiveness, and Self-will are 
large. The signs for Observation, Form, Size. Order, 
Weight, and Locality are conspicuous: also Calcula¬ 
tion, Memory, Reason, and Intuition. Credenciveness 
and Prescience are small. 



646 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


The elements of motion, of density, of gravity, and of force 
are all inherent in the muscular system. Motion is the primary 
principle in the muscular tissue, and motion is the base of all the 
sense-organs, as is proven by the tremors of the nervous tissue 
while in the process of transmitting to and from the brain the in¬ 
telligence of which the sight, hearing, etc., have become cognizant. 
Looking and moving the eye from one point to another is a mode 
of motion; so, also, putting the ear on stretch, as in listening, 
sets vibrating delicate muscular fibres as well as nerves. Talking 
is also produced by motions of the muscles involved in the act of 
speaking, and vocal sound is motion through the atmosphere. 
Curving is the essential property of muscles as well as of motion 
primarily, as in the spherical form of the earth and in the rotatory 
motion of the solar system, for any object which produces contin¬ 
uous motion must be circuloid in form. 

Memory in many departments is unconscious registration in 
the muscles of the motions which they automatically reproduce 
after continued exercise, as in singing, playing instruments, danc¬ 
ing, etc. So the major part of memory is dependent upon the 
motions made by the muscles of the eye, ear, hand, body, and 
limbs. Memory, in fact, in all cases is made conscious to us 
through motions of the nervous or muscular fibres; and all mo¬ 
tions carry with them the element of weight or force, and mus¬ 
cular beings are most susceptible to the impressions made by force, 
motion, movement, density, and weight, because their own muscu¬ 
lar powers are organized upon the mechanical principles which 
include all of the laws of these forces. For proof, investigate the 
science of sound; consider its action and form through the atmos¬ 
phere ; it is wave-like or curved in its passage through the air, 
and the sound-waves are propagated with force through the air 
toward the ear, which in its outline is curved. The internal parts 
of the ear present a wonderful array of curved, convoluted, or cir¬ 
cular tubes, as seen in the cochlea. Now, these muscular fibres 
and pipes are capable, with the assistance of the auditory nerves, 
of distinguishing the pitch or force of every sound which the ear 
receives, and the most perfectly-constructed ears are those most 
capable of recognizing differences in the degrees of force ; while 
the most musically-constructed ears are most capable of judging 
of the pitch , force , and quality of musical tones, showing that the 
ear, like the eye, has in its construction all the elements of organi¬ 
zation which sound and light possess and exhibit. Thus it is 
shown that the undulations of light are curvilinear, else they could 
not be propagated through the air. Sound is also curved in its 
form , and is thus able to move through the atmosphere at a high 


WEIGHT. 


647 


rate of speed. The eye is circular. The ear is of the same shape 
in many parts of its structure, and both are supplied with muscular 
fibres which are capable of the movements resulting in resonance 
and elasticity, as is the air itself. The motions of air, sound, 
and light are forces which assume forms and exhibit force or 
resistance, and hence weight The organs and members of those 
in whom the muscular is one of the dominant systems are found to 
be the best adapted to judge of the phenomena of light, sound, 
motion, weight, force, resistance, etc. An examination of the most 
eminent mechanicians and physicists is proof positive of this. 
Look, for example, at the portraits of Helmholtz, Wollaston, 
Humboldt, Faraday, John Dalton, Hofmann, Bernard Palissy, 
Roger Bacon, Joseph Black, Thomas Young, Descartes, and 
Newton, and there will be found in each subject all the signs of a 
fine development of the muscular system. It is true that each of 
these persons possessed an excellent brain and nerve system, yet 
without equally, good muscular powers they would have been 
unable to exhibit in their works those principles of the natural 
phenomena which they discovered, elaborated, and wrought out. 

The sense of Weight is used first in infancy with the first 
attempts at grasping. The infant’s first attempt at clutching a 
finger is almost convulsive, and with no perception of how much 
force to use in holding on to it, but after repeated attempts he finds 
that less force is necessary, and the grasp is considerably relaxed. 
Later, the sense of Weight comes actively in use in balancing the 
body in the attempts to rise and walk, and so continues by vocal 
exercise, and in adjusting the eye to different focuses and the ear 
to tones of different degrees of power. 

The pitch of the voice in talking, shouting, and singing is due 
to the sense of Weight,—of force or resistance of the air and muscles 
combined,—and is a purely muscular exercise. Here it is shown 
how motion (the motion of the vocal muscles) is related to the 
muscular system. 

Persons with a good sense of balance are not so liable to sea¬ 
sickness as where this faculty is weak. One who can easily adjust 
his movements to the ever-shifting motions of the vessel will be 
able to overcome the tendency to nausea, providing his liver be 
active and normal. 

In adult life the various trades and professions develop the 
nicer and finer elements of this sense, as in sculpture, architecture, 
engineering, dentistry, and metal-working. In playing instruments 
this sense is most particularly called into action, owing to the deli¬ 
cacy and precision of touch required in the degrees of force neces¬ 
sary to produce musical effects, ranging from forte to pianissimo. 


648 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


The sculptor must also, with equal precision, be able to strike 
with just the right amount of force or weight upon his chisel 
in order that only certain quantities of the marble be cleft. His 
ability is the result of an inherited organization suited to his work, 
then perfected by use and cultivation. Thorwaldsen, Canova, 
Giacomo, Alessandro, and all sculptors of the highest merit ex¬ 
hibit the facial signs for Weight, as well as many of its bodily 
signs. 

In the setting up of machinery the mechanician must have an 
innate perception of the mechanical powers and forces, and by 
education must learn the theory and philosophy of the laws of 
force, which, when once understood, teach him that the “ centrifu¬ 
gal force of a revolving body increases according to the square of 
its velocity.” He must also understand the laws of resistance, 
friction, gravity and gravitation, the law of the various lever 
powers, the pressure of the screw and power of the crank, pulley, 
wheel, and axle, and all their combinations. In the sciences, his 
senses must be so fine and practiced that he will be able to weigh 
the ethers and gases and comprehend the amounts of force ex¬ 
hibited in the expansion, liquefaction, vaporization, and incandes¬ 
cence of heat, for heat is “an immaterial force, resulting from 
vibrations in the molecules or atoms of matter,” and vibrations 
produce motions and of course assume forms (abstract), like a ges¬ 
ture, or the path of a projectile through space. These are both 
curvilinear in their passage through the air, and curve toward the 
earth through the mechanical law of attraction or universal gravi¬ 
tation discovered by Sir Isaac Newton. 

Astronomers require a natural comprehension of the laws of 
distance, time, force, motion, and equilibrium. Most of the emi¬ 
nent astronomers, such as Struve, the Herschels, Halley, Olmsted, 
Leverrier, Adams, Airy, Donati, Piazzi, Mitchell, and Olbers, ex¬ 
hibit combinations in which the muscular and brain systems are 
dominant. The principles of time, of mathematical computation 
in regard to distance, density, and the geometrical properties of 
form, they derive from high quality of the brain system; but the 
senses of weight, ponderosity, mechanical construction, and orbital 
motion are derived from the fine development of the muscular 
system. Of course, the muscular system has its representation in 
the brain, and a large representation it must indeed possess when 
we come to consider how large a share of life’s works is due to 
muscular movements. Many astronomers are round, muscular 
men, others square-built, each individual exhibiting the branch of 
the science in accord with his own bodily form. In the faces of 
Herschel, Leverrier, Halley, and others, the signs for Sublimity, 


WEIGHT. 


649 


Imagination, Constructiveness, Analysis, and Calculation are all 
conspicuous, and these are muscular signs whose associated faculties 
inhere in the muscular system. 

The dentist must be able by the sensitiveness of his muscular 
mechanism to gauge the force of his instruments with great accu¬ 
racy and certainty of touch in order to remove minute particles 
from the teeth. The blacksmith, who is really a sculptor in iron, 
must be trained to comprehend the laws of heat, as in the expan¬ 
sion and density of the material employed. He must also shape 
by the eye with unerring precision the form of the metal on his 
anvil. He, too, must in a pre-eminent manner understand the 
degree of power or weight he requires to bear upon his materials 
in order to produce the desired effect. In other departments of 
action a nice sense of the laws of force, motion, weight, balance, 
and resistance must be had in order to assist the efforts of the car¬ 
penter, mason, and builder, as in the construction of spires, bridges, 
roofs, etc., and in engineering. In the planning, designing, and 
construction of such works as the Eddystone lighthouse, the bridge 
over the Missouri River, the Mississippi jetties, etc., the mechanician 
has to call into play all these mechanical forces and many other 
principles as well. The portraits of James Eadds, who built the 
latter, and of John Smeaton, who constructed the former, disclose 
the signs for Weight as well as other mechanical traits. Civil 
engineers as well as architects use the sense of Weight in planning 
the structures which they build. The laying of railroads, grading 
canals, erecting elevators, boring artesian wells, building bridges, 
docks, pumps, aqueducts, churches, towers, spires, and cathedrals, 
building and running engines, fortifications and shops, necessitate 
a knowledge of the laws of force and resistance, momentum, co¬ 
hesion, attraction, gravitation, equilibrium, and weight. All these 
laws have motion as their elementary principle, and all motion has 
form as its elemental base, and form and number are bases of all 
things in existence. 

The faces of all eminent sculptors reveal Nature’s graphic 
signs of the allied mechanical faculties. In a lower class of artists 
the facial sign of Weight and Balance is also present. It is seen 
in acrobats,—those who are skilled in leaping and balancing upon 
the trapeze,—as well as in slack- and tight- rope dancers, skaters, 
horseback riders, and velocipedists, who must be able to estimate 
their centre of gravity and adapt the degree of inclination to their 
velocity and the resistance to be overcome. All these classes re¬ 
quire a natural as well as cultivated sense of Weight, and must be 
able to spontaneously adjust all their movements to the require¬ 
ments of their position. Oarsmen, swimmers, ball-players, and 


650 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


sailors exercise this sense until it becomes instinctively and is really 
a “ sixth sense.” The muscular sense should be classed with the 
so-called five senses, and be termed the 44 sixth sense.” 

The sense of weight is useful to weavers and spinners. Doubt¬ 
less this sense is of great importance to the spider, which, in weav¬ 
ing its geometrical web, requires the aid of such a faculty. The 
muscular system is dominant in the spider family, hence it is that 
they show so much constructive and artistic ability and produce so 
many mechanical contrivances, as they do in the hinge-door nests 
and in the perfect geometrical proportions of the web woven by 
one species of the Araclinida , which use bits of gravel to steady 
their webs and construct their nests by different methods to suit 
different localities, showing that 44 blind instinct ” is not the con¬ 
trolling force in this case, but that reason, geometrical foresight 
and insight, mechanical, practical, and scientific powers on a large 
scale are used, and all without a “ large brain ” to assist their grand 
architectural efforts. Their sense of calculation, too, must be very 
great, as witness the precision with which they proportion the dis¬ 
tances between the warp of their webs and the accuracy of the 
spaces which they observe in the weaving of the woof. The 
weaver, like the spider, must be able to 44 sense ” pressure and 
weight in the manipulations of his threads, fibres, and weights; 
a keen sense it must be, too, which enables one to work with such 
fine materials. The sense of weight, distance, time, momentum, 
resistance, and height is manifested in a remarkable manner by 
many animals. Dr. J. Lauder Lindsay cites the following in¬ 
stances :— 

In various ways certain animals show that they can correctly calculate 
or estimate space or distance, including height. The horse, for instance, in 
the steeple-chase or hurdle-race calculates hurriedly the height of the fence 
lie is about to leap. The dog does the same when he is invited to jump 
through a loop for a bit of bread. The lion and other carnivora estimate 
both height and distance in their contemplated spring upon their prey. 
Certain fish are called shooting or archer-fish from their precision of aim in 
bringing down flies on the wing by squirting at them drops of water, the 
nicest calculation of the intervening space as well as of the size of their prey 
being involved. They learn by experience to make due allowance for the 
refraction of light by water, to use their natural weapon, the syringe, in 
the operation of squirting, and to employ water as an effective kind of & shot, 
missile, or projectile.* 

The elephant makes similar use of his trunk as a syringe or 
hydropult, and of water as a projectile, while it also estimates dis¬ 
tance, in the occasional punishment of his human tormentors. 
Certain animals also form their own estimates of weight, resistance, 
impetus, or momentum, and size. The elephant must calculate 

* Mind in the Lower Animals, J. Lauder Lindsay, M.D., p. 461 et seq. 


WEIGHT. 


651 


Weight or resistance in judging of the degree of strength it must 
put forth to move a timber-log. The ant probably makes a simi¬ 
lar calculation; when meeting with a large, heavy, dead beetle it 
calls in the aid of its fellows to roll, carry, or push it to its nest. 
The same animal shows its knowledge of dimension, of length and 
breadth, of the smallest diameter of an object, in the conveyance of 
booty or in the dismembering of prey. Horses, mules, and camels 
measure or estimate the size as well as weight of their loads, so as 
to judge of the possibility of their passing through forest-openings, 
gates, or doors, or of their ability to bear them with comfort. 
Dogs, at least, calculate and make allowance for the rapidity and 
strength of currents of rivers and tides. Thomas Wood describes 
a miller’s dog that, to save a drowning small one, ran to the side 
of a certain river till he got well below the drowning dog, then he 
sprang into the river, and so exactly had he calculated the rapidity 
of the river and his own speed that he intercepted the little dog 
and brought it safely to land. 

In watching the operations of ants, I have myself seen them 
proceed to the opening of their nests with a bit of straw several times 
the length of their bodies, and, finding upon trial that they could not 
enter with it “head first,” they did precisely what a carpenter 
would do with a plank under similar circumstances, viz., they 
backed down with it. 

Mechanics of all classes use the sense of Weight constantly, 
and almost unconsciously and automatically at times. Metal¬ 
workers learn by experience to estimate by sight the weight of* 
materials in use. Carpenters do the same. Plumbers, after ex¬ 
perience, understand the force of a given-sized stream of water, 
and the makers of mechanical instruments and contrivances soon 
learn to estimate the force and momentum of the wheels and 
pulleys which they manufacture. Very complex principles enter 
into many mechanical machines, which must be comprehended ex¬ 
actly by those who operate them, and those who think that me¬ 
chanics are common-minded and inferior in intellect underrate 
them greatly. The man who can construct and operate a complex 
machine is quite intelligent enough to take a prominent place in 
government, and for my part I should like to see a government 
managed by skillful, practical, intelligent mechanics, for I consider 
the mechanic classes superior in morals and practicality to all 
others. 

We may search through the whole range of the universe, and 
we shall find that the laws of weight, balance, force, resistance, 
and momentum are universal in their effects, and are part of the 
mental construction of all animals in degrees suited to their wants. 


652 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


We find in the vegetable kingdom, even, that this law obtains, and 
trees whose spread of branches is great have corresponding spread 
or depth of root to balance or hold them in position. The giant 
roots of the Sequoia, or the mighty Banyan, illustrate this princi¬ 
ple. The same law holds our little planet true in its orbit; it 
affects the motions of the tides and winds; in short, it is a uni¬ 
versal law and universal in its effects upon every object, animate 
or inanimate, and upon every particle and atom of matter. “ All 
is contained in the least.” 

The pressure of the atmosphere upon our bodies and our 
power of resisting its weight are manifestations of a universal law 
of weight and resistance, and thus, look where we may throughout 
Nature’s broad domain, this principle is ever at work. 

LANGUAGE. 

Definition .—The capacity for using language in a precise, 
suitable, fluent, or eloquent manner; the talent for acquiring, 
speaking, and writing foreign languages, dialects, words, phrases, 
idioms, etc.; ability to construct, translate, and learn the grammar 
of languages. 

An excess makes one voluble, wordy, verbose, and causes one 
to chatter, prattle, gabble, babble, gossip, tattle, etc. 

A deficiency is shown by marked reticence, by difficulty in 
expressing the thoughts in suitable language. 

Facial and Bodily Signs. —Large, full, bright, convex eyes; 
fullness under the eyes; rounding out of the head above the tem¬ 
ples; full lips, full cheeks, full throat; wide mouth and chest; 
large nostrils; high and broad nose; wide nostrils, and length from 
the point of the nose to the tip of the chin, with vertical, lateral, 
and perpendicular width of the concha of the external ear; round¬ 
ing head, jaws, body, and limbs; small joints, and fingers inclining 
to taper. 

Lack of linguistic ability is known by small, receding eyes, and 
angular, spare, bony body, with very slight muscular development, 
small mouth, thin lips, and hollow cheeks; small nose and nostrils, 
flat chest, and undeveloped ears. 

Description of Language.— The eye is the feature which dis¬ 
closes the amount of muscle in the entire organism. It is hence 
the facial indication of the power for motion, and the muscles are 
the principal agents of the motive mechanism. Now, language is 
produced by the motions of the vocal cords, tongue, lips, and ear. 
I do not by this statement mean to imply that the ear as a whole 
moves, but certainly sound is a mode of motion, and the vibrations 
of the atmosphere which convey sound to the ear are motions of 


LANGUAGE. 


653 


the atmosphere , and describe wave-like or curved forms as they 
pass through the air to the ear, and are received by a curved ap¬ 
paratus within the skull; and there, acting upon muscles, bones, and 
fluids of the ear, affect the nervous mechanism of the auditory 
nerves and impart little tremors or vibrations to the nerve which 
connects the auditory nerves with the brain, “and there,” as Pro¬ 
fessor Tyndall remarks, “announce themselves as sounds.” Thus 
it is shown that language, as well as light and color, is only a mode 
of motion. Indeed, we may set it down as a universal law that 
motion is the basis of all things in Nature. This is proven when 
we come to analyze their methods of action by tracing them to 
their origin. Not only is it true that language is dependent upon 
the motions of the speaking and auditory apparatus for its power 
of expression, but all modes of communication known to man are 
by motions or movements. 

The sign-language of the deaf-mute, the gestures of barbarous 
people when they meet and do not understand each other’s lan¬ 
guage, the gestures, poses, and attitudes of the actor and orator, 
the movements of the hands in writing, all depend upon motions 
which are visible to the naked eye; but what shall I say of the 
countless motions within the body that are essential to the results 
which we find in spoken or written language \ The rhythmic and 
periodic movements of the heart (a great muscular organ, related 
to time by its periodic movements); the microscopic movements 
within the corpuscles of the blood; the double and triple circula¬ 
tion of the blood itself as it comes through the several organs, 
veins, arteries, glands, and tubes; the minute dynamic forces of 
the nervous mechanism involved in all the motions of the subtle 
processes of the molecular forces in cellular construction, all tell 
us in a language most unmistakable that motion is the basis of all 
life, and that" it is essentially so of the forces which produce 
language,—written, spoken, or symbolized. 

The periodic movements of the heart produce natural pauses 
which are regular and rhythmic in their action. The consensus 
between the action of the heart and lungs and their movements 
in inspiration and expiration prove that the pauses in language 
are regulated in their action by motions of infinitesimal minute¬ 
ness, as well as by those which are visible. 

I have introduced this little description of the source of 
language in order that my readers may be quite certain that it is 
the muscular development of the eye which reveals the linguistic 
capacity of the individual,—that it is not an “organ” of the brain 
pushing out the eyeball, but that the faculty of language is greatest 
where the muscular system is best developed and most capable of 


654 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


rapid, continuous, and automatic motions of the entire muscular 
apparatus. This peculiar property of the muscular system will be 
noted when we arrive at the discussion of Music. 

The mouth is the most mobile and flexible of all the facial 
features. The muscles of the eye, the larynx, and vocal cords are 
the most flexible portions of mechanism within the body, and are 
susceptible of high cultivation and of automatic action; hence, the 
entire speaking apparatus is eminently adapted to the expression 

of the emotions, for, as I 
have shown, the motions 
are created and exhibited 
by the action of the softer 
tissues of the body; the 
elasticity and resonance of 
the muscular system is 
therefore well suited to the 
expression of the feelings , 
both by the use of the 
voice, pen, gestures, and 
signs. Thought can be ex¬ 
ercised by the motions or 
vibrations of the cerebral 
structure alone, but its ex¬ 
pression in any manner or 
form must be by motions 
of the muscles , as in speak¬ 
ing, writing, signaling, or 
acting by pantomime, etc. 
The certainty of the con¬ 
nection between the size of 

the muscles of the eveball 

%/ 

and the general develop¬ 
ment of the entire muscu¬ 
lar system, and its relations 
to the motions essential 
to the production of tone, 
vocal sound, and language once established in the mind of the stu¬ 
dent, he has a firm and sure foundation upon which to continue his 
investigation into the several kinds and degrees of the expression of 
Language, as exhibited by different individuals and different races. 

What we term the “ faculty of Language ” is really a combi¬ 
nation of several faculties. Vocality, or the ability to speak as 
simply as the babbling infant, is the most elementary form of 
human expression, but the capacity to express words intelligibly 



FIG. 103.—LOUIS D. BRANDEIS. 

Lawyer and Reformer.) 


(Peoples’ 


Principal facial sign. Language, shown by size 
and form of the mouth, lips and eyes. The law of 
the curve and square line governs this face The 
presence of the curve in his features discloses his 
artistic capacities of mind. The signs of Firmness 
Friendship, Approbativeness, Amativeness, Alimen- 
tiveness are well defined. The nose which is 
straight shows signs of passive nature, sense of 
fitness and propriety and to a degree* sensuousness. 
Ideality, Analysis, Mental Imitation, Form, Size, 
Calculation and Intuition show a high quality. 

Quality of the man, shows strong in argument 
and he is to be feared in debate as the force of 
Language and quality of thought make him an 
adversary hard to defeat. With the belief in his 
convictions, he will debate and argue to unlimited 
length for results. 




LANGUAGE. 


655 


involves the power for thought, hence of construction. Here 
we have the combination of Constructiveness (a purely muscular 
faculty) and Thought (also a purely mental faculty). If Language 
expresses the emotions of the speaker, the glands are involved, 
and show Love, Sympathy, Mirth, Approbation, Love of Young, 
Hospitality, Friendship, etc. If it express the creative power, 
such as Imagination, Mental Imitation, Sublimity, or Human 
Nature, the muscles and nervous mechanism assist. Hence, we 
are led to observe the 
combination of faculties 
and functions involved in 
the production of intelli¬ 
gent language, and this 
teaches us that mere talk 
does not constitute the 
highest form of vocal ex¬ 
pression ; we must be able 
to feel deeply or fit ink 
dearly in order to converse 
well, and thus it is that the 
language used by an indi¬ 
vidual will be in accord 
with his bodily constitu¬ 
tion, aided by education or 
impeded by neglect. • If he 
have an excess of the vege¬ 
tative system, he will use 
the selfishly-emotional parts 
of Language; if he exhibit a 
good degree of the vegeta¬ 
tive system, combined with 
a fair share of the muscular 
system, he will express him¬ 
self upon subjects of art or 
mechanism; if the square, 
hony form is in the ascendant, he will use nouns mainly, with 
clear, distinct, solid words; with a good quality of brain added, he 
will develop a taste for mechanics and science, and talk upon these 
subjects. Without education, man will use naturally the words 
and language which accord with his peculiar conformation. With 
education, he will improve upon this, and his range of language 
will be more extended, yet his personal formation will control 
and characterize his speech and writings, so true it is that form 
guides, governs, and dominates. 



Fig. 104.—NOAH WEBSTER. (Teacher, Lawyer, 
Editor, Lexicographer.) 

Born in Connecticut, 1758. Conspicuous facial sign, 
Language. The law of the straight line, curve, and 
square governs this face. The signs for Conscientious¬ 
ness, Firmness, Economy, Patriotism, Love of Home, 
Sanativeness, Approbatlveness, Friendship, Aliment- 
iveness, Mirthfulness, Love of Young, Modesty, and 
Amativeness are exceedingly well developed and of 
a refined cast. The signs in The mouth and eyes for 
Language are uncommonly well defined. The nose is 
one of the first class, broad on its back the entire length. 
The signs for Human Nature, Analysis, Ideality, Sub¬ 
limity, Constructiveness, Acquisitiveness, Veneration, 
Executiveness, and Self-will are very large. The eyes 
and the region about them are remarkable. Observa¬ 
tion, Form, Size, Prescience, and Calculation are highly 
developed; while Memory of Events, Reason, and In¬ 
tuition are pre-eminent. The manner in which the 
hair grows is noteworthy. A truly noble physiognomy. 




656 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Color has also a controlling influence upon Language, lor the 
dark-complexioned man will make more use ol color-terms in his 
writings and speech than the pallid or fair subject, and the several 
varieties and grades of color exhibited by different persons will be 
also revealed in their writings. The difference between the works 
of Tennyson and Swinburne, for example, are proofs of this 
proposition. Tennyson has a dark complexion ; his hair and eyes 
are also black or brown, while Swinburne is fairer, and paints his 
scenes in more delicate hues. Each uses color-terms in accord 
with his peculiarities of color. Thus Form and Color influence 
Language. Construction also assists, and, as we have seen formerly, 
thought and feeling exert their quota of influence upon our 
Language. 

The homogeneousness of Nature as exhibited in man’s organ¬ 
ism makes it possible for the keen physiognomist to know by the 
contour of a man’s head, face, nose, brow, or fingers, even, which 
class of words he will use most. The square, bony man will use 
the noun part of Language,—good, simple, strong Saxon; his 
fingers and finger-tips and nails will be more angular and inclined 
to squareness than the adjective person, whose fingers will be 
inclined to taper, and will exhibit oval nails, while arches and ovals 
will be found in his features, limbs, and outlines. Charles James 
Fox said: “Give me an elegant Latin word and a homely Saxon 
word, and I will always choose the latter;” and his forehead was 
square. Every primary part of speech finds its representation in 
the five primary and elementary forms of man, and each form will 
be characterized by the use of the class of words which are in 
accord with such form. The vegetative structure, being selfish 
and emotional, will express itself in domestic and emotional terms; 
the thoracic class, in hopeful and aspiring language, full of courage, 
daring, resolution, and progress. The muscular class will use 
forcible, strong, vehement, passionate language, and if refined and 
educated will affect the most artistic, affectionate, sarcastic, witty, 
and descriptive language; while the brain and nerve class will 
use the class of words which are in consonance with the form of 
their brain. If the brain be rounding the adjective and verb 
element will be used, but if the brain be angular the noun or 
Saxon element will be used, mostly. 

Now, by this method of analysis we can account for the great 
variety of style observed in the writing and speeches of orators and 
literates. The elegance and ornateness of the works of Addison 
harmonize with his straight, artistic nose, yet are not remarkable 
for their allusions to color, nor are they remarkable for ardor, for 
he was relatively fair. The speeches of Gambetta were fiery, 


LANGUAGE. 


657 


vehement, forcible, clear, and most decided, characterized by short, 
pithy, concrete, lucid sentences. His forehead was square and 
receding, giving the practical and noun element to his language; 
his color was dense; he had very black hair and eyes and red 
cheeks and lips; hence his impetuosity, fervor, and enthusiasm. 
The impassioned sentiments to which he gave utterance were 
caught up by his listening auditors, and thus by one of Nature’s 
tine and subtile chromatic laws he was enabled to sway them by 
the force evolved from his color, and carry his audience with him 
wheresoever he would. Do you think a soft, round, vegetative, 
colorless, limp, boneless individual could have done tins'? The 
hardness of his bony structure gave weight and solidity to his 
thoughts, as well as squareness and honesty. It also imparted 
the practical, clear, truthful, concrete quality, while his color by 
its chemical and calorific properties enabled him to electrify and 
magnetize his hearers. 

In order, dear readers, to understand the wonderful mechan¬ 
ism of the mind, we are obliged to comprehend something of 
scientific law and to base our observations upon analysis of all 
the sciences. It will not do to ascribe all of man’s power to the 
size of his sJcull and to “ cerebral organs,” which demonstration now 
shows are made of bone and muscle; neither can we charge the 
brain with possessing the force and energy which the well-colored 
individual displays, although the color in the individual certainly 
makes the brain more vigorous, as it does all the tissues. It is 
said that Dr. Gall discovered the “organ” of Language by 
observing that his fellow-students whose eyes were large and full 
exhibited the greatest memory of words and talent for learning 
languages, and so jumped to the conclusion that an “organ” of the 
brain was pushing out the eye, while any one can see that it is the 
size of the eleven muscles of the eyeball which causes the eye to be 
large. Dr. Gall, in this judgment, was true to the law of his own 
formation; his brain was large and particularly full in front, and 
with this formation he would naturally lay great stress upon the 
brain and ascribe to it great powers. He was an excellent anato¬ 
mist, and I wonder that he overlooked this fact; but, I suppose 
that in the order of destiny he was waiting for a physiognomical 
Columbus to come along and discover it. He has done the world 
a great service, but no scientist in the field of human science can 
discover the whole of human nature, any more than one astronomer 
can discover all that is to be known of the heavenly bodies. We 
each add our quota according to our light, and pass on. Recent- 
discoveries by Dr. Ferrier and other anatomists prove that certain 
areas of the brain are representative of certain faculties, but the 

42 


658 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


area back of the eyeball is not the area where Language is repre¬ 
sented in the cerebral structure. It is the facial sign for the 
faculty of Language , by reason of its excessive muscular develop¬ 
ment and its connection with the muscular system. 

The faculty which most distinguishes man from the brute 
creation is human speech, and human language exists to-day in 
the world in every degree of development possible, from the gut¬ 
tural utterances of the babe, idiot, and undeveloped races to the 
most expressive, elastic, and polished speech of the most eloquent 
races. Comparison of the mouth, eye, and ear of the most unde¬ 
veloped races with the same features in the most civilized and 
polished peoples, together with a comparison of their several lan¬ 
guages, shows them to have evolved progressively in the exact 
ratio of their physiological formation and quality as a race. More 
particularly is development advanced as the muscular system has 
become perfected,—a fact which philologists have apparently over¬ 
looked. Let the reader procure a work on ethnology, and compare 
the features involved in the production and reception of tone in 
some of the native Australian races or the Digger Indians with 
those of the Caucasian races, and he will see a notable difference 
in the eyes, mouth, and ear, as well as in all those parts of the 
body which assist Language. The chest in the Australian is 
sunken, the throat thin, the nose flat, the eye small, and all the 
muscles deficient in size and quality. Their language is monosyl¬ 
labic and guttural, and has no terms to express such sentiments as 
love, justice, mercy, and the like emotions. The oral and aural 
formation is little above that of the orang-outang, for their mouth, 
eye, ear, and nose are scarcely human. Other races, such as the 
Mongolian, disclose in the formation of their physiognomies the 
infantile condition of their language; which all goes to prove that 
by analyzing races, physiologically and physiognomically, we can 
arrive at a just estimate of their grade in the faculty of Language. 

The ancient Greeks, by virtue of their superior development of 
the muscular system, evolved the most expressive and elastic of all 
languages. Their orations have never been excelled, and much of 
their power was due to the perfection of the language, as well as 
to the flexibility of the muscles of the vocal cords, larynx, mouth, 
tongue, and lips. This nation sought the perfection of the human 
form by the encouragement and exercise of those games which 
tended to the highest development of the muscular system. The 
Olympian, Nemean, and Isthmian games were nationai and univer¬ 
sal throughout ancient Greece, and were maintained at the expense 
of the government. They were considered sacred by the people, 
and the victors had special honors paid to them, which in some 


LANGUAGE. 


659 


instances descended to their children. The ancient Greeks excelled 
in written and spoken language; also in gesture, attitude, and 
gracefulness. They had large, full eyes, rounded limbs, and all the 
signs of the dominance of the muscular system. The quality of 
the muscles had direct bearing upon the fluency of language. The 
shape of the mouth, lips, cheeks, chin, throat, and nose are all 
concerned in vocal expressions. If the mouth be large, and the 
lips full and red, the language will be copious and fluent; with a 
good brain system to produce thought; and with culture, oratorical 
ability will be manifested. A large mouth, without fine or good 
inherited quality, will gabble rather than converse, for conversation 
presupposes thought. A small mouth with thin lips indicates 
Secretiveness; so also do small eyes. A large mouth with thin 
lips will not exhibit as much talkativeness as one with large, full 
lips. Crooked mouths which are congenital, and not the result of 
accident, are not trustworthy, and will not exhibit as great degree 
of truthfulness and fidelity as straight mouths. Crooked eyes 
evince the same untruthful proclivities, ranging all the way from 
plausibility and amiability to positive falsehood, depending upon the 
amount of their deflection from a straight line. Many of the 
most refined and truthful persons in the world exhibit eyebrows 
which tend downward at the outer corners; in them it denotes 
agreeability, but where this appearance exists with coarse quality, 
and the muscular system is dominant, natural untruthfulness will 
be observed. Those who possess large, full eyes and full lips, with 
large mouth and good quality, are natural speakers and elocution¬ 
ists, and, with a good brain-form, orators. These signs are present 
in the physiognomies, portraits, and busts of all the celebrated 
orators of ancient and modern times. Large-eyed people having 
the muscular as one of the dominant systems possess also other 
muscular traits, such as Constructiveness and Imagination. They 
are hence adapted to the acquisition of foreign languages, and can 
become excellent writers, if educated. Many uneducated persons 
with large Language and good quality have excelled in literature 
of the imaginative and dramatic sort. Of this number I may 
mention Susanna Centlivre and Miss Elizabeth Inchbald, English 
dramatic authors, who possessed only a meagre amount of the 
rudiments of education. Their portraits show large and full eyes, 
arched eyebrows, oval face, full lips, and dark hair. Bright eyes, 
if full and wide-open, denote linguistic ability, and belong to keen, 
vivacious, brilliant minds, full of sentiment, with power to express 
it by voice and pen. 

Madame de Stael’s eyes were of this class, and her writings 
speak for themselves. Her conversation was bright, witty, and 


660 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


interesting, but as she desired to monopolize the conversation she 
often proved tedious. Had she lived in these days she could have 
put her surplus linguistic abilities to use in platform oratory, in 
which she would have shone. Many persons are gifted in expres¬ 
sion whose eyes appear to be small because the, brow projects so 
far as to prevent their size being apparent. Such persons belong 
to the observing classes, and can describe well what they see. 
Where the eyes appear small and the language is fluent, one should 
examine the mouth, lips, cheeks, throat, ear, and nose for corrobo¬ 
rative signs, for all these are concerned in the expression of 
Language. Small-mouthed persons rarely talk on large, profound, 
and weighty subjects, for size of the mouth is, in a certain sense, 
proportioned to the capability of the intellectual powers. Such 
mouths chatter and twitter like birds, and use a great deal of 
pretty small-talk, but are never eloquent, for the small structure of 
such mouths prevents the copiousness and volume essential to true 
eloquence. 

The several degrees of brightness of the eye reveal the several 
degrees of force of Language. The color also is indicative of 
power of expression. Eyes that are large and scintillating, which 
flash and gleam with emotion, are dramatic and tragic, particularly 
if they are black or brown. Eyes which are large and luminous 
are those which look into the things of eternal life; they are affec¬ 
tionate, spirituelle, and intuitive. This last quality is present when 
the eyes are large and flat, rather than convex. The subjects 
which engage their attention, and upon which they converse, are 
sentimental, religious, and metaphysical. Very small, beady, black 
eyes are very secretive and passionate. Thin lips, with small or 
medium-sized mouth, are also secretive, and are characteristic of 
miserly or saving habits, especially if wrinkled. 

An orator must possess a wide, straight mouth, height of the 
roof of the mouth, full lips, full cheeks, large or medium-sized 
eyes, high nose its entire length, and width of nostrils. Height 
of the nose and capacious air-passages are necessary to give sono¬ 
rousness and resonance to the voice. The wide mouth is neces¬ 
sary to assist volume, for when the orator becomes aroused, and 
gives vent to a terrific outburst of invective, of sarcasm, or of im¬ 
passioned feeling, he must have room and scope for its expression. 
A small mouth would not be competent in this emergency. The 
lips must be full to assist articulation and give force and power to 
the enunciation. Full lips also show a certain development of 
character, without which no man can be an orator. They disclose 
Amativeness, or love of the opposite sex, which is the very foun¬ 
dation of all high manliness and womanliness, and, as shown 


LANGUAGE. 


661 


elsewhere in this book, is the basis of all mentally-creative states, 
such as artists and orators require for their efforts. Full lips also 
reveal other characteristics equally essential, for in the lower lip 
is the sign for Benevolence and in the upper lip the sign for Love 
of Young. All these faculties must the man of feeling possess. 
An orator might deliver the most lofty and intellectual oration, yet 
if he lacked the melting tenderness of emotion he would be utterly 
unable to arouse the feelings of his auditors, or sway them at his 
will. And in the portraits of all the great orators,—in those of 
Burke, Fox, Erskine, Curran, Sheridan, Pitt, Clay, Calhoun, 
Webster, and in the busts of Cicero, Demosthenes, iEschines, and 
others, the domestic traits are very prominent and of a refined cast. 

A speaker must feel and exhibit the faculties and emotions 
which he wishes to arouse, and he cannot do this unless he pos¬ 
sess them. An audience never responds to simulated feeling, 
neither is it as responsive to pure intellect as it is to appeals to our 
common nature, to our domestic ties and affections, and love of 
native land; and herein lay the great power exhibited by the Irish 
orators, Grattan and Curran. Of the last mentioned, Charles 
Phillips, his biographer, says:— 

He had a swarthy complexion and his eye glowed like a coal of fire. 
His countenance was singularly expressive, and, as he stood before a jury, 
he not only read their hearts with a searching glance, but he gave them 
back his own in all the fluctuation of his feelings, from laughter to tears. 
His power lay in the variety and strength of his emotions. His own feelings 
were warm and easily touched.* 

‘‘There’s a charm in delivery, a magical art, 

That thrills like a kiss from the lip to the heart ; 

’Tis the glance, the expression, the well-cliosen word, 

By whose magic the depths of the spirit are stirred. 

The smile, the mute gesture, the soul-stirring pause, 

The eyes’ sweet expression that melts while it awes. 

The lips soft, persuasion its musical tone ; 

Oh 1 such were the charms of that eloquent one.” 

In this verse the poet has unconsciously mentioned all the 
salient points of true oratory, viz., the lips, eyes, facial expres¬ 
sion, magnetism, sympathy, smiles, gesture, harmony, enthusiasm, 
silence. 

A man who could only exhibit brilliancy of intellect in speak¬ 
ing would resemble a glittering iceberg,—calm, cool, great, and 
emotionless. In the case of Curran, his swarthy color gave force 
and intensity to his language. It was the same with Daniel 
Webster,—“ Black Dan,” as he was termed. Many other great 
orators were dark and full of color and power, but all, without 
exception, had a wide, straight mouth, full cheeks, a large nose 

* Orators and Statesmen, D. A. Harslia, p. 238. 


662 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


and nostrils, and good length from the tip of the nose to the point 
of the chin, together with width of the cavity of the ear in its three 
dimensions, horizontal, vertical, and perpendicular. All great 
philologists, lexicographers, and famous linguists present specifi¬ 
cally most of these signs. The countenance of Noah Webster, the 
author of 44 Webster’s Dictionary,” is a fine illustration of the 
faculty of Language. To full eyes he adds all the other signs of 
large Language, viz., a wide, straight mouth, full lips, a straight 
nose, full cheeks and lips, curving lower jaw, and a rounding, 
muscular, slightly dimpled chin. His brain development was of 
the finest quality and his forehead was squared at the temples, 
thus indicating the rectitude and squareness of his mental processes. 
History records instances of men who have exhibited most extra¬ 
ordinary power in acquiring language. Of Marcus Annaeus 
Seneca it is related that he could repeat two thousand words in 
the order in which he heard them. He was also gifted as an 
author and rhetorician. Julius Caesar Scaliger and his son, Joseph 
Justus, possessed most wonderful verbal memories and were great 
linguists. August Wilhelm von Schlegel was master of many lan¬ 
guages and translated the 44 Bhagavad-Gita,” a Sanskrit classic, 
into Latin. Bichard Porson, a most gifted linguist and Greek 
scholar, attributed his extraordinary power of memory to his habit 
of writing everything which he wished to memorize. He told a 
friend that he recollected nothing which he had not transcribed 
three times or read at least six times, adding that any one who 
would take the same trouble would acquire the same powers. His 
proficiency in arithmetic also was such that, at nine years of age, 
he could extract cube roots in his head. He could recite 44 Jack 
the Giant Killer ” or half a book of Milton with the same facility. 
He was considered the greatest verbal critic of modern times. 

He was able to express himself in fifty-six languages, and was ac¬ 
quainted with sixty-four others. He wrote nothing of importance relative 
to any one of them.* 

His mind was more of a storehouse than a manufactory. An 
intellect which has the capacity to acquire many languages and 
write originally is indeed a first-class mind. Such were 

Humboldt, Niebuhr, Ben and Samuel Johnson, authors; Euler, math¬ 
ematician ; Gibbon, the historian ; Hugo de Grotius, statesman; Henry 
Hallam, historian ; Claude Adrian Helvetius, universally accomplished and 
a materialistic philosopher; Andre Marie Ampere, mathematician, elec¬ 
trician, and philologist; Count de Buffon, naturalist; Olaus Celsius, botan¬ 
ist and Orientalist,—a great student of Eastern languages; Albert von 
Haller, an exceedingly precocious and rickety child, but very laborious and 
possessed of a remarkable memory for languages and facts. To these we 

* Gallon’s Hereditary Genius. 


LANGUAGE. 663 

may add the names of Huygens, the Herschels, Arago, Napoleon Bonaparte, 
whose memory was prodigious, and Lessing, a German litterateur.* 

The acquisition of Language, like all other traits, can be cul¬ 
tivated to a great degree, and persons lacking in the expression of 
different parts of speech may overcome this defect by writing a list 
of adjectives, nouns, interjections, or whatever part of speech they 
most lack, and, by placing them before them while writing, may 
soon become familiar with a great variety of words. I am obliged 
to keep constantly before me a list of adjectives suited to the topic 
of which I am treating in order to supplement my natural deficiency 
of the adjective element. 

The combinations of faculties which are found with large 
Language determine the style and direction which talented people 
will take in writing or speaking. Those with large Language, 
large Love of Young, Constructiveness, Ideality, and Mirthfulness 
will write well for and of children. Charles Dickens’ physiognomy 
is an illustration of this combination; so, also, is Miss Louise 
Alcott’s face characterized by similar traits. Those who combine 
high Quality and large Sublimity, Comparison, Human Nature, 
Observation, and Memory of Events, and good domestic traits, 
exhibit fine oratorical powers; those with a fine and strong brain 
system, together with large Observation, Memory of Events, and 
small Secretiveness, large Ideality, and fine reasoning powers, make 
good journalists ; with Executiveness added, can both write for and 
manage a newspaper or periodical; with large Language, Ideality, 
Mental Imitation, Amativeness, Self-will, Analysis, Human Nature, 
and Secretiveness large, they can become actors; with large Form, 
Size, Constructiveness, Memory of Events, and Comparison, and 
fair degree of Language, they can easily learn to speak, read, and 
translate foreign languages. Many persons possess the capacity for 
writing and expressing themselves well by the pen, and yet lack 
fluency in conversation. This class of persons have relatively small 
eyes, hut possess good verbal memory, Constructiveness, Amative¬ 
ness, Reason, and either Imagination or other traits to assist these 
efforts. I am convinced that every primary part of speech is rep¬ 
resented in the physiognomy as well as in the brain. I have not 
as yet located them, but can judge by the peculiarities of the face 
under observation which parts of speech will be most used. 

Lavater, in his observations upon Language, shows that he 
understood the value of the mouth and ears as indications of elo¬ 
quence, expression, and linguistic talent; but, lacking the neces¬ 
sary physiological knowledge, he was unable to analyze and trace 
the source of these faculties. Many of the most gifted orators 

* Beeton’s Biographical Dictionary, 




664 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


have been obliged to overcome, by most patient and laborious 
efforts, certain defects of Nature in order to become speakers. It 
is said that Demosthenes was afflicted with stammering, yet by 
untiring perseverance and by speaking with small pebbles in his 
mouth he overcame this defect and was the most powerful and 
eloquent orator of ancient times. 

Curran’s voice was so bad and liis articulation so hesitating that he 
received the name of “ Stuttering Jack Curran.” His manner was awk¬ 
ward, his gestures constrained and meaningless, and his whole appearance 
calculated to produce laughter. All these faults he overcame by severe 
and patient labor. Long after his first attempts, some one speaking to him 
of his eloquence, said : “ It must have been born with you.” “ Indeed, my 
dear sir,” replied Curran, “ it was not. It was born three and twenty years 
and some months after me.” Meaning b} T this that his discipline had 
only then enabled him to reveal his native powers of expressing oratory.* 

Orators, elocutionists, actors, and lawyers require large verbal 
memory, and by constantly taxing it they increase its powers. The 
muscles of any part of the body, more particularly the muscles of 
the speech, become automatic, as one might say, in their move¬ 
ments and expressions, and phrases once learned follow each other 
spontaneously, just as do the notes of a musical air once learned. 
In this performance the automatism of both ear and vocal organs 
are involved, and are susceptible, as I have shown in the pre¬ 
ceding illustrations, of being cultivated to great perfection from 
very defective conditions. The ability to speak foreign tongues 
does not involve great mentality. The faculty of singing requires 
very little power other than muscular capacity , together with a 
suitable physiological and anatomical construction of the throat, 
mouth, and ear. It is true that the singer requires an emotional 
nature in order to put softness and sympathy into his tones, but 
very little thought of any subject outside of musical judgment is 
required, and the acquisition of tone-material. 

Animals possess methods of communication by audible 
language and expression of sounds by chirping, croaking, whistling, 
singing, barking, bellowing, and in numerous other ways, which 
are just as useful to them in their grade of evolution as is man’s 
perfected speech to him. All the higher animals, after domestica¬ 
tion, comprehend the meaning of many human expressions, tones, 
intonations, and inflections. They comprehend man’s desires, and 
co-operate most intelligently with him in his labors. No animal 
has the gift of human Language. One cause of this is that they 
have not a suitable laryngeal, nasal, and aural formation; the roof 
of the mouth is too low in all the higher apes, as in some idiots, 
thus showing that, as evolution advances a race, the physiologi- 

* Orators and Statesmen, D. A. Harsha, p. 232. 


MUSIC. 


665 


cal and anatomical structure advances with it. Animals have no 
need of human expression, for their limited pathway through life 
is such that a greater part of our Language would be useless to 
them; and yet, I think, no one has ever become greatly attached 
to a pet dog or horse without wishing a thousand times that it 
could converse with him. I must confess, I have often longed to 
hold converse with my horses and dogs, and have felt great sorrow 
at their limited powers in this direction. Their physiognomies 
are most expressive. Particularly is this the case with dogs, which 
feel all the emotions that excite us, for they express love of 
young, of the opposite sex, hatred, revenge, grief, sorrow, jealousy, 
friendliness, benevolence, mirth, trickery, acting by gestures, looks, 
and capers, and, as they cannot show all these emotions to us by 
speech, Nature has given them lithe, flexible bodies and expressive 
eyes and singular motions, as well as a tail with which they can 
show shame, fear, joy, and other feelings. 

I advise my readers to make a study of ethnographical physi¬ 
ognomy, and compare the facial and other appearances of different 
races, in relation to the signs of Language shown by each. But 
of one thing I am sure: they will in all cases find the most 
talented linguists, speakers, orators, and elocutionists in those races 
and individuals who possess the best-developed and finest muscular 
systems, fine quality always serving as a test of superiority. 

MUSIC. 

Definition .—The love, genius, and capacity for producing 
musical tones by the voice or upon an instrument; ability to sing 
and play music without instruction; a sense of melody and rhythm 
as in speaking, conversing, and in poetical composition, related to 
the movements of the earth and to the pulsations of the heart and 
other organs; the talent for musical composition. 

An excess of the musical sense cannot be considered detri¬ 
mental, for where it amounts to genius its possessor can make a 
most practical use of his art and give happiness to thousands; it 
need not be suppressed. 

A deficiency of the faculty of rhythm and music is a very 
great detriment, and efforts should be made in early life to improve 
this natural defect. This can be done by training the child, first, 
by causing it to attend to the quality and pitch* of natural sounds 
as emitted by animals and birds, and then by training its ear and 
voice in vocal and musical sounds. Many apparently hopeless 
cases have been greatly improved by a systematic course of training. 
Knowledge and recognition of sounds and tones is most essential 
in many professions. The character is more harmonious and 


666 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


symmetrical in conjunction with a good degree of musical 
ability. One’s safety often depends upon knowledge of sounds, 
and a keen ear is necessary in the use of the telegraph and some 
surgical instruments. 

Facial and Bodily Signs. —The most conspicuous facial signs 
of the presence of the musical faculty are found in the mouth, 
ear, tongue, teeth, lips, cheeks, nose, chin, and eye. The signs in 
the eye are secondary; the other signs are primary and belong to 

the apparatus which emits 
and receives musical and 
vocal tones and sounds. 
Musical capacity is large 
in those who exhibit a 
large mouth or one of aver¬ 
age width ; full, red lips; 
rounding cheeks; short, 
round, soft, muscular, or 
cartilaginous nose; a chin 
well developed in regard 
to length, height of the 
roof of the mouth, relative 
length of the face from the 
tip of the nose to the point 
of the chin , and fullness of 
the forehead , where are 
located the frontal sinuses. 
The fullness at this point 
shows that the cavities of 
the sinuses are large and 
hollow, and this peculiarity 
of formation assists reso¬ 
nance of tone, acting upon 
the principle of the drum. 
The ear must be rounding 
in form, and the concha of 
the auricle or shell of the ear in all good musicians exhibits verti¬ 
cal, lateral, and perpendicular development. Most musical ears 
have many flutings and convolutions, and are of all sizes, from the 
tiny, round, pink ear, resembling a sea-shell, to the large, round, 
and long ear seen upon the head of some organists and other instru¬ 
mentalists. E. M. Bowman, an eminent Boston organist, possessed 
very large, rounding ears; he was also of a large, round build, and 
well illustrates the musical form. Professor Willis writes, in regard 
to the ear, as follows:—- 



Fig. 105.—homer RODEHEAVER. (Music Leader 
WITH THE REV. WM. A. SUNDAY, EVANGELIST.) 

Principal facial sign, Music, shown by the round 
ear, pendent lobule, large 'mouth; full, red lips; 
full cheeks; short, thick, muscular nose; length 
from the tip of the nose to point of the chin; full, 
round throat, curved jaw, broad and h«igh thorax, 
rounding head and body. The law of the curve 
governs this physiognomy. In this face are all the 
signs for first-grade vocal ability. The domestic 
and social faculties are decidedly developed, Pat¬ 
riotism, Love of Home, Benevolence, Love of 
Young, Approbativeness, Hospitality, Friendship, 
Modesty, Color, and Self-esteem are very apparent. 
The nose at its point shows the signs for ideality, 
Analysis, Hope, Sublimity, Constructiveness, Ac¬ 
quisitiveness, and Self-will large; these faculties 
are used mainly in connection with music and 
language, and not in literature. The signs for 
Form, Size, Language, Credenciveness, Memory of 
Events, and Intuition are conspicuous. 


MUSIC. 


667 


The rounded, well-formed ear, that sets forward and outward instead 
of being flat on the head, is a good sign of musical taste, if not of talent. 
The voice, however, depends upon the structure of the vocal organs and the 
knowledge of using them.* 



Lavater, too, understood the ear to be an indicator of musical 
and oratorical talent. He speaks of “eloquent ears, and the ears 
of a musician.” Another observer gives as a sign of talent for 
singing “a heavy, pendent lobule” of the lower part of the ear. 
This sign is confirmed by 
reference to the ears of all 
the great prima donnas, 
bassos, and tenors, while 
those who are instrumental¬ 
ists merely do not exhibit 
this formation. 

The eye of all musi¬ 
cians, more especially of 
singers, is large, bright, 
rounded or convex, the eye¬ 
brows curved, and the gen¬ 
eral shape of the outline of 
the face is oval or rounded. 

The chin, cheeks, and the 
corners of the mouth of 
many musicians display 
dimples; the head is round 
or rounding. 

The bodily signs of the 
presence of musical ability 
are shown by rounding body 
(caused by the dominance 
of the muscles); high, 
arched chest; full, round¬ 
ing, or oval face; round 
throat, round arms and 
legs, arched feet; tapering, 
dimpled fingers; small and 
rounding joints. The musi¬ 
cal structure is, in short, 
built upon a system of curves, ovals, ovoids, and roundness gener¬ 
ally of every part. 

Description of Music. —Motion is the basis of form, and 
form and motion are the bases of musical sounds. Musical sounds 


Fig. 106.—LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN. 

Composer.) 


(Musical 


Born in Germany, 1770. Principal facial signs, 
Constructiveness and Music. The law of the straight 
line, curve, and square governs this physiognomy. 
This face shows constructive genius in every feature; 
even the hair in its manner of growth and position 
denotes inventive, original, individualized capacity. 
The squareness of the forehead indicates both rectitude 
and scientific powers. The compositions of this great 
genius reveal the presence of both these traits. The 
dimpled chin and curved “dramatic jaw” disclose dra¬ 
matic ability. The nose is broad on the back its entire 
length. The signs for love of the beautiful in the oppo¬ 
site sex, Patriotism, Benevolence, and Conscience are 
large ; Mirthfulness, Love of Young, and Amativeness 
normal. In the nose the signs for Ideality, Sublimity, 
Mental Imitation, Analysis, Acquisition, Constructive¬ 
ness, Veneration, and Self-will are of the highest order. 
Language, Color, Form, Size, Observation, Prescience, 
Calculation, Locality, Reason, Memory of Events, and 
Intuition are pre-eminent. The expression denotes 
great capacity for prolonged attention and the power 
of abstraction. This unequaled musical genius repre¬ 
sents the scientific side of Music in his wonderful 
compositions, and is well named,—“The father of 
Music.” 


* A Treatise on Human Nature, A. F. Willis, p. 624. 



668 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

are produced by the elasticity of the air and muscles, hence the 
muscular system is the one best adapted to produce musical eftects, 
whether by the voice or by playing upon reed, wind, or string in¬ 
struments; thus, motion, elasticity, and resonance are the basic 
elements of sound, yet all are resolvable into motion and mathe¬ 
matics as primary agents. The voice of man has also three prop¬ 
erties, viz., force, pitch, and quality. In their ultimate analysis 
they are also found to be derived from motion, i.e., the movements 

of the air, and primarily 
from the movements of the 
earth through space. 

The motions produced 
in the atmosphere by the 
sound of the musical tones 
of the voice or of a wind 
instrument are curved, and 
reach the ear (itself* a 
curved or rounded organ 
both within and without), 
where they are taken up by 
the nerves and carried to 
the brain, and there become 
conscious sound. 

Music being the uni¬ 
versal expression of emo¬ 
tions, both animal and 
human, is based on uni¬ 
versal law. Music is gen¬ 
erally classed with the arts. 
One expression of it, as in 
singing, is an art purely, 
yet its basis lies deep down 
in universal scientific law. 
It is connected with the 
very foundation of the uni¬ 
verse, and stands related to the great chain of complex laws of 
astronomy, through the laws of number, motion, form, resonance, 
elasticity, harmony, melody, time, space, and rhythm, thus giving 
to the poetic term “ the music of the spheres ” a practical and 
scientific meaning. Many forms of musical expression are exhib¬ 
ited in the insect and animal kingdoms, but are best displayed 
and more musical where the muscular is one of the dominant sys¬ 
tems, for no other portion of the animal structure is adapted to or 
capable of expressing sound or tone, either musical or unmusical. 



Fig. 107.—ETELKA GERSTER. (Vocalist.) 

Born in Hungary, 1857. Principal facial sign, 
Music. Tlie law of the straight line and curve governs 
this face. The domestic nature is highly developed, as 
well as the artistic phase of character. The dramatic 
jaw, rounding chin, and size and form of the nose 
announce high dramatic qualities. The ear is a musical 
one, and by its numerous convolutions shows high 
development of mind. The signs for Patriotism, Con¬ 
science, Love of Home, Love of Young, Amativeness, 
Friendship. Modesty, Benevolence, Mirthfulness, Ap- 
probativeness, and Color are prominent. In the nose 
the signs for Human Nature, Ideality, Sublimity, Con¬ 
struction, Acquisition, Mental Imitation, Hope, Analy¬ 
sis. Veneration, and Self-will are pre-eminent. Lan¬ 
guage, Form, Size, Observation, Location, Calculation, 
Memory of Events, and Intuition are large. It is the 
portrait of an incomparable artist, a devoted wife and 
mother, a gentle, lovely woman. 



MUSIC. 


669 


The elements of sound are motion, curves, resonance, elasticity, as 
in the air; or as found in muscle, strings, or reeds, or other material 
capable of tension, as in the drum-head; or by resonance, as in 
reeds, pipes, and the cavities of the drum, banjo, horn, whistle, 
etc. The lungs of men and animals, and the frontal sinuses in 
man, as well as the nasal cavities, are analogous to the hollow 
cavities of the violin, horn, drum, reeds, etc. In all of these in¬ 
struments the ruling elements are elasticity and a form suited to 



the production of sonorous 
vibrations. Now, the forms 
of all musical instruments 
are either round or curv¬ 
ing. The musical sounds 
of the voice are also curved. 
On this point let me quote 
Dr. Dalton. He remarks:— 


The form produced in the 
atmosphere by the ogans of the 
voice in singing is a curve or a 
wave-like succession of im¬ 
pulses or tremors, which are 
carried forward through the 
atmosphere from the voice to 
the ear, and are there received 
by a rounding, external.organ 
(the auricle or shell of the ear), 
thence carried through the 
meatus, a round channel, to 
the drum or tympanum, a 
resonant membrane stretched 
across the cavity of the meatus, 
which receives the sonorous 
vibrations that have been col¬ 
lected by the external ear and 
conducted inward by the exter¬ 
nal auditory meatus. Behind 
the membrana tympani is the 


Fig. 108.—AUGUSTE EMIL WILHELMIJ. 

(Composer, Violinist.) 

Born 1845. Conspicuous facial sign, Music, shown by 
the supremacy of the muscular system; also by a short, 
round, muscular nose, rounding ear, and length from 
the tip of the nose to the point of the chin. In this face 
the signs for the domestic traits are manifest. Firm¬ 
ness and Conscience are normal. Love of Home, of 
Country, and of Young, with Benevolence, Modesty, 
Friendship, Alimentiveness, Pneumativeness, are highly 
manifested’. The round chin and curving jaw announce 
artistic capacities. Cautiousness and Credenciveness 
are not conspicuous. The color-sense is well defined. 
In the nose the signs for Hope, Analysis, Ideality, Sub¬ 
limity, Mental Imitation, Human Nature, Constructive¬ 
ness, Acquisitiveness, Veneration, Executiveness, and 
Self-will are all well defined, the latter giving ability for 
musical leadership. The faculties of Observation, 
Locality, Form, Size, Calculation, Memory of Events, 
Time, Order, and Musical Reason are marked. 


cavity of the middle ear or the 

cavity of the tympanum. This cavity communicates posteriorly with the mas¬ 
toid cells, and anteriorly with the pharynx by a narrow passage running down¬ 
ward, forward, and inward, called the Eustachian tube. A chain of small 
Pones—the malleus, incus, and stapes (the mallet, anvil, and hammer, so 
called on account of their resemblance to these implements)—is stretched 
across the cavity of the tympani and forms a communication between the 
membrana tympani on the outside, and the membrane closing the foramen 
ovale in the petrous portion of the temporal bone. All the vibrations ac¬ 
cordingly which are received by the tympanic membrane are transmitted by 
the chain of bones to the membrane of the foramen ovale. The tension of 


the membrane is regulated by two small muscles, the tensor tympani and 
stapedius muscles, which arise from the bony parts in the neighborhood 


670 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


and are inserted respectively into the neck of the malleus and the head 
of the stapes, and which draw these bones forward and backward upon 
their articulations. Behind the membrane of the foramen ovale lies the 
labyrinth or internal ear. This consists of a complicated cavity, excavated 
in the petrous portion of the temporal bone, and comprising an ovoid central 
portion of the vestibule , a double spiral canal, the cochlea, and three semi¬ 
circular canals, all communicating by means of the common vestibule. All 
parts of this cavity contain a watery fluid, termed the perilymph. The ves¬ 
tibule and semicircular canals also contain closed membranous sacs, sus¬ 
pended in the fluid of the perilymph, which reproduce exactly the form of 
the bony cavities themselves and communicate with each other in a similar 
way. The sacs are filled with another watery fluid, the endolymph , and the 
terminal filaments of the auditory nerve are distributed upon the mem¬ 
branous sac of the vestibule and upon the ampullae or membranous dilations 
at the commencement of the three semicircular canals. The remaining 
portion of the auditory nerve is distributed upon the septum between the 
two spiral canals of the cochlea.* 

The entire operation of hearing is thus shown to be carried 
forward and perfected by motions which produce a series of curves , 
ovoids , or round forms, caused by the action of muscle, air, nerve, 
and liquids, which, as Professor Tyndall has explained, carries 
sound by tremors or shivers. These tremors are curved or wave¬ 
like impulses and produce wavy motions. No other form could 
produce musical sounds, nor could musical sounds create any other 
forms except those which were curved, ovoid, or rounding. Now, 
all these motions are in harmony with the curvilinear form of the 
earth and of its motion or pathway through the heavenly spaces. 
The form in the air which the sound of the human voice causes 
when blown through a French horn is nearly circular, modified to 
some extent. This is abstract form , the same as is a gesture or 
the flight of birds through the air, or the form which a projectile 
takes. All these are forms as much as though they left an imper¬ 
ishable shape after them. They all, however, assume curvilinear 
forms through the air. 

The ear is the most intricate and wonderful organ of the body 
and transcends in delicacy the operations of the eye. On this point 
Professor Tyndall remarks that 

Light, like sound, is excited by pulses or waves, and lights of different 
colors, like sounds of different pitch, are excited by different wave-vibrations; 
but in the width of perception the ear exceedingly transcends the eye, for’ 
while the former ranges over eleven octaves, but little more than a single 
octave is possible to the latter. The quickest vibrations which strike the e}'e 
as light have only about twice the rapidity of the slowest, whereas the quick¬ 
est vibrations which strike the ear as a musical sound have more than two 
thousand times the rapidity of the slowest.f 

The keenness of hearing is shown to far exceed the keenness 


* Dalton’s Treatise on Human Physiology, pp. 506, 507. 
f On Sound, Prof. John Tyndall, p. 75. 


MUSIC. 


671 


of sight. Scientific demonstration, with the aid of most ingenious 
and delicate instruments has disclosed the following facts. Pro¬ 
fessor Tyndall says:— 

The human ear is limited in its range of hearing musical sounds. If 
the vibrations number less than sixteen a second we are conscious of only 
the separate shocks; if they exceed thirty-eight thousand a second the con¬ 
sciousness of sound ceases altogether. The range of the best ear covers 
about eleven octaves, but an auditory range limited to six or seven octaves 
is not uncommon.* 

The superior power of the sense of hearing to that of sight 
is well illustrated in pathognomy. It is well known that in many 
acute cases of sickness the sense of hearing becomes quickened 
and intensified to a painful degree, and cases are related of 
the sense of hearing having become so sensitive as to enable the 
patient to detect the step of friends upon the threshold, while the 
attendant was perfectly unconscious of their approach. The eye, 
on the contrary, in most disorders loses its power, and often be¬ 
comes enfeebled for a long time after the disorder has ceased. 

The eye, being less complex in its structure than the ear, is 
better understood by anatomists. The ear, being much more com¬ 
plicated in its structure, has in some respects eluded the researches 
of the scientists. A fine idea of its structure, as now known, is 
obtained from the description given by Professor Tyndall. He 
observes:— 

There is in the labyrinth of the ear a wonderful organ, discovered by 
Marchese Corti, which is to all appearances a musical instrument, with its 
cords so stretched as to accept vibrations of different periods, and transmit 
them to the nerve-filaments which traverse the organ. Within the ear of 
men, and without their knowledge or contrivance this lute of three thousand 
strings (according to Kolliker this is the number of fibres in Corti’s organ) 
has existed for ages, accepting the music of the outer world, and rendering 
it fit for reception by the brain. Each musical tremor which falls upon this 
organ selects from its tensioned fibres the one appropriate to its own pitch 
and throws the fibre into unisant vibration,and thus, no matter how compli¬ 
cated the external air or tone may be, these microscopic strings can analyze 
and reveal the constituents of which it is composed.f 

The physiological basis of music in the human being is found 
mainly in the muscular system, but it derives great assistance from 
the reproductive system, the principal organs of which in both 
male and female are muscular. All great singers, without exception , 
exhibit the sign for Amativeness in the upper lip very well defined. 
It is one of the signs which give redness and fullness to the lip, 
and thus adds beauty to it. They also exhibit large signs of Love 
of Young. This is a predominating trait in great singers, and all 


♦ On Sound, Prof. John Tyndall, p. 84. 


f Ibid., p. 325. 


672 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


are known for their extreme love of children and of pets, many of 
whom they carry about with them on their travels. Patti has her 
little dogs and paroquets, and Di Murska caused great trouble to her 
managers by reason of the assorted menagerie of birds and beasts 
which she insisted upon having with her upon her operatic tours. 

The voice undoubtedly originated from the sexual system, and 
evolution has perfected it to the degree found in the most skillful 
singers and orators. Darwin has treated at length this idea, and 
any one familiar with the lives and habits of singers and musicians 
will be able to trace the power of their highly-wrought emotional 
natures to the love and tenderness derived from the development 
of their domestic traits. The magnetic capacity which great singers 
exhibit in their musical performances is produced partly by the 
tine quality of the muscular system and partly from the tine devel¬ 
opment of the sexual system. On this point Mr. Darwin remarks: 

The capacity and love for singing, though not a sexual character in 
man, must not he passed over. Although the sounds emitted by animals of 
all kinds serve many purposes, a strong case can be made out that the vocal 
organs were primarily used and perfected in relation to the propagation of 
the species. Insects and some few spiders are the lowest animals which 
voluntarily produce any sound, and this is generally effected by the aid of 
beautifully constructed, stridulating organs, which are often confined to the 
males alone. The sounds thus produced consist, I believe in all cases, of 
the same note repeated rhythmically, and this is sometimes pleasing even to 
the ear of man. Their chief, and in some cases exclusive, use appears to be 
either to call or to charm the opposite sex. The amphibians are the lowest 
vertebrates which breathe air, and many of these animals, namely, frogs and 
toads, possess vocal organs which are incessantly used during the breeding 
season, and which are often more highly developed in the male than in the 
female. The male alone of the tortoise utters a note, and this only during 
the season of love; male alligators roar or bellow during the same season. 
Every one knows how largely birds use their vocal organs as a means of 
courtship; and some species likewise perform what may be called instru¬ 
mental music. In the class of animals with which we are here more par¬ 
ticularly concerned, the males of almost all the species use their voices 
during the breeding season much more than at an} T other time, and some are 
absolutely mute excepting at this season. Music affects every emotion, but 
does not of itself excite in us the more terrible emotions of horror, rage, etc. 
It awakens the gentler feelings of tenderness and love, which readily pass 
into devotion. We can concentrate, as Dr. Seaman observes, greater inten¬ 
sity of feeling in a single musical note than in pages of writing. Love is 
still the commonest theme of our songs. 

All these facts with respect to Music become to a certain extent in¬ 
telligible, if we may assume that musical tones and rhythm were used by 
the half-human progenitors of man during the season of courtship, when 
animals of all kinds are excited by the strongest passions. In this case 
from the deeply-laid principle of inherited association, musical tones would 
be likely to excite in us, in a vague, indefinite manner, emotions of a long- 
past age.* 

*The Descent of Man, Charles Darwin, vol. ii, pp. 315-321. 


MUSIC. 


673 


A study of the evolution of man is the only method by which 
we can gain insight into the origin of our faculties and emotions. 
I think that any one who has listened to the grand songs of Patti, 
Neilson, Scalchi, Nevada, Galassi, Ravelli, or any other great 
singer, will have no difficulty in analyzing the feelings which stir 
them. The predominating emotion will be love or tenderness, a 
primitive trait arising from a primitive source; refined, it is true, by 
the high organization of the human family, yet breathing always 
the same spirit of love and magnetic attraction. By analysis, we 
shall find many qualities present in the singer which at first glance 
are unnoticed. Indeed, many fine physical qualities are requisite 
to make a great singer, more particularly as the capacity for 
singing requires very little mental development, but more of the 
finer physiological powers; hence, the signs for singing-ability are 
mainly observed in the mouth, lips, tongue, larynx, and ear. A 
singer must possess a fine quality of muscle, both as regards flexi¬ 
bility and resonance; a suitably-constructed throat, chest, and 
diaphragm; large waist, full chest, strong stomach; good digestive 
powers, shown by full lips, broad nostrils, full cheeks, and good-sized 
mouth; the eyes large and bright, for brightness of the eye indicates 
a high quality of the muscles , as icell as sensitive nerves , and a good 
singer needs sufficient sensitiveness of the nervous system to enable 
him to hear and imitate accurately the finer gradations of tone. 

The entire system must be built upon the curved or arched 
pattern. The eyebrows must he arched in order to give room for 
the wide-open, muscular eyeball; the roof of the mouth (the soft 
palate) must be highly arched, the cheeks rounding, the lower 
jaw well-rounded, and chin slightly forward to assist volume, and 
there must be relative length from the tip of the nose to the point 
of the chin, thus affording dimensions which are requisite for 
giving forth powerful and sonorous tones, viz., width, height, and 
depth to the interior of the mouth. The cavity of the auricle of 
the ear must also possess the same dimensions, while within the 
ear we find that the three semicircular canals are so placed as to 
describe the same geometrical positions. Dalton observes on this 
head:— 

It has been thought to be the office of the semicircular canals to deter¬ 
mine the direction from which the sonorous impulses are propagated. This 
opinion was based upon the curious fact that these canals, always three in 
number, are placed in such positions as to correspond with the three differ¬ 
ent directions of vertical height, lateral extension, and longitudinal exten¬ 
sion (for one of them is nearly vertical and transverse, another vertical 
and longitudinal, and the third horizontal in position). The sonorous im¬ 
pulses, therefore, coming in either of these directions, would be received by 
onlv one of the semicircular canals perpendicularly to its own plane, and 

43 


674 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


an intermediate direction, it was thought, might be appreciated by the 
combined effect of the impulse upon two adjacent canals.* 

The round form observed in singers and musicians denotes 
harmoniously constructed organisms. A musician must be har¬ 
moniously proportioned in order to produce harmony in his works. 
A good musician never exhibits an angular, bony, scrawny, mis¬ 
shapen body nor disproportionate features. It is true that most 
singers have a very short nose, but that is characteristic of the pre¬ 
dominance of the muscular system, the same as is a small, round 
head, and therefore harmonious and proportioned to that peculiar' 
development. Musicians are, as a rule, graceful in their movements, 
owing to the flexibility of the muscles, which in all cases predomi¬ 
nate over the bones, for muscle must tahe command of the bones, 
and all art is dependent upon the flexibility of the muscular system. 
It is impossible to express any emotion with a hard material like 
bone; only muscle is competent to produce curves, and the larynx 
and vocal cords must possess the power of easily curving into 
every gradation of form, “ from the fissure to the true circle.” 

The great physicist, Helmholtz, has made many most inter¬ 
esting experiments in sound. He has shown that melodious, musi¬ 
cal tones produce regular, curved, or wavy forms, while harsh 
sounds cause angular and irregular forms. So one science con¬ 
firms another, and the student of physiognomy will find that each 
science corroborates all other sciences, if only the basis of each be 
sound and correct. We can sum up the system of curves as fol¬ 
lows: Hounded men and women produce musical, melodious sounds. 
Angular men and women produce unmusical, angular, harsh, and 
irregular sounds. Impressions made by rounded instruments, such 
as string or wind, cause musical tones and curved forms. Sounds 
made by angular instruments create harsh and disagreeable tones 
and angular and irregular forms. Professor Helmholtz constructed 
an apparatus by which he could throw upon a screen the forms 
induced by the agitation of the air, which was produced by play¬ 
ing upon a variety of instruments and implements. 

A finely-organized nervous system is another requisite in sing¬ 
ing or playing, for the musician must be able to express sympathy, 
and the coarse-grained performer cannot do this; hence, fineness, 
sensitiveness, and refinement are essential factors in all really good 
or great singers and players. These conditions are the endowment 
of all the best musicians. 

A capacity for sensuous enjoyment and expression is an essen¬ 
tial component of the musician, and those who can best express 
this sentiment exhibit it largely in their own physical make-up. 

* Dalton’s Physiology, p. 510. 


MUSIC. 


675 


A large share of the vegetative system is essential to the ex¬ 
hibition of this quality. In combination with the muscular system 
it gives softness and mellowness to the tones, and, as the vegeta¬ 
tive system is the domestic system par excellence , so soft, melodious 
tones will be given forth by such singers as Gadski and Nordica. 
Any one who listened to the soft, melting tones which issued from 
the lips of Parepa Rosa, and contrasted them with the great mass of 
soft adipose tissue which she exhibited, will not have far to go to 
seek the cause of that mellifluous tone and sensuous, emotional 
power which this charming woman breathed into her songs. She 
was eminently domestic, an estimable wife, and a great-souled, 
sympathetic artist. 

Most great musicians possess round bones as well as round 
muscles, and this peculiarity of structure assists gracefulness of 
gesture, motion, and attitude, as witnessed in the grand lyric 
artists. It also favors instrumentation. The roundness of the 
bones acting in conjunction with round muscles assists the manipu¬ 
lation of instruments of all sorts. This formation is shown by 
very small joints, hidden by muscle, and often creates dimples at 
the wrists, knuckles, chin, and cheeks, and also produces very full 
eyes and an oval face. 

Where the bones are square and the muscles round, the wrist- 
joints are more pronounced, as well as the finger-joints more promi¬ 
nent, of course. This combination will manipulate an instrument 
differently and produce entirely different musical effects than the 
first-mentioned combination. Each musician sings and plays in an 
individualized manner, dependent upon his physiological structure, 
each individual performing according to his bodily build and giv¬ 
ing forth a style of tone in consonance with the presence or absence 
of the many qualities essential to true musical greatness. There 
is a vast amount of difference in performers in regard to the 
amount of the faculty of touch or weight. Some performers only 
tinkle and others bang, while another class, with a sensitive ear, 
graduate their force with such nicety as to produce the finest musi¬ 
cal effects. The ability to use force to any great extent, as in 
organ-playing and in wind instruments, is found best developed 
with those who are round and strong. All the most talented 
cornet-players are large, round men. Many organists are also 
similarly constructed, while the two most eminent violinists, Ole 
Bull and Paganini, were built like a violin-bow, very tall, thin, and 
straight, yet with the muscles in excess of the bones. Pathos and 
melting tenderness are found in company with an organism well 
developed in the vegetative as well as in the muscular system, 
together with a fine quality of the nervous system. 


676 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


The muscles, re-in forced by the nerve-centres, or ganglia, and 
the action of the glands, particularly the glands related to the 
sexual system, are all instrumental in producing line vocal effects, 
whether by oratory or by singing. The singer does not need in¬ 
tellectual power for his purpose, yet does require a line nervous 
organization to give keenness to the auditory nerve. He also re¬ 
quires a high and fine quality of muscle, and this must be inherent ; 
it cannot be evolved by gymnastics, yet every quality can be 
strengthened and sustained by athletic sports. The capacity for 
singing or playing well is thus shown to require mainly a suitable 
bodily organization, with but small amount of pure intellect. 

It is true that the grand lyric artist must have dramatic in¬ 
stincts well cultivated, but this is mainly a muscular trait. The 
singer who interprets character does not need the same degree of 
the knowledge of Human Nature and Analysis that the great tragic 
actor requires, for acting with singing is less intellectual in its 
nature, and does not necessitate the high mental gifts that are 
involved in the presentation of “ King Lear,” “ Othello,” “ Marie 
Antoinette,” or “ Pliedre,” for example; but, in place of these, 
it is essential that the singer should be able to arouse, charm, mag¬ 
netize, and electrify an audience by the innate quality of the voice, 
which proceeds from a suitable bodily organization and is not at all 
dependent upon brain organization, or, in other words, it is not at 
all an intellectual process; and this analysis of the requisites of a 
great singer or player gives us an insight into the rationale of the 
relatively childish capriciousness of most great singers, both male 
and female. It gives us the clue to their strong domestic, affec- 
tional, and amative natures, which, unrestrained, lead them to be 
as capricious and fickle in their love-alfairs as they are in keeping 
their business engagements. Managers of opera companies have 
a rather hard task at times in their endeavors to harmonize the 
differences brought about by the jealousies and child-like quarrels 
of their companies; yet, as the muscular system is one of change, 
they very soon get these amiable children into another mood, and 
thus soothed they are as happy and joyous as larks,—these sweet 
song-birds whose mission it is to delight and make happy thou¬ 
sands less gifted. The following in regard to singers is clipped 
from an old copy of a San Francisco newspaper. It illustrates the 
preceding statement; also the one which ascribes to musicians a 
large share of Love of Young:— 

“ Every one of the opera troupe departed this city accompanied by a 
new small dog and a bird. The dogs were of many breeds,—English pug, 
Japanese pug, and Chihuahua pug,—but every one had a paroquet. It was 
the manager’s great pacificator. When any one got obstreperous, as singers 


MUSIC. 


677 


will, he presented him or her with one of a stock of paroquets brought 
secretly from Mexico.” 

A good ear for sound is of incalculable importance in many 
of the most practical callings. The physician requires a keen, 
sharp ear in order to hear with accuracy the beat of the heart; in 
examinations, also, for detecting diseased conditions of the lungs 
by the use of a stethoscope, etc. The telegraph and telephone 
operator, too, needs a finely-organized auditory apparatus to assist 
him in his work. There are many fine electrical instruments now 
in use which demand accuracy of hearing, and so the organ of 
sound is a most precious legacy, looked at from an artistic- 
emotional, as well as from a scientific and practical, stand-point. 

There are other faculties which go to make up the perfect 
musical structure. Form and Size, as well as Acquisitiveness, are 
found well developed in all good or great musicians. Acquisitive¬ 
ness is essential in many ways. Inasmuch as the muscular system 
in the ascendant is a playful, pleasure-loving, changeable system, 
those thus characterized would be as children without means to 
live upon, did not Nature provide, by her compensatory action, for 
this peculiarity of disposition, by giving these children of Art a love 
not only for acquiring praise, popularity, and fame (and this causes 
them to study in order to excel), but also a love for acquir¬ 
ing money. Many of our most illustrious song-birds are rich in 
this world’s goods, and, if report be true, have an ardent love for 
accumulation. This is a wise compensation, for were they 
deficient in this storing-up faculty they would soon come to want. 
Form and Size enable them to pose and attitudinize, and also 
assist them in sight-reading. The muscular system gives the 
capacity for deciphering hieroglyphics and symbols, hence these 
traits are of great value to those who are obliged to use notes, 
signs, or symbols professionally, as do singers and telegraph oper¬ 
ators, archaeologists, etc. Our safety in many instances depends 
upon the perfection of the auditory organs, for sound, as well as 
sight, contributes to man’s safety, as well as to his pleasure. 

The early age at which the musical sense makes its appear¬ 
ance is an evidence of its infantile rank among the arts and 
sciences. The precocity of musical geniuses who have, at the age 
of infancy nearly, astonished the world with their playing is proof 
of the spontaneity of the performance which we ascribe to genius. 
Musical talent is always the outcome of generations of musically- 
inclined ancestors. No great genius in music has ever appeared 
whose ancestors were not good musicians. When this talent 
appears as genius, as in Mozart, who, at four years of age, played 
in public in a creditable manner and composed concertos at five 


678 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


years of age, it is simply the inheritance transmitted from musical 
ancestors , quickened by some prenatal circumstance , which has 
sensitized the nervous system , and this together with the transmitted 
musical aggregation which a long line of musical ancestors has 
sent along down the stream of time combine to render the efforts 
of such prodigies spontaneous or instinctive,—of the nature and 
likeness of breathing or any other purely mechanical or spon¬ 
taneous act. 

A case in point of the tendency to transmit musical talent is 
nowhere better exemplified than in the celebrated Bach family of 
Germany, which included the celebrated Sebastian Bach. Of this 
family, eight generations were more or less musical, and fifty- 
seven were eminent in musical art. Sebastian Bach was, himself, 
direct ancestor of about sixty of the best-known organists and 
church composers of Germany. (Galton.) 

Musical expression requires fewer intellectual endowments 
than the other arts or sciences. The reason of this has been 
explained in the previous pages. What musicians have to acquire 
is tone-material and symbol-images, and the faculty for these is 
inherent in the muscular system. No thought or intellectual 
process is called into play in order to exhibit their actions, or to 
acquire the material. Composers, however, require a far higher 
organization of mind than mere singers and players, for they deal 
with the scientific aspect of Music, as well as its art side; they are 
creators and must possess a grander individuality, for the con¬ 
struction of Music requires great inventive powers, Constructive¬ 
ness, arithmetical and mathematical calculation, and other high 
intellectual traits, which involve the reasoning faculties. The 
physiognomies of Wagner, Mozart, Handel, Haydn, Beethoven, 
and all the great composers reveal traits of a very high order. 
Beethoven stands at the head of all the composers, and his 
physiognomy is the noblest of all, for it approaches more a rectangle 
than the others. Of him his biographer said:— 

His hand swept the whole range of expression with unfaltering mas¬ 
tery. Beethoven seems to have been so affluent in great conception, so 
lifted on the wings of his tireless genius, so austere in artistic morality, that 
he stands for the most part above the reproach deservedly borne by his 
brother-composers. Beethoven’s morals, as well as his music, was of a 
higher character than that of many of the other great composers, and in 
his composition he was more honorable , for many of his contemporaries 
incorporated the music of their predecessors into their use, while Beethoven 
relied more upon his own unaided, spontaneous genius and imagination.* 

I believe that the squareness of his bony system, which is well 


* German Composers, p. 134. 


MUSIC. 


679 


defined in his forehead and shoulders, had a great influence upon 
his conduct, causing it to be square and honest. Weber, one of 
Germany’s greatest composers, bears testimony to Beethoven’s 
square formation, in the following words:— 

The square, cyclopean figure, attired in a shabby coat with torn 
sleeves, everybody knows; his noble, austere face is seen in numerous 
prints. The square, massive head, with the forest of rough hair; the strong 
features, so funereal with the marks of passion and sadness; the whole 
expression of the countenance as of an ancient prophet.* 

In the faces of all the great composers we find the signs for 
Constructiveness, Imagination, Analysis, Amativeness, Love of 
Young, Self-esteem, Self-will, Reason, Time, Calculation, Order, 
Veneration, Hope, Human Nature, Imitation, Sublimity, Appro- 
bativeness, and other high faculties. In order to be able to 
express and excite great emotions, and to arouse the higher feel¬ 
ings, it is necessary that the composer possess similar powers. 
Accordingly we find, in the physiognomies of all the most eminent 
musicians, poets, and orators, the signs for all of the nobler quali¬ 
ties of mind. 

Music is a great auxiliary to civilization and refines the 
emotions and sentiments. Singers, by their vocal efforts, assist 
humanity in stimulating love, devotion, religion, patriotism, imagi¬ 
nation, and other useful traits. Music does not cultivate the baser 
passions, such as hatred, revenge, terror, etc., but can be used to 
soothe, elevate, and refine. Music is of incalculable importance in 
the training of children; hence, every household and school should 
endeavor to provide good music for the little ones. Characters in 
which the musical sense is greatly lacking are in some way inhar¬ 
monious, and are to that extent defective. 

To sum up, we find that musicians need, first, a suitable mus¬ 
cular endowment; next, a fine and sensitive nervous system. 
Singers require a suitably-constructed throat, mouth, and chest; 
a strong stomach; a fine, sensitive ear shaped for receiving musical 
sounds, and great good health (for the voice reveals and is affected 
by every gradation and perturbation of pathognomonic states). 

The signs for musical ability are so numerous and so con¬ 
spicuously placed, that the student will have little difficulty in dis¬ 
covering them. Let him place the pictures of twenty or thirty 
of the most eminent musicians before him, and seek the signs 
herein given, and he will be astonished at the uniformity of the 
signs of Music which appear on the faces of so many diverse indi¬ 
viduals of all nationalities. 


* Ibid p. 8. 


680 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


The Mathematical Division of the Face. 

All the faculties and powers which relate to or assist in mathe¬ 
matical computation and demonstration are found in the upper or 
third division of the face, as exhibited in the outline cut on page 
288. This attribute pervades all things, and shows the divisibility 
of substances, space, and time. Mankind would be like the blind 
groping in daylight without this power of computing, numbering, 
and demonstrating the numerical divisibility of all things in Nature. 
Statistics, surveying, navigation, weighing, measuring, and all 
business transactions involving calculation and accounting, come 
under the action of this department of the mind. Time in music, 
rhythm in poetry, the periodicity and revolution of the heavenly 
bodies, the succession of the seasons, and the quantitative particles 
o\f matter, are all subject to the laws of mathematics. So much 
of one element, another quantity of a different constituent, and a 
third proportion of some other substance, gas, acid, or ether, go 
to form every atom of organized life or matter of which the senses 
can take cognizance. There is no doubt that the pulsations of 
the heart and the natural accentuation of speech are subject to 
mathematical law. Indeed, there seems to be a law of correspond¬ 
ence throughout all Nature, by which the laws of all departments 
are correlated and act in unison with each other. 

If the motions of the planets and the duration of the seasons, 
with all their sequences, are subjects of mathematical law and 
demonstration ; if, in short, every atom of every kind whatever is 
regulated and governed by this all-pervading law of numerical 
certainty, why is it not reasonable to conclude that man’s life, its 
duration and pathway or orbit through time and space, are also 
matters of law, coming naturally and necessarily under the law of 
mathematical certainty, and susceptible of demonstration like every 
other atom, or organization of atoms, in the universe ] You may 
say that this is but a restatement of what is called “the law of 
destiny.” I do not object to that term, if it be so understood as 
to include scientific law as the basis of the destination of all created 
matter. I do not give out this idea as based on a settled law of 
Nature, because I cannot substantiate it by well-demonstrated 
facts; but reasoning from all the analogies of Nature,—from the 
harmony that I observe attending all her operations, and from the 
co-ordination of all her forces,—I believe that mathematical law may 
be the basis of the duration of our allotted time here. Its univer¬ 
sality of application is simply unlimited; yet easily demonstrated, 
by all who will investigate natural phenomena. 


TIME. 


681 


Sir John Herschel says:— 

It is a character of all the higher laws of Nature to assume the form 
of a precise quantitative statement. The law of gravitation expresses the 
exact mathematical decrease of the gravitating force with the increase of 
the distances. Chemistry is, in a most prominent degree, a science of quan¬ 
tity. Astronomy likewise builds on mathematically-expressed relations : 
the satellite revolving around its primary describes equal areas in equal 
times, and the squares of these periodic times are as the cubes of the dis¬ 
tance. In the vegetable kingdom two is the number ruling in the flower¬ 
less plants, three in the endogenous, and five in the exogenous. There is a 
mathematical law also governing the relative number of petals, sepals, and 
stamens, and the growth of leaves around the stalk. In animal life the 
mollusk forms a perfect geometric curve, and proportions the size of its 
whorls to the distance between them; and in the higher animals it is dis¬ 
covered, as in the number and size of the vertebrae, the number of teeth, 
etc., the same fact of a quantitative principle prevailing everywhere while 
yet in subordination to special laws of function or mode of life. 


TIME. 

Comprised in the Five Systems of Functions. 

“The mysteries of God are revealed in Space and Time, through Form and 
Motion. They are concentrated in Rhythm, which is vibration or swing of matter 
through equal spaces and in equal times.”— Delsarte. 

“In all motions the central element is time, and all motions are rhythmical or 
have measurable forms or limits, and when these are reached they tend to repeat 
themselves or return to equipoise. The smallest of these forms are the waves of the 
forces, and the largest are the paths of the cosmical bodies.”— Book of Wisdom. 

Definition. —Movement, periodicity, rhythm, harmony, the 
time-telling and time-keeping faculty; promptitude, regularity, 
exactness in keeping engagements; precision in walking; auto¬ 
matic movements of the body and limbs in marching and beating 
time to music; capacity to comprehend the periodicity of the 
movements of the earth and heavenly bodies, as in astronomy and 
in the manufacture and use of scientific instruments; related to 
the motions of machinery, also to the physical habits of digestion, 
sleeping, waking, breathing, speaking, and singing; adapted to a 
knowledge of passing time, as in the succession of the seasons,— 
of years, months, days, minutes, and seconds; rhythmic time regu¬ 
lates the pulsations of the heart and lungs, also the movements in 
dancing and waltzing, and governs the pauses and sentences in 
oratory, as well as the cadence or measure of poetry. Time is the 
regulator of the flow of the sap and juices of vegetable life, and 
causes the recurrence of the seasons by the yearly revolution of 
the earth on its axis. The faculty of Time gives the ability to tell 
the time of day or night, instinctively, without reference to a time¬ 
piece. 

An excess of this faculty causes one to be exact, fussy, pre¬ 
cise and overprompt in keeping engagements and in exacting the 


/ 

/ 

f 

682 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

same of others. It tends to form the habit of constantly beating 
time to every rhythmic sound, as in the ticking of a clock, etc. 

A deficiency makes one careless in regard to keeping appoint¬ 
ments and in observing set times and seasons; causes an irregular, 
shambling gait; prevents precision in music and dancing; creates 
unskillfulness in the use of automatic instruments and the manipu¬ 
lation of machinery. 

Facial and Bodily Signs .—The sources of Time within the 

human organism are so 
many and so diverse that 
I have decided to give the 
general signs and follow 
with a classification of them 
as they are revealed by the 
peculiarities of the human 
form and systemic mech¬ 
anism. 

The general signs by 
which we may distinguish 


ders, and squareness of the 
bones of the entire body— 
osseous system predomi¬ 
nant. Third, by roundness 
of the face, head, body, 
limbs, and entire form— 
muscular system predomi¬ 
nant. Fourth, by a fine development of the thoracic system, shown 
by a high, arched chest and a sharply-defined, receding forehead; 
high and large nose; bright eyes; lively gait—thoracic system domi¬ 
nant. Fifth, by supremacy of the vegetative system: this is shown by 
a preponderance of soft, fatty tissue all over the body; full, globular 
cheeks ; large mouth ; slow motions ; dull, sleepy eye; slow pulse; 
feeble mental power, and childish facial expression. All of these 


the presence of the faculty 
of Time are shown, first, 
by a predominance of the 
brain system, a pear-shaped 
or ovoid face, small chin, 
thin cheeks, relatively 
small nose, and thin lips— 
brain system predominant. 
Second, by squareness of 
the face and forehead, an¬ 
gular head, square shoul- 





Fig. 109.—SIR ISAAC NEWTON. 

COVEEEE.) 


(Physicist, Dis- 


Born in England, 1642 (O. S.) Conspicuous facial 
sign, Time, shown by spherical form of head, and rect- 
angularity of the face, and right-angled appearance 
of all the features. The law of the straight line, 
square, and sphere governs this face. The brain system 
is dominant, the bony system ranking second, and the 
vegetative powers normal. The sign for Conscientious¬ 
ness is largely represented, and assisted this character 
in comprehending those laws and truths of Nature 
which he discovered. Firmness is lai’ge ; Alimentive- 
ness, average ; Benevolence, well defined: Pneumative- 
ness. Color, Love of Young, Patriotism, Love of Home, 
Modesty, and Friendship, conspicuous; Self-esteem, 
small. The nose is high, long, broad, and bony. The 
signs for Analysis, Mental Imitation, Sublimity, 
Ideality, Constructiveness, Acquisitiveness, Venera¬ 
tion, Executiveness, and Self-will are of the first order; 
while Form, Size, Language, Weight, Calculation, 
Locality, Observation, Memory of Events, Reason, 
Time, Order, and Intuition are prominent. This por¬ 
trait discloses a character of the first magnitude, and is 
that of a moral, religious, and scientific man. 



TIME. 


683 



sorts of time are found combined in various ways and in varying 
degrees. When thus combined they will exhibit some of the pecu¬ 
liarities of each system, and thus one individual is able to make 
use of several lands of time in his trade or profession. 

Description of Time.— The phase of time exemplified by the 
predominance of the brain system, or ovoid form, gives ability for 
astronomy and for those geometric calculations upon which Time 
is dependent. It also includes the reasoning and logical processes 
essential to the comprehen¬ 
sion of vast and complex 
systems of laws which are 
concerned in the move¬ 
ments of the planetary 
system,—the basis of time. 

The intellect discovers laws 
through the faculties of 
Comparison and Causality, 
and originates new methods 
and systems of computing 
and calculating time and 
motion. 

The sort of time which 

is originated and exhibited 

by the osseous or bony sys- Fig no.— miss maria mitchell. (astronomer, 
tern is in accord with the discoverer, mathematician.) 


square form, which is pre¬ 
cise, rectangular, practical, 
prompt, and conscientious, 
hence adapted to the use 
of time in the manufacture 
and manipulation of scien¬ 
tific instruments which re¬ 
quire accuracy and which 
execute rhythmic move¬ 
ments, and in the con¬ 
struction and use of ma- 


Bora in Massachusetts, 1818. Facial sign, Time, 
shown by a general rectangularity of the face. The 
law of the straight line, square, and cube governs this 
physiognomy. In this countenance are to be found all 
the elements of scientific greatness; therefore all of 
the more reliable traits of character. Firmness and 
Conscientiousness are large ; Economy, Patriotism, 
Love of Home and of Young, Benevolence, Amative¬ 
ness, Self-esteem, and Modesty are singularly promi¬ 
nent. The wide mouth and full eyes show linguistic 
capacity. The long, wide, and bony nose discloses indi¬ 
cations of scientific talent. The signs in it of Analysis, 
ideality, Sublimity, Mental Imitation, Constructive¬ 
ness, Acquisitiveness, Veneration, Executiveness, and 
Self-will are highly developed. The width of the bridge 
of the nose denotes logical ability. Size, Form, Weight, 
Locality, Calculation, Memory of Events, and Intuition 
are conspicuous. This lady was for twenty-five years 
Professor of Astronomy in Vassar College. She also 
made many important astronomical discoveries. 


chinery in which the mechanical principles of the laws of gravity 
and circuloid motion are dominant. It also gives the tendency 
to the practical application of time as an element in scientific 
instruments, in surveying, in mensuration, and other mechani¬ 
cal pursuits, in the use of the stethoscope and other instruments 
required in medical treatment. This sort of time tends to prompt¬ 
ness in meeting engagements, causes precision in walking, making 
the steps exact and uniform in length. It gives the faculty of being 







684 


Practical and scientific physiognomy 


able to tell the time of clay or night by the sense of passing time. 
The osseous system, hy virtue of its angular construction, is con¬ 
spicuous by its ability to use time as related to divisions, whether 
hy the yearly or diurnal motions of the earth, or by the use of in¬ 
struments or machinery which divide time into exact, set, precise 
periods, in contradistinction to that sort of time which is rythmic 
in its smoothly-revolving motion, as with a circular body. The 

former would deal best with 



machinery in which cog¬ 
wheels were used, while the 
latter—the muscular form 
—would deal best with the 
wheels of a watch or revolv¬ 
ing machinery with bands 
and pulleys. The square¬ 
boned form, allied to a fine 
and large brain system, is 
the combination observed 
in most astronomers, sur¬ 
veyors, architects, natural¬ 
ists, and inventors. Ex¬ 
amine, for example, the 
physiognomies of Rudolph 
Virchow, Charles Darwin, 
C. H. M. McCormack, 
Schleiden, Bunsen, Sir 
William Herschel, Pasteur, 
Arago, John Draper, Edi¬ 
son, and Count de Lesseps. 
Squareness, regularity, pre¬ 
cision, and a capacity for 
comprehending the truths 
of Nature, and natural law 
must be present in order to 
comprehend abstract and absolute truth, and this talent is best 
displayed by squareness of the entire osseous system in com¬ 
bination with a brain that can reason logically from cause to effect. 
A certain degree of each of these sorts of time is essential to a 
high development of this faculty, as more than one phase is re¬ 
quired for all high calculations. The elements of roundness and 
squareness, for example, are needed to demonstrate geometry, ele¬ 
mentary or analytical. 

A round, muscular body and head and oval face will exhibit 
the sort of time which requires smooth, gliding, rhythmic motion, 


Fig. Ill—SIGNOR LUIGI ARDITI. (Musical Com¬ 
poser and Conductor.) 

Born in Piedmont, 1825. Conspicuous facial sign, 
Time, shown by the roundness of the face, head, eves, 
and ears. The law of the curve governs this face. This 
entire organism is fashioned upon the curvilinear plan, 
and, associated with large Executiveness, affords the 
right build for musical leadership. The chin and lower 
jaws are curved in true artistic form. Love of Home 
and of Country are well defined ; so also are Firmness, 
Benevolence, Approbativeness, Friendship, Aliment- 
iveness, Hospitality, Mirthfulness, Color, Sanativeness, 
and Force. In the nose the signs for Human Nature, 
Mental Imitation, Analysis, Ideality, Constructiveness, 
Acquisitiveness, Veneration, and Executiveness are 
manifest. Form, Size, Language, Music, Memory of 
Events, and Intuition are quite noticeable. The Quality 
is fine, and the amount of Color in the organism gives 
force and tone to his compositions, power in leadership, 
and enthusiasm to whatever he engages in. 


TIME. 


685 


as in the melody of music, the flowing cadences of poetry; in ro¬ 
tary, gliding movements, as in waltzing; and in the periodic revo¬ 
lutions of the motions exhibited in athletic sports, as in gymnastics, 
ball-playing, rowing, and in acrobatic exercises. Those who ex¬ 
hibit this form enjoy time marked by musical instruments, and as 
this system is usually accompanied with a good musical ear it can 
be turned to account in te¬ 
legraphy, in the use of elec¬ 
trical instruments requir¬ 
ing a keen ear for periodic 
and mechanical sounds. In 
combination with a good 
brain and ne-rve system, 
ability for musical composi¬ 
tion is exhibited ; also, sur¬ 
gical talent and the ability 
to manufacture and manipu¬ 
late fine and complicated 
machinery, such as chro¬ 
nometers, watches, and 
other instruments. 

The sort of time which 
is inherent in the thoracic 
system is exhibited by the 
regular periodic movements 
of the heart, the lungs, the 
stomach, the diaphragm, 
the circulation, and the 
pulse. This phase of Time 
is related also to the peri¬ 
odic movements of the 
body, as in breathing, walk¬ 
ing, speaking, singing, ora¬ 
tory, etc., and to the peri¬ 
odicity of that part of the 
process of digestion which 
is performed by the stomach and intestines, and which causes 
regular contractions of the muscles during stomach digestion, 
termed “peristaltic motion.” The thorax co-operates with the 
motive apparatus, the muscles and bones; also with the emotions, 
and enables the orator, the singer, the musician, and actor to ex¬ 
press their feelings in a forcible and energetic manner, and to render 
their songs, speeches, and music with correctness of time and rhyth¬ 
mic flow. All great or good speakers exhibit a fine development 



Fig. 112.—PATRICK S. GILMORE. (Musician and 
Musical. Conductor.) 

Born in Ireland. The principal facial signs are 
Time, Music, and Executiveness. The law of the 
straight line and curve governs this face. To great 
musical ability this subject combines large Executive¬ 
ness, shown by height of the nose at the sign for 
Executiveness, also Dy its large size and width. The 
signs for Time are well marked,—the rounding of the 
head, cheeks, chin, jaws, and ears shows the presence of 
muscular time, while the large nostrils and arched chest 
show the sort of time that inheres in the thoracic 
system ; these two kinds of Time, combined with Music 
in the degree which this subject illustrates, produce 
the ability for leadership in the direction of musical 
companies, as in bands orchestras, etc. The chin shows 
average Firmness, and Conscientiousness. Love of 
Home and of Country are well defined; so, also, are 
Self-esteem, Friendship, Benevolence, Alimentiveness, 
Amativeness, Mirthfulness, Color, Pneumativeness, 
Resistance, and Approbativeness. In the nose the signs 
for Ideality, Hope, Acquisitiveness, Constructiveness, 
Veneration, Executiveness, and Self-will are marked. 
Form and Size are large. Language well defined. 
Weight, Locality, Calculation, Memory of Events, 
Intuition, and musical judgment are large. 



686 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


of the thoracic system, and an arched form in the chest and nose 
more especially. It is this system that regulates the pauses in 
conversation by co-ordinating articulation with respiration. 

The kind of time displayed by the vegetative system, or 
globose form, is infantile, and is analogous to the form of the 
earth before it took on its present defined shape, and began peri¬ 
odic revolutions and exact motion . It is also analogous to the 
fluid, watery condition of the primitive earth, and also of man in 
embryo, while he is living an embryotic or fluid life. As an infant 
he exists upon fluids, and pays no attention to any kind of time 
except in his physical habits, and these are not marked by any great 
degree of regularity; hence, the vegetative system and form ex¬ 
hibit less of the time-keeping faculty than the other systems, be¬ 
cause it is less well adapted to the purpose. Time in vegetative 
individuals is expressed more in a purely physical manner than in 
any other way. The element of Time in the vegetative system is 
manifested by the periodicity of gestation and menstruation, also 
by that part of the digestive process performed by the intestines. 
The function of assimilation is almost always in a state of activity 
in this portion of the digestive tract, for the intestine is the func¬ 
tional and form-anologue of the primitive animal, the gastrula, and 
this function in all low animal forms is always in a state of activity, 
and the periods of absorption and digestion are not at all precise 
and defined, as with more highly developed animals that subsist 
mainly upon solids; hence, those persons whose bodies contain 
more fluid than solid material are unable to observe exact and 
periodic movements of the body and mind, for fluids are shifting 
and unstable, as are the vegetative men and aquatic animals. The 
higher muscular and osseous animals are excellent observers of 
time and rhythmic motion as naturalists have observed. The 
bladder, the kidneys, and the numerous glands are included in the 
vegetative department of the body. The action of all these 
organs is not as periodic nor as exact as are the movements of the 
heart, the stomach, and lungs; hence, where the vegetative system 
is dominant in an individual, Time in all its phases will be more 
feebly manifested than in the other systems. The effect of an ad¬ 
mixture of the vegetative system with the muscular is to soften the 
tones of the voice and to modify somewhat the play of the emo¬ 
tions, but Time must have the assistance of a material which is 
susceptible of regular automatic movements , like muscle , and this 
property liquids do not possess. The globose form shown by the 
primitive cell in animal and vegetable tissue is characteristic of the 
forms of vegetative people, of the form of their head, forehead, 
cheeks, eyes, hands, and body, and this form is the typical form of 


TIME. 


687 


undevelopment , whether oi the earth, the vegetable cell, or the in¬ 
fant or vegetative adult. Not until organisms have arrived at a 
certain degree of stability and coherence , by the process of evolu¬ 
tion, are they capable of precise , periodic movements, and conse¬ 
quently are not capable of observing time, and this accounts for 
the lack of the observance of set time, of the lack of promptness 
and punctuality in the vegetative classes of beings. All matter such 
as fluids, which are not capable of moving as are solid bodies, 
observe molecular motion 
merely, and the glandular 
system, which is part of 
the vegetative system, keeps 
up unceasing action and 
movement in the exercise 
of its functions, an instance 
of motion without precise 
periodic limit or law. The 
main exhibition of time ex¬ 
hibited by vegetative people 
is the promptness which 
they show in appearing at 
table and in going to sleep. 

In order to fully com¬ 
prehend the scope and 
meaning of the faculty of 
Time, we must not only 
trace it to its physiological 
source in the human organ¬ 
ism, but, going farther, we 
must examine briefly the 
manner in which Time 
manifests itself primarily, 
and analyze its elements. 

The principal element in 
Time is motion, — that 
which is caused by the 
movements of our solar 
system. The rotatory mo¬ 
tion of the planet upon which we exist produces rounded forms 
in almost every organized thing in existence; hence the effect 
which the progress of time has upon the human system is to 
curve or round the body, the head, the eyes, and limbs of man and 
other objects. This curving or rounding is in harmony with the 
shape of the earth itself, which is spherical. A rounding form is 



Fig. 113.— MISS IDA WILLIAMS. (“The Diamond 

Fat Lady.”) 

Born in Ohio, 1865. Weight, 406 pounds. This face 
illustrates the vegetative or feeblest phase of Time. 
The law of the globe or sphere governs this subject. It 
is plainly discernible that one endowed with such an 
enormous weight of adipose tissue would be wholly in- 
adapted to keep time in marching or to be prompt and 
punctual in business or precise in habits. This organi¬ 
zation shows the sort of time best adapted to repose, to 
physical life,—to eating, drinking, and sleeping. This 
subject possesses an amiable, mirthful disposition. All 
of the vegetative faculties and functions are well devel¬ 
oped. Benevolence, Love of Home, of Country, and of 
Young are manifest’ Alimentiveness and Bibativeness 
are very large, while the social side of her nature is 
equally conspicuous. The signs for Approbativeness, 
Friendship, and Mirthfulness are very noticeable. 
Color and Modesty are well marked. The sterner 
faculties, such as Firmness, Conscience, and Self¬ 
esteem, are not largely developed, while Cautiousness 
and Pneumativeness are below the average. Were her 
breathing powers greater she would accumulate less fat. 
The nose shows artistic tastes of an ordinary sort, 
among which Music is dominant. 



688 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


the only one which could move forward smoothly by the impetus 
of its own shape, and revolve in a circle and return periodically to 
the same position in space. Throw a ball and it describes an arc 
of a circle invariably. It follows a geometric law, and describes 
the form of a curve through the air. Now, in order to under¬ 
stand Time as an elementary faculty in man, we must comprehend 
the fact that the forms of man are produced by tie revolution of 
the earth, and are caused by motion, and reveal their origin if we 
only take the trouble to analyze the source of motion. 

The primitive form of all animal and vegetable tissue is cel¬ 
lular or ovoid; even the ultimate atom of the minerals, in a state 
of incandescence, is ovoid; but in its perfection it assumes angles , 
and this form gives trueness, regularity , and precisian to every¬ 
thing which takes on the angular form ; hence, the primitive form 
is ovoid; the more perfected is rectangular or square, like perfected 
mineral crystals. Lines and angles serve to mark space and dis¬ 
tance, and are related to numbers. Time and Number, or arith¬ 
metical calculation, are closely related, and Form, Number, and 
Motion are synonyms in their ultimate analysis. Those persons 
who have a fine endowment of Time possess the capacity for 
arithmetical or geometrical science. The best calculators and 
geometricians exhibit a blending of the ovoid or brain form with 
the square or osseous form and the muscular or round form, thus 
including in their personality all the important principles of Form 
which are essential to the exhibition of arithmetical powers and 
geometric forms. 

The prime factor in Time is motion. It is Motion which creates 
Time, and all that flows from it. The action of Time is universal 
and all-pervading in its operation. It not only regulates the 
movements of the earth and the entire solar system, but it controls, 
as I have shown, the higher faculties of man—his brain, his eye 
and ear, his heart, lungs, stomach, and intestines. It also regulates 
the periodicity of the digestive apparatus and the reproductive 
and the nervous systems. 

Another element of Time is its rhythmic motions, as in the 
synchronous movements of the heart, lungs, stomach, diaphragm, 
circulation of the blood, and co-ordinated movements of the pulse. 

Another phase of Time is exhibited by the brain and nervous 
system, the motions or tremors of which are of almost incredible 
rapidity. The most celebrated anatomists and physicists have 
employed their highest faculties and the most ingenious instru-* 
merits in investigating the action of this complicated system, and 
their labors have given us a most comprehensive idea as to the 
functional action of the cerebral nerves and nerves of sense. 


TIME. 


689 


The foregoing analysis has shown us that Time is an element 
of all created things, hence one most essential to our welfare. It 
can be cultivated to a marvelous extent in all its numerous mani¬ 
festations. Civilization, in affording many artificial assistants, has 
deprived us of many natural powers, and as man is so conveniently 
supplied with time-pieces he depends almost exclusively upon 
them for knowledge of the time of day and night, and also to 
regulate his habits of eating, sleeping, etc., whereas he formerly 
trusted to the rising and setting of the sun, and the position of the 
sun, moon, and stars, and to the regularity of his physical habits, 
for guidance. Consequently, this phase of the time-sense has 
deteriorated. 

Time is a separate and distinct faculty from tune, for many 
persons are without the sense of tune, yet exhibit an excellent 
sense of time, while many excellent musicians and singers are 
obliged to practice Time most assiduously in order to acquire 
sufficient proficiency to sing and play correctly. I have met those 
who could dance in perfect time, and who possessed a fine sense 
of time-telling by the positions of the heavenly bodies, both night 
and day, who yet could not discern one tune from another, except 
to know that very slow tunes were generally hymns or psalms, and 
that quick tunes belonged to secular music. One case came under 
my observation of a gentleman so deficient in tune or vocal sound 
that it was with the greatest difficulty that he could learn to pro¬ 
nounce a word which was new to him, yet he showed great capacity 
for Time, being prompt and methodical in his habits, and could 
keep time in walking and dancing with others perfectly. Tune 
and Time both manifest themselves by motions, yet are quite dis¬ 
tinct. Music, whether used as an art, as in singing or playing, or 
as a science, as in composing, is based on numerical demonstration, 
and we accordingly find the faculties of Calculation and Time 
large in musical composers, and in all really good musicians and 
singers. 

It is not alone in music that the sense of Time is needed, but 
in many of the sciences and mechanic arts as well. It is oi great 
value in the manufacture of watches and chronometers, in the 
comprehension of historical or domestic events in the order of 
their succession, and in contemporaneous history and occurrences. 
Time is of infinite service in the setting and running of machinery 
which demands exact periodicity or rhythm in its operation, ffiie 
poet must possess an innate and spontaneous sense of rhythm, or 
his verse will be lame and halting. A fine sense of this faculty 
must be had by the dancer, athlete, acrobat, tumbler, turner, oars¬ 
man, ball-player, skater, and juggler, for the measured movements 

44 


690 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


of all these sports require a keen perception of the rhythmic de¬ 
partment of Time. Business men need the sort of time which 
enables them to keep engagements and be punctual in all their 
dealings. The best housekeepers and cooks require and exhibit 
this sense in a high degree. A home kept without reference to 
specific times for meals and for other domestic duties is a poor 
institution. 

Time is closely connected with Order, and these two principles 
control the universe. Characters devoid of these two elementary 
principles are poor indeed, and will always be at a disadvantage 
unless remedied. These defects can be remedied by persistent 
effort and the use of a time-piece. The method to be employed 
in improving this faculty, when defective, is to time one’s self in 
every act. Use a time-piece constantly, and appoint a set time for 
certain acts and duties, and bring the conscience and memory to 
bear upon the fulfillment of them. Where one faculty is deficient, 
other faculties must be used to back them up and supplement 
them. In this way many defects can be so strengthened as to 
enable one to perform the duties appertaining to them in a very 
commendable manner. Too great reliance upon watches and 
clocks weakens the natural power of the time-observing sense; 
yet when one is interested in work or study, close attention weakens 
this power, as all the attention is concentrated upon the work in 
• hand. In an outdoor life a reliance upon the appearance of 
natural phenomena takes the place of time-pieces, for the mind is 
on the alert and interested in the external works of Nature; hence 
one leading a free life, close to Nature, will cultivate this sense by 
natural methods, but civilization and city life require other aids. 

In all good mechanics, naturalists, physicians, and scientists, 
Order and Time, in some of their aspects, are found to be well 
defined. They are essential to all these classes. Physicians must 
be able to tell by the measured beat of the pulse and heart 
whether they make “healthful music” or not, and in the rhythmic 
movements of the lungs his sense of Time must be so exact as to 
enable him to detect every little variation of movement. Charging 
the mind with the desire to awake and arise at a certain set time 
soon becomes a fixed habit, for the automatic action of nerve- 
matter is powerful, and, as I have shown that the principle 
or essence of this faculty is inherent in every department of the 
human body, it is thus clearly proven that each system of func¬ 
tions can he brought into requisition in the several uses of this 
faculty. The brain, for remembering times and occurrences, and 
for reminding us of appointed duties; the muscles, for keeping 
time in marching, in singing, in walking and running, in oratory, 


TIME. 


691 


and in the pauses of conversation, etc., and each of the other 
divisions of the body furnishes its own peculiar phase. 

The right use of time should be studied, and all waste of the 
short amount of time allotted to us upon this mundane sphere 
should warn us to use every moment in such manner as to gain 
from it the greatest good. Time is the most precious of all our 
gifts, and parents should inculcate in their children this first most 
important lesson, that “lost time is never found again.” Almost 
anything else can be replaced, but lost or misused time never. 

All property is the result of two of the most precious and 
important things in the world, viz., Human Life and Time. How 
essential, then, that we should be intelligent enough to adequately 
prize these gifts! Property, or capital (other than land), is the 
stored-up increment arising from the youth, health, energy, integ¬ 
rity, and time of human beings. How necessary, then, is that 
“enlightened self-interest” which shall teach us how to conserve 
time in such manner that all shall have their fair share of its 
products! For to take the bulk of the time and life of the many 
and to give its products to the few is a most pernicious and sinful 
use of those elements. The revolutions of this orb upon which 
we live will doubtless (under the all-powerful law of progressive 
evolution) bring about such reforms in this direction as will 
remedy this terrible system of high-handed theft—of despotism, 
ignorance, and barbarism. These reforms may come peacefully in 
the regular course of evolution, or they may be precipitated upon 
us like a cyclone, and those who block the wheels of justice will 
be overtaken by a terrible retribution. It is the duty of all to 
examine this question, and ask, “Am I enjoying wrongfully the 
fruits of others’ time and life*?” 

Eternity .—The principle of Time is adapted to eternity as 
well as finite beings can comprehend that idea. The mechanical 
construction of the solar system gives us the best idea of never- 
ending time. We cannot conceive of a system which exists by 
virtue of its rotary motion through space coming to a sudden 
standstill, or pausing for an instant even, for this would disturb 
the existing order of every atom involved in the construction of 
this mighty system; hence, our understanding must be limited by 
the most comprehensive system of which our sense takes cogni¬ 
zance. All the forms which meet our vision and all the analogies 
of Nature tend to the idea of eternity, but the time which is 
allotted to each one of us here should be so used as not only to 
make our pathway pleasant and happy in this term of existence, 
but also to assist the next phase of life in its onward march to a 
higher evolution. A right and conscientious use of time here will 


692 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


prepare us for any other phase of existence, and if we put all our 
energies into following the laws in this life we need not trouble 
ourselves at all about the next one; we shall be ready for anything 
that comes. 

The preceding ideas in regard to Time teach us that motion 
is the basis of Time, and in all our acts which are essential to life, 
to business, to art, science, mechanism, or government the ele¬ 
ments of Time and Motion come into operation. As we proceed 
to the investigation of the higher mental faculties of man, viz., 
Order, Calculation, Comparison, Causality, Prescience, and Intui¬ 
tion we shall observe a closer and closer relation to the great chain 
of complex laws which originate in the motions of the planetary 
system, for we shall find that they are based on Calculation and 
result in Form. The lowest or primitive faculties and their asso¬ 
ciated functions—those of absorption, assimilation, growth, repro¬ 
duction, etc.—exhibit all the processes of molecular activity, the 
phase of action or motion which is paramount in cell-life, germ- 
growth, or in infantile life, and is hence characteristic of primitive 
conditions. Now, molecular activities are those which were in¬ 
strumental in forming the nucleus of our planet when it first be¬ 
gan to take shape and rotate, and if we follow closely the evolution 
of all growths we shall find that molecular motions are primitive, 
and that the vibrations observed in primitive growths are typical 
of the vibratory rhythm of the planet upon which we live and 
which necessarily sends its every principle and element up along 
the course of evolutionary progress and development until the 
end and aim, the climax, the microcosmos ,—man,—is reached and 
perfected. We are one with the earth , and every vibration of 
this mighty planet, with the swing and rhythm of all the great 
celestial orbs in space, is echoed back by the same rhythmic motion 
in our organism, and with the same resultant harmonies. 

Prophets, seers, poets, and philosophers of ancient times fore¬ 
saw, sung, wrote, and reasoned in a childlike way of all the great 
principles and laws which modern science is demonstrating to a 
certainty in a man-like way. We are surely made of the “ dust 
of the earth,” and all the elements and principles which inhere in 
it are inherent in us, and no principle is more marked or more 
powerful in its effects upon man than the elementary principle of 
Time. 

The combinations which are observed in those whose profes¬ 
sions are based on Time are, of course, different in degree in each 
case. Astronomers require a certain degree of at least three phases 
of Time. They should possess the sort of time which inheres in 
the brain system, thus giving them the ability to comprehend laws 


TIME. 


693 


and principles and to enable them to reason from cause to effect, 
together with that phase of time which attaches to the chrono¬ 
logical order of events of successive periods, past and to come. They 
must also exhibit the kind of time which is evolved from the osseous 
system, conjoined with the muscular, the arithmetical in combina¬ 
tion with the mechanical. Now, these three phases of the faculty 
of Time are found in the structures of all good astronomers, physi¬ 
cists, surgeons, chemists, architects, and those of similar pursuits. 
Examine, for example, the portraits of the Herschels (father and 
son), Arago, Copernicus, Tycho Brahe, Encke, Biela, Donati, 
Huyghens, J. C. Adams, Le Verrier, Professor Olmsted, and 
Maria Mitchell, all noted astronomers. In all these the brain sys¬ 
tem is dominant and the muscular and osseous nearly equal, while 
the thoracic is in varying degrees in each. Sublimity is immense 
in the physiognomy of Sir John Herschel, and this faculty gave 
him the capacity for comprehending the grandeur and vastness of 
the great systems of worlds in space. Good arithmeticians and 
physicists must also possess large powers of computing Time, for 
Time and Number or numerical calculation are synonymous. 
Accordingly, we observe in the faces of Professor Helmholtz, John 
Tyndall, Volta, Ampere, Oersted, Professor Faraday, Sir Humphrey 
Davy, Liebig, John Dalton, Berzelius, Gay-Lussac, Dulong, Prof. 
A. W. Hofmann, Sir David Brewster, Chladni, and Sir AVilliam 
Thompson (all physicists in various departments of physical science), 
diverse combinations of, at least, the three forms of Time which are 
evolved from the action of the brain, the muscular, and osseous 
systems. All good mathematicians reveal in their countenances a 
combination of these same systems, and are thus enabled to com¬ 
prehend the laws of number. And all sciences have, as a basic 
principle, the element of Time, for all laws relating to every science 
whatsoever are expressed either in terms of Form or Number, or 
both. 

For purposes of musical composition there must be a good 
degree of the brain, the muscular, the thoracic, as well as the 
osseous, systems to give the several kinds of time which are used 
in musical composition. A chemist must possess an excellent 
osseous frame to give justness and accuracy to his conceptions of 
quantity and number, while physicists who deal with the elements 
of air, water, ether, gases, fluids, and minerals must possess a fine 
sense of various sorts of Time and a good degree of the faculty of 
Calculation. 

The faculty of Color has considerable effect upon the sense 
of Time, for,-as I have persistently shown, Color is as universal and 
all-pervading an element in Nature as in Time; hence it affects 


694 


PRACTICAL And SCIENTIFIC physiognomy. 


every material object. The scientist, naturalist, and mathematician 
who is deeply colored possesses a more decided and definite sense 
of Time than he who is pallid and greatly lacking in color. It is 
true the eyes of many good mathematicians are of a bluish gray, 
but this blue shade is a color which shows coolness, and coolness 
is favorable to numerical calculation. Yet scientists, in order to 
excel, must inherit the Color sense in a fair or large proportion, 
and the more decided the blue shade in the eye of the mathema¬ 
tician the greater his power as compared to the one in whose eyes 
the white tint predominates over the blue shade. 

Animals of almost every grade exhibit various phases of the 
time-keeping sense, and in this department naturalists have made 
numerous investigations which have resulted in finding that the 
sense of Time is as wide-spread among the animal races as among 
the human races, and that the sense of Time is superior in the 
higher races of animals to that observed among the lower races of 
men. In the first place, many animals, even of low degree, ex¬ 
hibit the instinctive knowledge of the time appointed for feeding 
them. This results, probably, from the sensations arising in the 
vegetative system in the intestinal tract, and this, the lowest form 
of the Time sense, is common to all animals who have an appointed 
time for eating and drinking. It has also been observed that many 
species of animals and birds have a certain set time for meeting 
in flocks and herds, and are punctual in keeping the appointed 
time; also that they have ideas of Time or rhythm, number, order, 
and succession of events. Dr. Lindsay, from whose work I obtain 
the following facts, observes that he has often seen dogs in Scotland, 
who had been in the habit of attending church with their masters, 
go without them on the return of the Sabbath and remain the 
allotted time, seemingly as much benefited as if their masters had - 
attended and “ napped ” with them. Hogg, the “ Ettrick Shepherd,” 
relates an instance of a Scotch collie who, upon hearing his master 
lament that there were three flocks of sheep lost, went, without 
being ordered, in quest of them, and in the dark, and collected the 
whole seven hundred; and another dog, overhearing the day when 
his master was expected home, never failed of going to meet him. 
As low down in the scale of animal mind as the ants we are told 
that they send messengers to call up an army, and communicate 
the time for assembling at an appointed rendezvous. 

The capacity for measuring time is possessed by domestic ani¬ 
mals, such, for example, as the cow, the horse, the dog, the cat, 
and birds. These creatures note the duration of time from one 
meal to the next, keep account of their master’s meal-times, and 
have a fixed time for rising and sleeping. Many work co-operately; 


ORDER. 


695 


that is, in companies, as a gang of hufMil laborers under similar 
circumstances. 

The annual and semi-annual migrations of fishes and birds 
reveal a fine sense of the time-keeping faculty, and in this circum¬ 
stance the effect of reason is shown, at least, in the case of many 
of the bird species, for this periodic journey is not undertaken, as 
some would have us believe, under the influence of “blind in¬ 
stinct,” but is timed in accordance with observations made of the 
weather, and their hegira to other latitudes is made in accordance 
with the meteorological conditions and not in a “blind instinctive” 
manner, else it would take place always upon the same day, hour, 
and minute. An animal is no more an automatic machine than is 
a man. We are both limited by our nature and environment. Man 
can only do certain things in a certain defined way ; in this respect 
he is a machine the same as an animal: “To do more we must be 
more.” 

The above facts in regard to the Time sense in animals I 
gather from a work entitled “ Mind in the Lower Animals,” by 
J. Lauder Lindsay, to whom the whole world is indebted for a 
most valuable collection of facts in regard to the animal mind. I 
have not space to analyze minutely the origin of Time in the ani¬ 
mal mind, but suffice it to say that they observe all the phases of 
Time exhibited by man, and also possess the same combinations 
of Time, and the several phases of this faculty appears in animal 
forms similar to those exhibited by human beings. 

ORDER. 

Mental Order : Physical Order : 

Derived from the Brain and Osseous Derived from the Muscular and Thoracic 
Systems. Systems. 

Definition of Mental Order .—Precision in arrangement of 
ideas and articles; method, system, regularity, conforming to law, 
rule, and custom; a place for every tiling and everything in its 
place. 

An excess makes one impractical through expending unneces¬ 
sary time in arranging and classifying ideas and materials, and 
it engenders worriment, fussiness, and useless particularity. An 
excessive development of Order, when perverted by nervousness, 
causes great suffering at the sight of the slightest disorder. 

A deficiency of Order makes one unsystematic in the arrange¬ 
ment of his ideas in speaking and in writing, and creates disorder 
and slovenliness in dress, and in the arrangement of furniture, 
books, etc.; also causes great loss of time through lack of method, 



696 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


system, and regularity in the details of the office, counting-house, 
manufactory, store, or home. 

Facial and Bodily Signs.—Like all the higher faculties, 
Order is a trait which has its origin in universal law,—in the 
movements and orderly arrangement of the solar system; hence, 
we are obliged to seek its signs in several systems and forms of 
the bodily organism of man. 

Description. —Mental Order is present where the brain system 
is dominant and the bones of the forehead exhibit a square appear¬ 
ance at the sides, as seen in 



Fig. 114.—MRS. EMILY C. JUDSON.* (MISSIONARY, 
Poetess, Writer.) 

Born in New York. Conspicuous facial sign, Order, 
shown by squareness of the bones of the forehead and 
right-angled appearance of all the facial features. The 
law of the straight line and angle governs this physiog¬ 
nomy. The signs for the domestic faculties are large. 
Conscience, Firmness, Love of Home, of Country, and 
of Young are manifest; so also are Benevolencej Mirth¬ 
fulness, Modesty, Pneumativeness, Friendship, and 
Approbation. Alimentiveness is not large. The mental, 
or brain and nervous system, is dominant. The curving 
jaw, full, convex eyes, and form of the nose announce 
literary capacity. In the nose the signs for Hope, 
Analysis, Ideality, Mental Imitation, Sublimity, Con¬ 
structiveness, Veneration, Executiveness, and Self-will 
are large. Form, Size, Locality, Memory of Events, 
Prescience, Credenciveness, Language, Time, Order, 
Reason, and Intuition are all exceedingly well defined. 
The portrait of a modest, intellectual, courageous, 
sympathetic, and philanthropic woman. 


the foreheads of Newton 
and Beethoven. This sort 
of Order is closely related 
to Time, and is associated 
with it in the mental proc¬ 
esses of historians, scientists, 
geographers, physicists, as¬ 
tronomers, mathematicians, 
promoters of great business 
enterprises, and naturalists, 
all of whom require the 
power to arrange in the 
mind, in an orderly manner, 
the succession of events and 
laws which are related to 
their several pursuits. 
These classes of people 
must be able to picture 
mentally the general plan, 
order , or system , as well as 
the detail of that which 
engages their attention. 
This is what is termed 
“Mental Order.” It is 
often found associated with 
Physical Order. 

Physical Order is re¬ 
lated to the arrangement 


of substances, materials, 
machinery, furniture, books, clothing, etc., things more par¬ 
ticularly, as contradistinguished from ideas. A square-boned 
form is the sign for Physical Order. Where this phase of Order 
is exhibited the forehead will be square, and the features set at 


*By permission of Amies Publishing Co., 17 Murray Street, New York City. 


ORDER. 


697 


right angles, and a precise and square arrangement of the bones 
of the body will be observed. The shoulders square, and the steps 
measured and uniform in movement like the pendulum of a clock. 

Where these two sorts of Order are associated the sense of Order is 
excellent. 



Every part of the body, by its orderly arrangement, assists 
man in the comprehension and use of the element of Order in 
his pursuits, yet it is more decidedly expressed by the dominance 
ol the brain form and of the bony form than by the others. The 
ovoid form being the ana¬ 
logue of the infantoid or 
primitive shape is the orig¬ 
inator or beginner of the 
ideas of systems and plans; 
while the more perfected 
or angular, rectiform shape 
of the bony system is the 
analogue of precision,—of 
orderly arrangement of 
substances , as illustrated by 
the rectangular form of 
the mineral crystal, of 
which the bone is mainly 
composed. 

The squareness of the 
osseous system causes its 
possessor to be orderly and 
methodical by virtue of his 
formation, and this forma¬ 
tion of the bones of the 
forehead has given rise to 
the phrenological error and 
assumption that this pecu¬ 
liarity is owing to the 
presence of an “organ” 
composed of brain-matter, 
bulging out at this partic¬ 
ular spot. Now, the good 
observer can just as well 

find the indication of the presence of Physical Order by an exami¬ 
nation of the first joint of any finger as by an examination of the 
forehead, for an orderly person will present squareness of the bones 
of the finger as well as squareness of the bones of the forehead. 
In this case we should be just as well warranted in asserting that 


Fig. 115.— BARON CUVIER. (Naturalist, Author, 

Lecturer.) 

Bom in Alsace, 1769. Conspicuous facial sign, 
Order, shown by squareness of the bones of the head, 
and a precise, orderly, and right-angled appearance of 
all the features of the face. This remarkable counte¬ 
nance reveals one of the most eminent historical charac¬ 
ters. The domestic nature is highly developed. Con¬ 
scientiousness, Firmness, Patriotism, Benevolence, 
Love of Home, Love of Young, Mirthfulness, Appro- 
bativeness, and Friendship are well defined. Self- 
esteem is not large ; Amativeness, normal. The nose 
is high, long, wide, bony, and broad on the back; in it 
are the signs for Analysis, Mental Imitation, Sublimity, 
Ideality, Constructiveness, Veneration, Executiveness, 
and Self-will most uncommonly prominent. Form and 
Size are extraordinarily large. So greatly developed 
were these faculties that he could, by inspection of a 
small protuberance on a jaw or a tooth, tell to which 
species of animal they belonged. The superciliary 
spaces are wide, and give evidence of artistic talent. 
He was a fine draughtsman. Calculation is large; so, 
also, are Observation, Locality, Prescience, Order, 
Language, Time, Music, and Reason. The signs for 
Intuition and Memory of Events are wonderfully mani¬ 
fest. Altogether a perfect specimen of a “ thorough¬ 
bred ” man. 



69 8 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


this peculiar formation of the finger was caused by brain-matter, 
as we are to assume and assert this of the forehead These square 
appearances both of brain and finger are derived from the same 
source, viz., from a square formation of the hones; and squareness 
of the bones gives rise to that sort of Order which is used and 
required in all scientific and mechanical pursuits. 

Order, like Time, is derived primarily, as far as we can com¬ 
prehend it, from the regular order of the solar system, and all the 
principles observable in that system inhere in every atom of organ¬ 
ized matter, and come up into man’s organism along with the 
primitive elements of which he is composed. This is how we get 
the faculty of Order; and thus we have the two very distinct kinds 
of Order which show themselves very plainly in the form of man 
as well as in the acts of man, and his form and acts will be found 
to agree in every instance. 

The round-built, muscular person exhibits a different sort of 
Order from those previously described, while the vegetative indi¬ 
vidual possesses and exhibits less than the others. The round- 
formed man exhibits his Order by regular, automatic revolutions, 
by circular and circuitous motions. A free, round body in revolv¬ 
ing, continues to move in circles; and never revolves over the same 
space, but moves in a spiral circle; hence, round-built persons are 
never as angular and precise in their arrangement of thoughts 
and things as are the higher formations. The sort of Order 
exhibited by the round, muscular person is adapted to art-works 
and to the comprehension of natural or primitive laws, and where 
a good brain system is conjoined with the former we find the 
ability to comprehend and illustrate the order of revolving bodies, as 
in astronomy and in mechanical principles; also the order of cycles 
and circles,—of recurring periods of time, weather, seasons, etc.' 
Many of our best historians exhibit this formation and thus show 
the use of this combination in art, for this class of writing is an art 
mainly. 

Where the muscular system is the dominant system, and the 
brain system subdominant, in an individual, he will use the sort 
of time required in music, in marching, in waltzing, and in those 
free, revolving movements of the body which require periodic 
automatism , unlike the angular movements which the square-built 
man exhibits. 

System is Order on a large scale, as, for example, the compre¬ 
hension of the orderly arrangement of the solar system or the 
orderly arrangement and classification of the fauna and flora by 
naturalists. Order leads one to be exact in the detail and minutiae 
of placing things, both great and small; while system lays out the 


ORDER. 


699 


ground or fundamental plan, laws, or motions, and the smaller 
details are elaborated and supplied by others. And this accounts 
for the apparent discrepancy (as it seems to some) of those persons 
who are skillful in planning and arranging broad schemes of work 
and business, or in classification, but neglect the details. This 
class of minds possess system without order. System requires the 
use of the reasoning faculties. On the other hand, many persons 
exhibit a high degree of Order yet lack System, and work by pay¬ 
ing attention to trivialities and petty details, being wholly unable 
to originate or put in use a broad and comprehensive system 
of action. 

Nearly all persons, except the purely vegetative, possess a 
certain degree of more than one sort of Order, for the combina¬ 
tion of brain, bone and muscle produces one sort, while another 
kind is shown where the bony system is predominant, the brain 
system second, and the muscular system third in the degree of 
development. Another phase of Order is exhibited where the 
muscular system stands first, the brain second, and the bony 
system third. This combination is a good one for singers and 
acrobats. The first mentioned is found among astronomers and 
certain classes of scientists; while the second is an excellent 
illustration of the sort of Order observed in mechanicians. 

The presence and effect of Order is apparent in all of 
Nature’s operations: in the succession of the seasons; in the regu¬ 
lar order of seed-time and harvest; in the time for leaf, bud, 
flower, and fruit; in the succession of day and night, summer 
and winter; in the order shown in the evolution of man,—in his 
embryotic life, then in his birth, infancy, youth, manhood, old 
age, and then probably re-birth in another sphere, and still farther 
evolution and progress there, for, if we observe the progressive tend¬ 
encies of Nature we must become fully convinced that nothing stops 
or comes to a standstill. Order is not only “Heaven’s first law,” 
but it must be the law of all who desire success in anything. 
Even idiots have been known to exhibit a wonderful degree of 
Order and of its associated faculty, Music, of which “Blind Tom” 
was an illustration. It is related of a savage or wild man, dis¬ 
covered in a forest in France, that he could not bear to see a 
chair or other article of furniture out of place, and when he found 
anything in a different position from that to which he had been 
accustomed to see it, he immediately arose and arranged it in its 
wonted place. 

The automatic movement of the fingers in playing musical 
instruments is an exemplification of the effect of Order,—muscular 
Order; for, after repeated exercise of the fingers in a musical 


700 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


composition, the player can reproduce the same exercise mainly 
through the automatic action of the fingers, which follow the same 
order of succession as when guided by the notes. This form of 
Order is best observed where the muscular system is dominant. 
Many persons with a good bony form, and orderly in the arrange¬ 
ment of books, clothes, and furniture, lack the ability to play by 
rote unless the notes are in sight. This defect arises from a lack 
of that degree and quality of muscular development which gives 
the ability to express automatic Order. 

Many persons possess Order to the degree that would justify 
one in designating them “painfully orderly.” This is apparent in 
many housewives, who are so exact and fussy as to make a visit to 
them anything but an enjoyment, as they seem to be greatly 
pained at even a momentary displacement of chairs, furniture, or 
other articles, and pass all their time during the visit in putting in 
order every book, tidy, chair, and article used by their guests. 
Such women make home anything but happy to their family and 
friends. When the nervous system of this class of people becomes 
disordered, the result is quite painful, causing great suffering at 
the least disorder, and rendering its subjects almost insane. Some 
men, too, possess this “painful” degree of Order, and I have heard 
of a man in whom this faculty was so excessive as to cause him to 
paint the shape of his saws, hatchets, files, and other tools, upon 
the wall against which they were hung, for fear a stranger might 
use them and not replace them on their accustomed nails. This 
plan he adopted to insure perfect order. 

The cultivation of this trait is very essential. It can be de¬ 
veloped in youth by a quiet persistency on the part of parents, in 
the house and store. Children should be compelled to hang up 
their clothes before retiring, and fold and put away everything 
they use; and parents who take this task upon themselves are 
censurable, for such a course not only weakens the faculty of 
Order, but teaches children to be indifferent to their parents’ 
welfare. Neglect in the cultivation of Order in childhood inca¬ 
pacitates men and women for many useful pursuits. There is no 
business, either mental or manual, but requires a large exercise of 
Order. In the school, store, factory, office, and counting-house, it 
is most essential, as well as in the home. The time lost by care¬ 
less slatterns in looking for what is mislaid is often sufficient to 
do their entire work. Things that are habitually mislaid never 
get the proper care through being inappropriately placed. They 
are put in positions where they receive injury. Books, clothes, 
and tools left out-of-doors get wet and are injured, or are carried 
away by dishonest persons, and every article left out of its proper 


ORDER. 


701 


place deteriorates in some way by such neglect; hence, Order 
represents time, labor, and money, while disorder consumes all of 
these by its destructive tendencies. 

One of the most striking and wonderful evidences of the reign 
of law by system and order in detail is exhibited in the arrange¬ 
ment of the mechanism of the human body, and is illustrated in 
the human face. Each bone and muscle is so placed as to give 
the most action with the least amount of resistance or friction. 
Every organ is always placed in nearly the same position in every¬ 
body, and always so placed as to assist other organs in contiguity 
with it. In the face, the signs of character and of function present 
the same peculiarities. The comprehensive system or outlay of 
the entire man (which at the same time epitomizes the entire 
universe) is, in the face, made manifest. The order of arrangement 
in the face of the signs of faculties and functions is also proof of 
the theory of the progressive evolution of the animal and human 
mind. The localizing of all these signs discovered by me, and for 
the first time in the history of physiognomical research systematized 
and simplified, is indeed a revelation, and one adapted to the com¬ 
prehension of young and old—learned and unlearned; yet without 
order in the placing of these signs there would be neither sense 
nor use in learning them. The order of development of the five 
systems and their signs is observed, Airst, in the vegetative or 
primitive system, and forms the basis for higher development. 
Next succeeding this system comes the breathing and circulatory 
powers, together with all the mentality which high breathing 
powers originate. Then follow the signs for muscle,—for art, 
literature, and architecture; next, the bony system begins to show 
its action by signs which cannot be ignored, so patent are they to 
all observers. The perfected brain, the latest and highest achieve¬ 
ment of evolution, arises from this combined physical base , and 
this is sustained and nourished by the action and quality of the 
blood-making mechanism, for blood is the food of the brain, and 
without a good manufactory for this element a brain is of little 
account to its possessor. All these functions and their associated 
signs display in a remarkable manner the dominance of Order. 

The vastness and grandeur of the solar system is indeed 
evidence of what the Creator can do on a large scale, and seems 
wonderful when we contemplate the magnificence and complexity 
of the laws involved in its operation; but to me the wonder is a 
thousandfold increased when I observe in the small space allotted 
to the human face the illustration and exposition of all the laws , 
principles , properties , and qualities which permeate and control 
this vast system; truly, a macrocosm within a microcosm! 


702 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Poets have appreciated this great scientific fact, and one in a 
poetic spirit has wrought out this idea in a single verse. Elizabeth 
Barrett Browning tells us that 

“Since God collected and resumed in man, 

The firmaments, the strata, and the lights. 

Fish, fowl, and beast, and insect,—all their trains 
Of various life, caught back upon his arms, 

Re-organized and constituted man, 

The microcosm, the adding up of works.” 


The reason why I consider the faculty of Order in this place— 
following the faculty of Time and preceding the consideration of 
the faculty of Calculation or Number—is because Order is a neces¬ 
sary and natural ally to both these faculties , and also because it is 
a trait derived from the brain, osseous, thoracic, and muscular 
systems mainly,—all high systems. Again, one sign of Order is 
found in the squareness of the lateral portions of the bone of the 
forehead, and another by the width, height, and fine quality of the 
frontal brain. 

There must of necessity be a reason for the location and order 
of arrangement of all things related to man, and the more nearly 
these accord with natural law and classification, the more nearly is 
“Heaven’s first law” observed. Our faculties are so arranged 
that the powers to discern and discover everything pertaining to 
man are placed in such order as will best assist this purpose. 

The discovery of scientific physiognomy was so ordered that it 
should come in an age which was sufficiently enlightened to 
comprehend and apply its truths. Had it been discovered and 
formulated in the “dark ages,” the faggot and gibbet would 
undoubtedly have been the portion of the man or woman who had 
the temerity to publish it to the world, and the same may be said 
of all modern inventions and scientific discoveries. 


“The man is thought a knave or fool, 

Or bigot plotting crime, 

Who, for the advancement of his race, 
Is wiser than his time. 

For him the hemlock shall distill, 

For him the axe be bared ; 

For him the gibbet shall be built, 

For him the stake prepared. 

Him shall the scorn and wrath of men 
Pursue with deadly aim, 

And malice, envy, spite, and lies 
Shall desecrate his name. 

But truth shall conquer at the last, 

For round and round we run ; 

And ever the right comes uppermost, 
And ever is justice done.”— Mackay. 


ORDER. 


703 


Thus we see that Order is a universal principle in the evolution 
of society and governments, as well as in the vegetable and animal 
kingdoms. 

In former ages, physiognomy was termed the 44 black art,” 
and its expounders were proscribed by law. So recent as the reign 
of King George II, an act for the punishment of physiognomists 
was worded thus: 44 All persons pretending to have skill in physi¬ 
ognomy are included among those offenders who are deemed 
rogues and vagabonds. As such they are liable to be publicly 
whipped or sent to the House of Correction until the next Sessions, 
or any less time, and after whipping or commitment they may be 
passed to their last legal settlement or birthplace; and, moreover, 
the Justice may sentence them to hard labor for not more than six 
months.” The reader will conclude from the above law in regard 
to this science, that a systematized method brought forward under 
such laws as the above would have probably resulted in the pun¬ 
ishment of its promoters. Under the ordering of an overruling 
power this was delayed until this era, wherein all scientific ideas are 
hailed with delight by the intelligent inhabitants of every civilized 
country and their expounders protected by law. Not only has 
this science made great advances, but other sciences have developed 
which have materially assisted the advancement of physiognomy. 
Among them I may mention comparative anatomy, physiology, 
and evolution. Until these and other sciences had been elabo¬ 
rated to their present degree of development, the scientific knowl¬ 
edge of the human face and its associate character could not have 
been brought forward on its present basis. 

Thus we observe that the law of orderly progress governs the 
advance of human knowledge, and nothing has been more potent 
in this direction than the discovery of laws in every department 
of science. 

The faculty of Order is by no means confined to the human 
family, although very feebly manifested in savage and undeveloped 
races. 

It is exhibited in a much higher degree by many animals and 
insects. Most especially is it shown by bees, wasps, ants, and 
birds. In these creatures, as in man, it is associated with a sense 
of Time and Number, both as regards their sense of and prepara¬ 
tion for the orderly succession of the seasons, as shown by the mi¬ 
gration of birds and in the building of nests, dams, and dens as 
defenses against the coming winter; and here the faculties of 
Time, Number, and Order are associated with Constructiveness, 
just as in man, whose architectural skill requires this peculiar 
combination. 


704 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Dr. Lindsay tells us:— 

Animals possess a great degree of method, system, and classification, 
as is shown by the arrangement of their numbers into classes, ranks, and 
castes, and by the attempts of their leaders to substitute order for confusion 
in great crises and in panics. The republican form of government exists in 
a most orderly form among ants, while bees have organized a monarchical 
order of government,and divide their numbers into a reigning sovereign,— 
the queen-bee,—soldiers, workers, guards, nurses, etc., thus showing a com¬ 
prehension of law, order, method, and system. 

The higher animals also observe method and order in the 
division of numbers into flocks and herds. They have acknowl¬ 
edged leaders and follow them implicitly. Order in detail is shown 
in the symmetrical arrangement of nests and dams, in the cells of 
the bee and wasp, and in the dwellings of the ant and mole, which 
last is a beautiful specimen of architectural symmetry and order, 
while the order and system observed in the nest of the “geometric 
spider” is as perfect in its proportion as anything constructed by 
man. The reader may have imbibed the notion that all these or¬ 
derly acts are done under the effect of “blind instinct,” a term the 
old school of metaphysicians were fond of applying to animals, but 
when it is known that all classes of insects and animals often make 
mistakes of judgment in construction and take their buildings 
apart and rebuild them in a more useful and convenient manner, 
it is at once proven that judgment and reason have guided them, 
and that, like man, their judgment is sometimes faulty, which they 
amend, as he does, by experience and experiment. Sufficient has 
here been said to show that nearly all classes and races of animals 
possess a large share of method, system, and order, both mental 
and physical, and that the same phases of order are displayed by 
animals whose structure corresponds to that of men of similar form 
and similar anatomical development. 

Those in whom the vegetative system and form are dominant 
manifest a comparatively feeble comprehension of Order. They 
seem to keep things in a confused heap, and make very odd and 
incongruous mixtures of articles. Their ideas and language also 
lack Order, and in conversation they interject all sorts of incon¬ 
sistent remarks, without regard to their applicability. I have re¬ 
marked the action of many housewives in whom this system pre¬ 
dominates, and have been quite amazed in observing them put 
their house to rights by storing away together, in all sorts of 
closets and corners, articles which an orderly housekeeper would 
never dream of putting together. Yet the rooms at times would 
appear in perfect order, especially if company was expected, but 
if a closet-door opened unexpectedly quite a museum would be ex* 


CALCULATION. 


705 


posed to the visitor’s gaze. Vegetative people in their thoughts 
and acts seem to “ wobble ” about, and are uncertain, unstable, 
and confused in their plans and movements. There seems no 
fixity of purpose, because they are composed mainly of fluid ma¬ 
terial, and, like the waters of the ocean, they are ever shifting and 
never definite; hence, we cannot expect to find a high phase of 
either Order or Time in those in whom the vegetative system is 
supreme. Yet, even in this class of persons, Order can be very 
much strengthened by commencing early with them, and insisting 
upon their having a place for everything and compelling them to 
regard this law. 

The exercise of the faculty of Order is essential to all the 
higher mental powers. In combination with Calculation, Time, 
and Reason, it assists the astronomer and mathematician. Com¬ 
bined with Constructiveness, Weight, Form, and Size, it aids the 
operations of the mechanic and artist. With Language, Memory 
of Events, Observation, Constructiveness, Locality, and Time, 
it is the ally of the historian and editor. Associated with Music, 
Calculation, Time, Constructiveness, Intuition, and Ideality, it is a 
valuable assistant to the composer. To the naturalist, teacher, sci¬ 
entist, mechanic, chemist, and physicist, Order is most essential. 
No high pursuit can succeed with deficient Order, for the arrange¬ 
ment of ideas in an orderly manner, as well as the placing and 
classifying of substances and articles, demands a good degree of 
this faculty. Form, Size, and Locality, where they are well devel¬ 
oped, assist deficient Order and compensate one measurably for 
such deficiency. 

The preceding statements show the origin and action of this 
high and useful trait. The higher an organism has evolved, the 
more Order it exhibits; and the lower the organism in the scale of 
creation, the less accurate, precise, periodic, and orderly is it in its 
habits, methods, and movements. 

The numerous signs, together with the very diverse origin of 
the several phases of Order, as above described, very materially en¬ 
larges the phrenological notions in regard to this faculty and its 
single cranial sign . 


CALCULATION. 

Aristotle lays down the general principle of the Pythagoreans in the following 
terms : “Number,” he says, “is, according to them, the essence of all things, and the 
organization of the Universe in its various determinations is an harmonious system 
of numbers and their relations.”* 

Definition .—The science of numbers or computation; capacity 
for numerical calculation; ability to keep accounts and understand 

* Basic Outlines of Universology, S. P. Andrews, p. 150. 

45 




706 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PIIYSIOGNOxMY. 


numerical relations; skill in the arts of counting; addition, sub¬ 
traction, multiplication, and division; memory of dates, figures, 
and numbers. 

An excess of this power is rarely met with, and, when it is, we 
find that it is usually the compensation for some very serious 
deficiency in some other department of mentality. Where the 
mind dwells too much upon calculation, to the exclusion of every¬ 
thing else, the character 
loses a great deal of general 
power, and the other facul¬ 
ties become weakened 
through want of use, and 
the mind is turned into a 
mere calculating machine. 
We rarely find, however, 
such excessive action of 
this faculty. It more often 
needs cultivation than re¬ 
straint. 

A deficiency causes 
one to he inaccurate in his 
count, reckoning, and ac¬ 
counts ; dull and slow in 
arithmetic, and unable to 
keep the date or number 



FIG. 116.—GALILEO GALILEI. 

Discoverer.) 


(Astronomer, 


Born at Pisa, 1564. Conspicuous facial sign, Calcu¬ 
lation, shown by width between the outer terminus of 

the eyebrow and the outer angle of the eye. The law n f nnvrfVnnrr I™ tlio minrl 
of the straight line, square, and cube governs this face. tiling 111 lilt; II1I11U 

The Quality of this subject is very high and Color dense. 

The domestic and moral signs are large. Although par¬ 
tially hidden by the beard and moustache, the super¬ 
structure tells us this is correct. Such a nose and fore¬ 
head must have a superior vegetative base from which 
to draw their power. Benevolence, Love of Home and 
Country can be seen and are large. The mouth, by its 
size, announces good alimentive capacity. The nose is 
long, large, high, broad, and bony. In it the signs for 
Ideality, Mental Imitation, Analysis, Sublimity, Con¬ 
structiveness, Acquisitiveness, Veneration, and Self- 
will are large. Size, Form, Language, Observation, 

Locality, Weight, and Calculation are uncommonly de¬ 
veloped. Mental Order, shown by squareness of the 
forehead, is most decided, while Reason and Intuition 
show the highest degree of development. Altogether a 
physiognomy of transcendent power and scientific 
beauty. 


correctly. Calculation is 
easily cultivated by persist¬ 
ent efforts, for here Nature 
assists by dividing up every¬ 
thing in sight. 

Facial and Bodily 
Signs. — The most pro¬ 
nounced facial sign of Cal¬ 
culation is shown by the 
space observed between the 
outer terminus of the eyebrow and the outer angle of the eye. This 
peculiarity of formation causes the eyebrow to flex upward and 
tend toward the upper part of the ear. This sign is found most 
decided in the faces of the muscular races, and of those who possess 
not only large arithmetical calculation, but also a shrewd, crafty, 
cunning, politic, tactful, and worldly disposition. The Mongolian 
race and face well illustrate this form and phase of numerical 
talent. • The Celtic races also exhibit the mental aspect of this 



CALCULATION. 


707 



laculty. Like Order and Time, there are several manifestations of 
this trait. The osseous individual reveals a phase of Calculation 
different from that which distinguishes the muscular man. The 
kind of Calculation exhibited by the former is more purely mental 
and assists him in mechanical pursuits, while the latter is the 
artistic form; that is to say, the phase of Calculation which can 
estimate numbers and weights by sight and by lifting. 

Description. — Calcu¬ 
lation is a general and 
universal principle; hence 
its signs are exhibited in 
the higher developments 
of the osseous and brain 
systems in a diffused and 
general manner, rather 
than by any single local, 
facial sign. A face distin¬ 
guished by squareness of 
the bones, with the features 
at right angles and width 
between the eyes, reveals 
capacity for mental arith¬ 
metic, and of understanding 
the relations of figures with 
form , also capacity for 
comprehending geometric 
forms in combination with 
m echanical principles. 

Where the brain is large 
and of good or fine quality, 
combined with a good en¬ 
dowment of square bones, 
a high degree of geometric 
calculation is present, and 
talent for trigonometry and 
mensuration will be shown. 

The muscular form in excess gives the combination for pure 
calculation, but, when accompanied by a good degree of the brain 
system and fair development of bone, it manifests talent for mathe¬ 
matics and for calculations of the relations of circular forms and 
number. 

The sign for numerical calculation observed in the formation 
of the terminus of the eyebrow being most decided where the mus¬ 
cular system is dominant is an excellent proof of its muscular 


Fig. 117. -JOSEPH LOUIS de LAGRANGE. 

(Mathematician, Author.) 

Born at Turin, 1736. Conspicuous facial sign, Calcu¬ 
lation. The law of the curve and square governs this 
face. The signs for Firmness, Conscience, Love of 
Home, of Country, and of Young are well defined; so, 
also, are Benevolence, Friendship, Pneumativeness, 
Mirthfulness,Amativeness, Approbation, Sanativeness, 
Modesty, and Force. Alimentiveness and Bibativeness 
are normal. In the nose, which is arched, long, high, 
broad, bony, and muscular, we find all of the signs of 
mental greatness. Hope, Analysis, Mental Imitation, 
Human Nature, Ideality, Sublimity, Construction, and 
Acquisitiveness are all Very large ; while the signs for 
Executiveness, Veneration, and Self-will are jire-eini- 
nent. The region about the eyes and interciliary space 
is noteworthy. Form, Size, Observation, Weight, and 
Locality are well defined. Calculation is of the highest 
order; while Mental Order, Reason, and Intuition are 
wonderfully developed. The writings of de Lagrange 
are not only of the highest mathematical value, but are 
elegantly written and presented. He well deserves the 
title of a “ luminary of mathematical science.” A noble 
and beautiful physiognomy. 






708 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


origin. It also explodes the phrenological error that this indication 
is caused by a “cranial organ” or accumulation of “brain-matter” 
at this place. The phrenological idea of “organs” which are said 
to be observable on the outside of the skull is giving way to recent 
discoveries of “ brain areas or tracts ” of the internal cerebral 
structure, wherein are located the centres of motion or of impulse, 
which act with and for the several bodily organs and functions. 
The faculty of Speech, for example, it has been demonstrated 
beyond a doubt, has its representative in a certain area of the 
brain, but it is not situated behind the eyeball, pushing the eye 
outward and forward, as phrenology asserts. The sign for articu¬ 
late speech, it is true, is shown in the face by prominent eyes, also 
by the shape of the mouth, lips, and ears; but this same faculty can 
just as well, or nearly as well, be discerned by the finger or finger¬ 
nail of those in whom the muscular system is dominant, for the 
reason that Language and Calculation are both best developed in 
those races in whom the muscles are in excess of the bones. The 
Oriental races, for example, exhibit large calculative powers. They 
also reveal great Acquisitiveness (they are natural gamesters) and 
other muscular traits in harmony with numerical calculation, such 
as diplomatic policy, craft, cunning, and deception. All these 
faculties are the most conspicuous in muscular races, as well as in 
the muscular animals, and are shown by signs of muscular develop¬ 
ment , and not by “brain organs” externally on the skull. 

The basis of everything is (as I have shown in the chapter on 
the “Basic Principles of Form”) mathematical or numerical. 
Every separate atom, article, and entity is countable, and holds its 
rank as number one, two, three, etc., in a certain department of 
creation; hence Number is a universal element and principle, and 
enters into all things. It is thus shown to be a prime and primi¬ 
tive element in everything, and also takes its rank among the 
highest and most perfected aspects of Nature, as in the completion 
of schemes, plans, and numbers of finished creations; for ex¬ 
ample, in the numbers of the bones, muscles, and organs in man; 
the numbers of leaves of plants, which are governed by mathe¬ 
matical precision; by the divisions of the earth into continents, 
islands, etc. I could pursue this form of illustration almost indefi¬ 
nitely, and then have made only a beginning. The science of 
numbers has many departments; as, for example, it commences 
with the primary and simplest aspect of counting or enumerating, 
and this is the phase first exhibited by children and undeveloped 
races. The latter never get beyond this stage. The Esquimaux, 
it is said, can count only ten; while the Greenlanders can reckon 
only five besides the enumeration of their fingers and toes; yet 


CALCULATION. 


709 


many dogs, birds, and even pigs, have been trained to count as 
high as sixty. Dr. Carpenter tells us that the young Yanco of the 
Amazons can count no higher than three. 

The powers of enumeration shown by muscular races, such, 
for example, as the Mongolian, are extraordinary in degree, and 
universal among them. In their counting-houses they make use 
of the abacus, sliding-rule, and tallies, and other numerical instru¬ 
ments. This form of reckoning is a primitive one, and is used in 
many schools by the younger pupils in object-teaching. The other 
branches of arithmetic and mathematics require the use of memory 
and the reasoning processes. 

The science of numbers seems to many persons a very abstruse 
and profound subject, but to others it is entirely simple. The 
cause of this is found in inherited differences. The capacity for 
pure calculation has been exhibited in early childhood by certain 
persons in a most surprising and precocious manner, but I believe 
the higher forms of number, such as those used in mensuration, 
in engineering, and in other departments of applied geometry, have 
never been exhibited by any very young arithmeticians, because 
the application of the higher principles of number requires the 
exercise of a high degree of Reason , and this faculty is never 
found greatly developed in childhood. George Bidder and Zerah 
Colburn were precocious arithmeticians, who in early childhood 
44 lisped in numbers” and astonished the world byThe exhibition 
of their wonderful numerical power; yet in adult life they were not 
celebrated for any very great superiority in any direction, except 
the power for calculating immense sums. The following account 
of Zerah Colburn, an American lad, who was brought to London 
in 1812, at eight years of age, I quote from 44 Mental Physiology,” 
by Dr. Carpenter. Of the powers of this lad, which he terms most 
happily 44 numerical intuition,” he states that, upon being examined 
by several eminent mathematicians, he gave the following test:— 

He raised any number consisting of one figure, progressively to the 
tenth power, giving the results (by actual multiplication and not by memory) 
faster than they could be set down in figures by the person appointed to 
record them. He raised the number eight progressively to the sixteenth 
power; and in naming the last result, which consisted of fifteen figures, he 
was right in every one. Some numbers consisting of two figures he raised 
as high as the eighth power, though he found a difficulty in proceeding when 
the products became very large. On being asked the square-root of 106,929, 
he answered 327 before the original number could be written down. He 
was then required to find the cube-root of 268,336,125, and with equal facility 
and promptness he replied 645. He was asked how many minutes there are 
in forty-eight years, and before the question could be written down he 
replied 25,228,800, and immediately afterward he gave the correct number 
of seconds. On being requested to give the factors which would produce 


710 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

the number 247,483, he immediately named 941 and 263, which are the only 
two numbers from the multiplication of which it would result. 

This performance in so young a child and without any arith¬ 
metical training can only be accounted for upon the theory of 
instinctive powers , and this is the basis of all musical precocity as 
well as poetic prodigies. The talent and genius for pure calcula¬ 
tion, as also the talent and genius for music, is thus shown to be 
an infantoid or primitive trait, for neither of these arts require the 
co-operation of a high degree of reason, and if we understand the 
analysis of these two arts, and learn which parts of the human 
organism contribute to their exhibition, we shall find that they are 
both best developed where the muscular system is dominant. 
Book-keeping requires large Calculation and Order. A good 
mathematician must possess large Locality and reasoning powers. 
A civil engineer and surveyor should add to these Form, Size, 
Constructiveness, and Imitation, and a fine physique. And all 
these faculties are essential to the chemist and physicist. The 
greater number of engineers are men of robust appearance, and 
are finely organized, physiologically and anatomically. Francis 
Galton bears testimony to this fact in the following terms. He 
observes:— 

The foremost engineers are a body of men possessed of remarkable 
natural qualities; they are not only able men, but are also possessed of 
singular powers of physical endurance and of boldness, combined with clear 
views of what can and what can not be effected.* 

This statement confirms what I claim, viz., that men of large 
and sound reasoning powers possess strong and sound bodies. An 
examination of the portraits of Watt, the Stephensons, Brunei, 
Be Lesseps (the latter in active service upon the Panama Canal at 
eighty is remarkable), Captain James Eadds, Violet-Le-Duc, Col. 
John A. Roebling, Sir Christopher Wren, and Sebastian Vauban, 
will justify my theories on this point. Many of these men attained 
an advanced age and pursued their profession most industriously 
to the last. 

Many persons of fine abilities, both literary and artistic, are 
very deficient in the natural comprehension of numbers, their 
properties, and relations. It is said of George Combe, who was 
eminent as a writer, lawyer, lecturer, and phrenologist, that after 
seven years’ study of the multiplication table it was to him a pro¬ 
found mystery, and when he wished to pay his bills he took his 
money in a purse and asked each tradesman to count out the 
amount due him. 


* Hereditary Genius, Francis Galton, p. 333. 


CALCULATION. 


711 


Among school-children there are all grades of this faculty, 
from the gifted genius in arithmetic down to the grade of idiot on 
this subject. Yet those who are entirely lacking in numbers are 
olten extremely bright in other directions. It seems to me a lack 
of perception on the part of examiners and teachers to grade 
scholars upon their arithmetical ability alone. It would be just as 
sensible to grade them by an ear for music, for I think that musical 
ability is much more general than the calculative faculty. All 
these stupid and unintelligent methods will be modified and 
changed when teachers become conversant with scientific and 
practical physiognomy, for then they will be able without examina¬ 
tions upon the black-board to know, by looking in a child’s face, 
whether he be naturally dull or gifted in this respect. A correct 
psychology is the first thing which a teacher should employ in 
commencing the education of a child. She should be able by the 
tone of voice, by the walk, by the attitude, the outline of the face, 
forehead, nose, chin, and limbs, to learn something definite of every 
scholar, and she should be also able to act upon the knowledge thus 
acquired. 

The best time to acquire the rudiments of arithmetic and the 
foundation of the higher mathematics is, in early childhood, by 
object-lessons, even before the child is taught to read. Children 
can be taught by different-shaped blocks all of the principal 
geometrical forms , and a pleasant pastime can be had by them in 
forming the cone, cube, sphere, triangle, circle, pyramid, and 
rhomb out of small blocks made for the purpose; while counting 
can be taught by laying beans or bright-colored sticks in rows or 
piles. Simple addition, multiplication, subtraction, and division 
can be taught by the same methods, and will seem to children a 
pretty and interesting game. All these principles of both arith¬ 
metic and geometry ought to be understood before learning to read 
or before attending school. The primary colors, with their various 
shades and complementary colors, should also be learned in early 
childhood in the same manner, by colored sticks, yarn, silk, cotton, 
or whatever material is most convenient. It is most essential to 
every child’s future welfare that these most important things should 
be learned early. They do not tax the brain at all, for this is Nature's 
method of training children, and children, if left to their own 
unaided efforts, always commence their knowledge of things by 
first observing the form, size, color, quality, and combinations of 
objects which attract their attention. This method is now being 
put into practice in the kindergarten system of education, a notable 
advance upon the old-time, unnatural method of teaching children 
to read, write, and cipher, and memorize abstract rules, long 


712 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


before the brain was sufficiently matured to comprehend the mean¬ 
ing of the language used in the explanation. The eager, expand¬ 
ing mind of childhood craves knowledge, and unstinted play soon 
palls upon them; they become restless and excitable and long 
for something, they do not know what. The parents, as a rule, 
do not know any better than the child what ails it, and so conclude 
that it had better go to school; the poor little creatures are 
packed off to some “cramming institute,” where they take in allo¬ 
pathic doses of learning suited to mature minds, and soon a mental 
dyspepsia makes its appearance, and the child and parents are 
again at their wits’ end to know what is the matter and how to 
remedy it. The very youthful mind should not be trained to 
think so much as to observe. Youth is the season for storing the 
mind with observation of facts and phenomena,—natural, artistic, 
and scientific. Boys should be allowed to visit factories, foundries, 
and all places where mechanical work is done, and the principles 
of machinery explained to them. Let them become educated 
through the eyes and ears, and when older and able to reason 
abstractly they will be able to draw upon this fund of stored-up 
observations and thus save years of time in going over the same 
ground. Mechanical forces are founded upon geometrical laws, 
and all the primary instruction that children can learn by object- 
lessons is a great gain. It does not tax the mind as much as read¬ 
ing, spelling, and writing, because geometric forms and their 
combinations are taken into the mind by the aid of the eyes, and 
require neither reflection nor study to photograph them upon the 
mind. 

In the same manner a child possessed of musical aptitudes 
may be taught to play upon a musical instrument. There is no 
brain labor involved in this study as there is in learning to read. 
The practice of the piano is a mechanical exercise; a little more 
exact than chopping wood, but not much more taxing to the brain; 
and it may be made a pleasing amusement by judiciously planning 
the time of day to practice, which should be the morning, and 
only short exercises should be allowed. These and similar pursuits 
will allay the restlessness of very young children and really advance 
their education on a sound and natural basis, therefore a healthful 
one, which should ever be the dominating idea in education. 

Music is based on the science of mathematics; hence the 
rudimentary part of it can be easily learned by young children, 
especially notation, together with the symbols used to designate 
the notes, rests, etc. Composers who deal with the scientific 
aspect of music exhibit fine arithmetical powers, for the compli¬ 
cated methods of modern musical composition requires great calcu- 


CALCULATION. 


713 


lative skill. An examination of the portraits of Beethoven, 
Mozart, Bach, Weber, Handel, Verdi, Gounod, and Wagner dis¬ 
close large arithmetical signs. Calculation is usually large in all 
singers, for calculation and musical capacity are both best exhibited 
by muscular development. 

Arithmetic is the foundation of the higher mathematics, such 
as mensuration, trigonometry, and geometry—“that branch of 
mathematics which investigates the relations, properties, and 
measurements of solids, surfaces, lines, and angles; the science 
which treats of the properties and relations of magnitudes.” All 
these require the power of logical and abstract thought. The 
knowledge of all the forms involved in the application of these 
principles is found in every article and natural object in existence, 
and the eye of the child cannot rest upon anything in Art or Nature 
that does not present a plane, surface, or angle, a sphere, an 
arch, a pyramid, a rhomb, a cone, a triangle, an ellipse, a circle, or 
sections of some one or other of these primary geometric forms, as 
shown in all natural growths, whether of primitive vegetable or 
animal cells, or in plants, trees, flowers, mineral crystals, or in 
architecture and art; hence, children should be trained not only to 
know the names of all these various shapes, but should be taught 
from natural objects, such as plants, flowers, and minerals, some¬ 
what of the relations of these forms. I am all the more explicit 
upon the subject of training children very early in arithmetical 
and geometrical principles, for the reason that they lie at the base 
of every trade, profession, and pursuit in the world, and are highly 
essential to every position in life, from that of the king to the 
peasant. Most especially should girls be trained in the higher 
mathematics, for the reason that these studies develop the logical 
powers of the mind, and females need development of this portion 
of the intellect in order to counterbalance the excess of the 
emotional nature which in the majority of cases dominates the 
reason, hence unfits women for the position of motherhood; for 
the mother of half a dozen smart, bright, lively boys and girls 
ought to be a good reasoner to enable her to answer the questions 
which such intellects will propound—not only for this purpose, but 
for her own advancement toward attaining a balanced character. 

For illustration of the facial and bodily signs of Calculation, 
as expressed by the combination of the brain dominant, with the 
osseous system subdominant, I refer here to the physiognomies of 
Hippocrates, of Cos, Roger Bacon, Tycho Brahe, Paracelsus, and 
Galileo, the two Herschels, Sir Isaac Newton, Guyon de Morveau, 
Benjamin Franklin, Professor Pasteur. For examples of the sort 
of Calculation exhibited by a combination of the brain and bone 


714 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


forms, equally developed, the muscular ranking third, I may point 
to the portraits of Michael Faraday, Joseph Black, Professor 
Helmholtz, and Professor Liebig; while the phase of Calculation 
disclosed by the development of the brain first, muscle second, and 
bone third, may be observed in the countenances of Descartes, 
Francis Bacon, Berzelius, Sir John Lubbock, Virchow, Schleiden, 
and others equally celebrated for the use they made of numerical 
calculation. The system which dominates will announce the sort 
ox phase of numerical power present in the subject, and this may 
be known by reference to the conformation of the body and limbs, 
fingers, and toes, as well, or nearly as well, as by scanning the 
face. A combination in about equal proportions of two systems 
affords the capacity for expressing the two sorts which inhere in 
each; and where the third or fourth system is represented in an 
average degree of development, then all these four kinds of 
numerical ability will be present. Physicists, chemists, inventors, 
and geographers require several different sorts of Calculation; 
while astronomers need good theorizing powers, large geometrical 
comprehension, together with a large amount of pure calculation. 
Mechanics need two sorts, at least, and architects, surveyors, and 
engineers also require several phases of this faculty in order to 
combine the various principles of numbers in their several profes¬ 
sions and pursuits. 

Animals of the various forms exhibit the same phases of 
Calculation as are shown by men of similar forms and combinations 
of forms. They can make estimates of height, depth, width, space, 
and distance, and apply the muscular sense of weight in their 
journeys and in their buildings. Ants and bees, in particular, 
manifest great calculative powers in relation to construction, and 
constructiveness and numerical calculation are natural allies. The 
sense of weight is shown by the elephant and other animals; the 
sense of range and direction in the flight of birds, and also in the 
movements of the fox and hare in doubling upon their pursuers; 
while dogs have, as is well known, many phases of Calculation be¬ 
sides the numerical. This form of evidence of animal calculation 
I might pursue through every department of animal life, from the 
lowest to the highest. In introducing evidence of the presence of 
every faculty in animals which is exhibited by man, I do so for the 
purpose of enlarging the ideas of my readers on the subject of mind 
and its universal presence; also, to raise the character of animals 
in the estimation of man, as well as to cultivate the faculty of 
modesty in human beings who have been wont (through ignorance 
of the real source and nature of mind) to ascribe the exclusive 
possession of intellect to man, and to deny to beasts and insects 


CAUSALITY. 


715 


anything but “blind instinct.” All the evidence running through 
these pages will, I am sure, prove that we have as many “instincts” 
as animals, and that many of the most gifted musicians, poets, and 
arithmeticians—those who challenge the admiration of the world 
—have arisen to the grade of intellectual development which acts 
spontaneously (or, as we say of some animals who do wonderful ’ 
things, “instinctively”), without training or forethought, as in the 
case of Mozart, Young, Colburn, and other precocious prodigies. 

CAUSALITY. 

Definition .—The cause-seeking faculty; ability to reason from 
cause to effect; capacity for deduction; comprehension of logical 
principles and their applications. The faculty which foreknows 
results from observation of their causes. Its possession makes one 
cogent, philosophical, calculative, and far-sighted as to results. It 
gives a desire to know the why and wherefore of all things—to 
sift appearances, and trace them to their origin. 

An excess of Causality leads one to look beyond the visible 
for first causes, and to endeavor by insight and intuition to discover 
the hidden, obscure, and occult laws of Nature. Swedenborg is 
an excellent illustration of excessive Causality. His desire to 
know the origin of mental and spiritual phenomena led to very 
abstruse ideas in regard to both physiological and psychic subjects. 
At the same time, his researches brought to light many valuable 
discoveries, as shown in the “Animal Kingdom,” but his persist¬ 
ency in pushing his inquiries in a microscopic fashion into the first 
causes of natural phenomena, together with his abstruse specula¬ 
tions and deductions upon them, makes his work too impractical 
for general use. Causation is the base of all natural phenomena, 
yet many of the processes of Nature are so refined, subtile, and 
minute as to entirely elude the comprehension of man, even when 
he has the aid of the most improved instruments, such as the 
telescope and microscope; hence, pushing investigation too far in 
this direction makes one’s researches too profound and obscure for 
practical and popular use; and as man’s powers and instrumentali¬ 
ties are limited, it seems a waste of time and talents to press our 
inquiries beyond the reasonable and demonstrable. One thus 
characterized should turn his attention to the practical and demon¬ 
strable in science, for the only medium through which knowledge 
comes to us primarily is our senses; hence, we must first bring 
all things under the crucial tests of sight, sound, smell, touch, 
or taste, before we endeavor to pronounce judgment upon them. 
The base or premises must first be susceptible of proof and demon¬ 
stration before a verdict is rendered. If this plan is not followed 


716 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 



the mind may be carried away by any false statement, by dogma, 
sophisms, and assertions unsupported by facts and accurate obser¬ 
vations. To cultivate reason one should accept the evidence of his 
senses in regard to material objects, and study the truths of Nature 
and science, as well as the laws of mechanism as promulgated by 
best-known writers and teachers. 

Excess of Causality is observed in those inventors who endeavor 

to discover the laws of 
“ perpetual motion,” and 
similar improbabilities. Too 
much Causality is quite as 
great a defect in a character 
as too little. 

A deficiency of Causal¬ 
ity causes paucity of reflec¬ 
tion and leads one to depend 
entirely upon the opinions 
of others in regard to most 
of the affairs of life. Super¬ 
stitious beliefs in theolog¬ 
ical dogmas have done 
much to stifle and prevent 
the development of a 
knowledge of causation. 
Science is doing: a great 


FIG. 118.-ANTOINETTE L. B. BLACKWELL, D.D. 

(Pastor, Author, Reformer.) 

Born in America. Conspicuous facial sign, Causality, 
shown by height and width of the bridge of the nose 
and development of the upper central portion of the 
forehead. The law of the straight line and square gov¬ 
erns this face. The signs for the domestic functions 
and faculties are well defined. Conscience, Firmness, 

Love of Home, of Country, and of Young are conspicu¬ 
ous, as are Benevolence, Amativeness, Alimentiveness, 

Economy, Sanativeness, Pneumativeness, Color, Self¬ 
esteem, Modesty, Hospitality, Mirth, and Friendship. 

In the nose the signs for mental power are very decided. 

Ideality, Sublimity, Mental Imitation, Analysis, Con¬ 
structiveness, Acquisitiveness, Veneration, Reason, 

Executiveness, and Self-will are prominent. The signs 
for the practical faculties—Form, Size, Observation, 

Order, Calculation, Memory of Events, Language, and 
Time—are marked, while Comparison and Intuition are 

S rominent. The face of a highly-organized mind and 
ody ; in it the signs for intellectual power are equalled 
by a fine domestic and social nature. 

vocation which requires 
reflection, foresight, planning, or judgment, but, sheep-like, must 
“ follow the leader. ” 

Facial and Bodily Signs .—The most cogent and indeclinable 
signs of causation are found in the nose and forehead. The signs 


work in teaching that God 
rules by law, and that cer¬ 
tain effects are sure to fol¬ 
low certain causes. Where 
Causality is small, the in¬ 
ventive faculty is at a min¬ 
imum, and one thus de¬ 
ficient has constantly to 
be advised, and finds it 
impossible to pursue any 


of this faculty that are situated in the nose are found between the 
sign for Executiveness and the sign for Comparison, the latter 
lying above on the ridge of the nose, and both of these faculties are 
most powerful when the nose is broad at this part, and are most 



CAUSALITY. 


717 



effective when found in combination witli large Comparison, Ex¬ 
ecutiveness, and Self-will. Comparison lies adjacent to Self-will, 
and Causality lies next below it, contiguous to the sign for Execu¬ 
tiveness, and both derive assistance and support from association 
with these two very high and superior faculties. Illustrations of 
the association of these four faculties are found only in the most 
commanding intellects, as seen in the faces of eminent scientists, 
statesmen, philosophers, 
commanders, and great ar¬ 
tists, thus proving that the 
combination of these facul¬ 
ties (whose signs are in 
close contiguity) creates 
characters which require 
not only the most profound 
and prolonged powers of 
deductive ratiocination, but 
also the will and force of 
executiveness to carry out 
actively and aggressively, 
if need be, the logical con¬ 
clusions of reason. Where 
the signs of Causality are 
found upon a broad and 
long nose, it is most effect¬ 
ive in its action ; the length 
showing foresight and cau¬ 
tion in forming opinions 
and in making investiga¬ 
tions, and the breadth dis¬ 
closing a comprehensive 
mind and a vigorous vis¬ 
ceral structure, thus giving 
breadth and soundness to 
the mental processes. 

The signs of Causality 
in the forehead are not so 

easily understood by the beginner in physiognomy. Many believe 
that a high, full forehead is proof of the presence of good reasoning 
powers. Lavater observes that the highest foreheads which came 
under his observation were those belonging to very stupid and un¬ 
reasoning persons. Height ol the forehead meiely is no indica¬ 
tion of reason. Breadth of the forehead is a better proof of its 
presence. Eullness of the centre of the upper cential pait of the 


Fig. 119.—GOLDWIN SMITH. 

Lecturer.) 


(Author, 


Born in England, 1823. Conspicuous facial sign, 
Causality, shown by height and width of the bridge 
of the nose and fullness of the centre of the forehead. 
The law of the straight line and square governs this 
face. This most comprehensive mind has a fine domes¬ 
tic and moral basis. The signs for Firmness, Con¬ 
science, Pneumativeness, Sanativeness, Alimentiveness, 
Economy, Love of Home, of Country, and of Young 
are very well defined. Benevolence, Amativeness, Self¬ 
esteem, Modesty, Hospitality, Force, and Friendship 
are prominent. In the nose the signs for Hope, 
Analysis, Mental Imitation, Ideality, Human Nature, 
Sublimity, Construction, Acquisition, Veneration, Ex¬ 
ecutiveness, and Self-will are conspicuous. The color 
is decided and the quality of a high order. Form, Size, 
Observation, Locality, weight, Memory of Events, 
Order, Time, and Language are largely developed; 
Prescience and Credenciveness are deficient; while 
Intuition is prominent, and Reason, Causality, and Com¬ 
parison are of the highest efficiency. This is the face 
of one who is almost as good an observer as he is a 
thinker, and this combination of the observing and 
reflecting faculties has created a first-class literary 
luminary. 



718 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

j . - •% * < 

forehead is one sign of the reasoning capacity, and must be relied 
upon where the nose has been injured, but the nose in a perfect 
state is the best index; for no great or good reasoner has ever been 
seen who disclosed a small, depressed, or flat nose, while many 
persons who have very high , narrow , and full foreheads, are defi¬ 
cient in causation and comparison, and others with low, wide, 
and receding foreheads have exhibited extraordinary capacity for 
logical generalization. High, wide, and full foreheads, if of a high 
quality, exhibit first-class talents, and these talents are of the most 
practical kind when the forehead recedes slightly. A forehead 
bulging at the upper part, or inclined forward and outward beyond 
the eyebrows, belongs to an infant idiot, a stupid person, or one 
afflicted with hydrocephalus, or “water on the brain.” This is the 
form of embryotic man, and signifies undevelopment. 

Description of Causality. —Quality is the most potent factor 
in deciding upon the signs in the forehead. If the quality be fine, 
and the signs for reason well defined, logical capacity and compre¬ 
hensiveness will be manifested. More particularly is this the case 
where the face is of a pyriform shape, thus showing the supremacy 
of the mental system over all others. In this case the nose is com¬ 
paratively small, yet the high quality in this instance compensates 
lor lack of physical executiveness, as seen in the physiognomy of 
Herbert Spencer, for example. Here the pyriform face is associ¬ 
ated with high quality, and the nose is relatively small. This com¬ 
bination discloses the capacity for clear, cogent, decisive, and most 
comprehensive reason; but, as he does not possess large bones and 
muscles, he depends upon the clearness, strength, breadth, and in¬ 
cisiveness of his demonstrations and generalizations; the lucidity 
and thoroughness of his arguments are supplemented by the most 
correct observations of natural phenomena, and hence are irresisti¬ 
ble and incontrovertible. 

As we approach the investigation of the rationale of the 
higher faculties, the signs and the philosophy become more com¬ 
plex, and we are obliged to pay attention to several circumstances 
in combination before pronouncing a verdict upon any single sign. 

The bodily signs for the presence of Causality are best defined 
where the skm is fine and clear, the eye bright, the hair fine, and 
with relative width of chest and shoulders. Nothing in the hu¬ 
man being is purely mental, nothing purely physical; hence, we 
are obliged to observe physiological and anatomical conditions 
before passing judgment on the ability of the individual to reason 
logically. 

The superficial thinker will doubtless exclaim, “ The reason¬ 
ing faculties must certainly be purely mental, inasmuch as they are 


CAUSALITY. 


719 


not dependent directly upon the senses for their power to act.” 
To use an Hibernicism, if one could think of nothing this asser¬ 
tion would apply; but, as the reflective faculties are for the purpose 
of judging, analyzing, separating, combining, and comparing the 
sensations and ideas acquired through the exercise of the eyes, 
ears, nose, mouth, and the sensations derived from the conditions 
of the entire visceral system, reason must necessarily be connected 
closely with these functions, and hence it follows logically that the 
reasoning powers of man are dependent upon and are affected by 
the nature and condition of both the senses and visceral organs. 

If the sense-organs are normal, and constructed in accord¬ 
ance with the most perfect plan, it follows that the ideas arising 
from the action of these organs will be correct, true, and sound; 
whereas, if, on the other hand, the organs of sense be imperfectly 
constructed as to their mechanism, the ideas arising from such im¬ 
perfect organs will not possess the same degree of power, clearness, 
and integrity as in the former case. An excellent illustration and 
proof of this position is had in the abnormal condition of the color¬ 
blind individual. In his case, inability to judge, analyze, and com¬ 
pare colors is caused by the imperfect construction of that part of 
the mechanism of the eye which judges of color, the chemical 
construction of the eye being faulty. Now, this idea can be readily 
apprehended by this illustration, but when I advance the theory 
that sound reason is dependent upon a normal and vigorous con¬ 
dition of the visceral structures, then the question becomes, per¬ 
haps, too complex for the casual observer, however reasonable it 
may appear to the medical man or physiologist. I think I have 
made the proof of this so clear in former chapters that it seems 
unnecessary to here present corroborative evidence. Yet, to make 
more obvious to the reader at this point the intimate relation of 
the senses with the reasoning faculties and the bond of sympathy 
and direct connection of the visceral structures and states with the 
capacity for sound reasoning, I will mention a larger number of 
persons who are well known to fame as reasoners, whose bodies 
and faces attest this law of physiognomy. Not only this, but their 
countenances will show that the signs in the forehead and nose are 
corroborated by the peculiarities of the structure of the body, and 
are disclosed by depth and breadth of the chest, width of the 
shoulders, vigorous abdominal system, and a well-developed 
muscular and osseous system. 

In the physiognomies of all the celebrated jurists of every 
nation, the faculties of Reason, of Causality, and Comparison shine 
pre-eminent. In nearly every instance the bodily organization 
and nose are on the broad plan, and the facial signs for breathing, 


720 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


digestion, etc., are corroborated by the bodily build, proving them 
to be of the greatest efficiency. Let the reader examine the por¬ 
traits of Lord North, Earl Clarenden, Erskine, Blackstone, Ellen- 
borough, Charles James Fox, Lord Brougham, and Justices Waite, 
Field, and Miller; also of other classes of reasoners, as, for example, 
the Herschels, Galileo, Kepler, Hobbes, Paley, Adam Smith, 
Dugald Stuart, Sir William Hamilton, Michael Angelo, Sir Chris¬ 
topher Wren, John Smeaton, John Stuart Mill, Jonathan Edwards, 
John Knox, Melanchthon, Sir Humphry Davy, von Liebig, Buffon, 
Agassiz, Metternich, Talleyrand, Pitt, Palmerston, Napoleon 
Bonaparte, James Monroe, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, 
Harriet Martineau, Sir Isaac Newton, Cuvier, Lyell, Hugh Miller, 
Charles Darwin, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Professors Huxley 
and Tyndall. These examples are drawn from every department of 
intellect and represent leading minds in science, art, theology, law, 
statesmanship, mechanics, generalship, etc. In all the preceding 
physiognomies there will not be found one small, narrow, flat nose, 
nor one which indicates visceral weakness. Did space permit, 
I might swell the list to thousands, but a sufficient number is here 
noted to give the reader ample scope for instituting comparisons 
and making generalizations. The world of thought and action 
has not been led by sickly, weak, ill-formed men and women. 
Nearly all the great reasoners of the world are distinguished as 
much by bodily vigor as they are by mental acumen and power. 
It is true that a few great minds have labored on through years 
of illness, and performed great works. How much greater might 
their achievements have been had they lived up to the require¬ 
ments of hygienic law! Thomas Carlyle was a life-long sufferer 
from dyspepsia, yet he lived to an advanced age and performed 
herculean mental labors. His original inherited digestive powers 
must have been excellent, else he could not have lived so long in 
violation of health laws. His nose is one of the largest among 
historical characters, thus showing that his physiological structure 
was originally sound, but he overworked constantly, and paid 
the penalty of violated laws by a life of bodily and mental torture. 

The process of Causation naturally precedes the other reason¬ 
ing faculty,—Comparison,—for one naturally seeks the cause or 
origin of phenomena before instituting comparisons. Causality is 
found in the faces of all who excel in investigation, research, 
science, invention, mechanics, statesmanship, and jurisprudence. 
Without a germ of this faculty a race would never progress 
beyond a state of barbarism. Children in civilized races show the 
grade of evolution to which they have attained by constantly 
questioning, Why] How] What causes this and that] While 


CAUSALITY. 


721 


the youthful barbarian looks with a stolid indifference upon every¬ 
thing which he beholds, yet not a question as to its origin or use 
escapes him. 

The cultivation of this faculty is of great importance, as it 
tends to originality, invention, and individuality, for every phe¬ 
nomenon of Nature is related to a cause precedent to its appear¬ 
ance. There is not a grain of sand or blade of grass but is the 
result of manifold causes, one following another. Indeed, the 
human mind is incapable of tracing to its origin the first cause of 
the growth of a single leaf. Yet by a study of the basic laws of 
Form one can be assured that all things in Nature—all phenomena 
— have law as a basis, and that law a mathematical one. I opine 
that it is not essential to our welfare and happiness here to possess 
a knowledge of the great first cause which so attracted the atten¬ 
tion of the most eminent of ancient and mediaeval philosophers. 
Yet it is our privilege and duty to know and comprehend many 
of the causes which precede and affect our destiny; and if ever 
there should arise a necessity for knowing the cause of causes, we 
may rest assured that it will be given to the world just when it is 
needed and when the minds of the masses are prepared to receive 
it. Until then, we had best employ our time in practical inves¬ 
tigation and elucidation of laws and causes which we can demon¬ 
strate and apply to matters that will advance man’s welfare and 
highest growth. 

Practicality results from a balance of Observation, Causality, 
and Comparison. Wisdom is the result of this combination. 
I have known many very wise, useful, and practical persons 
whose educational advantages had been quite indifferent, yet 
who, by the exercise of their natural reasoning faculties, excelled 
many book-learned persons in actual wisdom and common sense. 
“ A meagre soul can never be made fat by studying the laws of 
thinking.” 

The form of the forehead which expresses the most practical 
talents is one in which the superciliary ridge is prominent, and the 
outline of which recedes slightly backward from the superciliary 
ridge, and this form is observed in the foreheads of all the great 
“inquirers,” investigators, and mechanicians of the world. The 
. poet and painter have not so great a need of practical Causality 
as the former; their idea of causes is bounded by the ideal, the 
mystic, and supernatural, hence Causation in them does not take 
the practical turn which is observed in the physiognomies of the 
former classes. 

The square and slightly receding forehead is indicative of 
mechanical and scientific Causality. It denotes the order and 

46 


722 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


squareness of the ideas, and in the world of science and mechanics 
ideas are characterized by concrete, square, and orderly methods 
of arrangement in harmony with the square and cube, which are 
the symbols of mechanics and science, and which are also the forms 
that underlie the “crystal foundations of the earth.” Cuvier and 
Linnaeus, both great classifiers as well as great inquirers into causes, 
exhibit the square shape of the forehead. Arkwright, the inventor, 
also presents this appearance, and the noses and bodies of all these 
individuals corroborate the shape of the forehead and indicate the 
possession of Causality. The “questioning temper” is largely an 
inherited trait, and a busy, suggestive mind leads often to great 
results. The aptitude for reasoning from cause to effect, as shown 
in geniuses of the first rank, like Sir Isaac Newton, is inborn, not 
imparted by education. Observation of this gentleman’s physiog¬ 
nomy shows that the sort of Causality his mind would indulge in per¬ 
tained to the inquiry into mathematical and mechanical laws and 
causes. His forehead is full at the upper central portion, while the 
signs in the nose for Causality, Comparison, and Analysis are exceed¬ 
ingly prominent. This organ is high, long, wide, and bony,—a first- 
class scientific nose,—and science depends upon the laws of logic 
for its demonstration as well as upon facts observed. His nose 
reveals the presence of all of these faculties. Observation of his 
nose alone, without seeing any of the connected features, would 
satisfy any good scientific physiognomist that it belonged to an 
intellect of the first magnitude. The lower part about the nostrils 
and septum, as well as the formation of the bridge, together with 
its entire outline and size, make it one of the most remarkable 
noses to be found in the physiognomy of the most eminent his¬ 
torical characters. This nose could never be mistaken for the 
nose of an unreasoning, illogical mind. 

All those who receive as truth, without examination, every 
dogma, theory, and assertion which is put forth, are lack¬ 
ing in Causality, but those who desire the exact truth strive to 
learn the origin or cause of that which is asserted. Those with 
this faculty large place very little credence in purported “ miracles ” 
and large-snake stories, etc. They demand proof before believing; 
but another class, whose love of the marvelous overbalances their 
love of demonstrable truths and reasoning capacity, are possessed 
of omnivorous credulity, and, as Froude remarks, “Belief in the 
marvelous does not arise from evidence and will not yield to it; ” 
so, logic, reason, or demonstration are lost on such minds, because 
they have not the mental calibre to comprehend them. Most of the 
metaphysical conjuring of the middle ages was performed by 
“philosophers” who lacked the balance of observation and demon- 


CAUSALITY. 


723 


stration, hence their cause-seeking proclivities were of no practical 
benefit, and their fine speculations and lofty theories “ melted into 
thin air” at the approach of modern science with its instrumentali¬ 
ties lor exact observation of natural phenomena. 

The situation of the sign for Causality upon the ridge of the 
nose is most significant. The nasal sign adjoining Causality is the 
sign lor Executiveness, and where this sign is well marked the 
character will be noted for the energy, force, and ardor with which 
it seeks causes, investigates laws, and analyzes theories, and having 
once established these satisfactorily the same energy will character¬ 
ize the assertion and promulgation of the truths ascertained. 

Comparison, the twin sister of Causality, is in close contiguity 
to it; lying just above and adjoining it is the sign for Self-will, a 
faculty which is of the highest importance in all mental processes. 
Self-will is especially necessary for putting into action any plan or 
idea which the reason has wrought out. In the faces of all the 
great minds of the world—those who have excelled through per¬ 
sonal effort and merit—the signs of Self-will or Executiveness, one 
or both, are well-defined, for to reason upon a plan or theory with¬ 
out the power to enforce it would make reason of little account. 

This group of signs well illustrates the method pursued by 
Nature in the arrangement of the visceral organs, those which 
mutually assist each other in their operation being in positions of 
such contiguity as to facilitate action in all, and the signs in the 
face of the visceral organs are grouped in such manner as to show 
their relationship. The signs of the mental powers also, which 
mutually assist each other, are found associated in such manner 
that they suggest their relationship. 

An analysis of the components of brain structure shows that 
it is composed of fibrous membranes, vascular and serous matter, 
and white and gray neurine, the last also of a fibrous nature. 

Scientific physiognomy teaches that Self-will is derived from 
the development of the muscular or fibroid system. The proof of 
this is found in the faces and bodies of those exhibiting the most 
will-power. Now, if the mental processes are dependent upon the 
will or volition to carry out actively their opinions and desires, it 
follows that those possessed of a fine development of muscle in 
combination with a good degree of reason will be most energetic 
in advancing and promulgating their ideas in an aggressive and 
forcible manner. I have no doubt that a dissection of the brains 
of those who have been active in generalship, reform, and other 
leading pursuits, would develop the fact that their brains were better 
endowed with fibrous matter than those of persons who were weak 
in will and deficient in force and mental courage,—so surely are 


724 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


force, activity, and muscle related. One of the earliest symptoms of 
brain degeneration in insanity and softening of the brain is the loss 
of will-power. While the reasoning powers remain apparently in 
good condition, the will or volition is observed to be feeble and 
sometimes lacking. Dr. Carpenter mentions the case of a gentle¬ 
man whose will had become so enfeebled that he was unable to 
carry out what he teished to perform. He observes:.— 

Often in endeavoring to undress lie was two hours before he could get 
off his coat, all his mental faculties, except volition, being perfect. On one 
occasion, having ordered a glass of water, it was presented to him on a 
tray, but he could not take it, though anxious to do so, and he kept the 
servant standing before him half an hour, when the obstruction was over¬ 
come.* 

Color has its effect upon the action of the reasoning faculties, 
as well as upon every faculty. The brain, when dissected, is found 
to be furnished with pigmentary particles in the gray matter, and 
this coloring principle is also found in all of the ganglia of the 
sense-organs, proving conclusively that coloring pigment is essen¬ 
tial to all mental action. It is logical to infer that those whose 
blood possesses the most color would be able to furnish the brain 
with a superior quality of blood, and thus enhance its power. I 
do not recall the physiognomy of a superior reasoner who presented 
a pallid skin and colorless or whitish eyes and hair. Most of the 
great philosophers were men of tine color in the skin, hair, and 
eyes, and this gave force, power, and vigor to their ideas. 

The reader should not confound mere questioning with true 
investigation. Many persons ask questions to make others believe 
that they desire to learn or that they are observing. When one is 
endowed with Causality he seeks to pursue his inquiries as far as 
research has carried the subject. The mere asking of questions is 
no sign of a reasoner. Children habitually ask questions, yet this 
does not proceed so much from Causality (the desire to know the 
origin of what they see) as much as from curiosity, or a desire 
to be entertained. Individuals with a very small amount of 
Reason often imagine themselves possessed of considerable power 
in this direction, while great reasoners reflect in so spontaneous a 
manner as not to be aware of their superiority until by comparison 
with others they discover the difference; they reason without effort, 
and so easily that it does not seem at all wonderful to them. 

In deciding upon the value of Causality observed in a char¬ 
acter one must be governed somewhat by the knowledge of the 
influence which other faculties in combination have upon it. 
Where the practical faculties are deficient, as, for example, Obser- 

* Mental Physiology, William B. Carpenter, M.D., p. 385. 


CAUSALITY. 


725 


vation, Size, Form, Locality and Order, etc., the ideas and theories 
evolved will be visionary and impractical, because lacking a prac¬ 
tical and accurate basis. If Conscientiousness be measurably 
deficient and Reason large, the mind is prone to believe in falsities, 
and to evolve unsound hypotheses and theories. There must be a 
balanced condition between Conscience and Reason in order to 
make use of truth in the reasoning processes. It is thus perceived 
that in the use ol all the higher faculties of mind a harmonious or 
balanced condition of faculties must be present in order to make 
them most effective. Where Causality is large in combination 
with the practical faculties, the mind dwells upon the laws of 
Nature and of mechanism. Such minds soon learn to separate 
natural causes from superstitious beliefs. Large Causality with 
large Conscientiousness lead to the investigation of moral truths , 
and those with good literary faculties and language combined will 
be able to write and speak on moral philosophy. Causality, Com¬ 
parison, and Imitation large give ability for mental philosophy. 
Professor Alexander Bain’s physiognomy is an excellent illustration 
of this combination. ITis writings upon moral and mental philoso¬ 
phy are most admirable, and show the possession of conscience, 
reason, and intuition in a very marked degree. 

The development of Causality and Comparison in all of the 
higher animals is so marked that any one who has been long 
associated with them cannot fail to have observed its action. That 
these faculties are also present in a modified degree, very low down 
in the scale of organized life, none can doubt who has made a 
practical study of insects, birds, and reptiles. Now, many persons 
who have not examined the matter closely deny to the lower tribes 
the possession of any degree whatsoever of the reasoning power, 
referring all their efforts to “instinct,” as if that were an explana¬ 
tion. Instinct or spontaneity in man is looked upon as genius, 
for the musical effort of a prodigy like Mozart, who played and 
composed at five years of age, were as spontaneous and auto¬ 
matic as any act of the lower animals could possibly be. It is 
related of the water-moths that they cover themselves with pieces 
of wood or gravel in order to maintain their equilibrium in the 
water. When they are too light they add to themselves a minute 
speck of gravel, and, when too heavy, a bit of pith or wood. In 
man such action would be deemed the height of inventive judg¬ 
ment, and it certainly exhibits in the lowly lepidoptera the presence 
of the faculty of Weight, of inventive power, and of capacity to 
reason from cause to effect. The mass of evidence in proof of the 
possession and operation of Causality and Comparison in many 
classes of insects and animals of various grades is so overwhelming 


726 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


that it seems superfluous to introduce any examples here. One 
could fill volumes with the most incontrovertible evidence on this 
point. 

The cultivation of Causality strengthens the mind, and gives 
boldness and originality to one’s thoughts. Those who are deficient 
in original inquiry are like the sheep who blindly follow the one 
that has the most power to lead. Many are satisfied to have others 
do their thinking for them, and lean altogether upon the views and 
opinions of their doctor, minister, or friends; but those who would 
know for a certainty the cause and origin of phenomena must 
investigate for themselves, yet this need not prevent their giving 
due respect and credence to those whose opinions have been tested 
by practical experiment. A study of the natural sciences and of 
the laws of mechanics tends to strengthen the cause-seeking faculty, 
while speculative theories and superstitious beliefs founded on 
faith stifle the promptings of reason. The inductive method of 
reasoning—that which traces the effect from causes or facts—is the 
most practical, yet the deductive method—that which traces causes 
from the effects observed—is also useful. The first-mentioned 
method is like performing a sum in arithmetic; the latter method 
is like proving the arithmetical process. Both are of use. Listen¬ 
ing to debates and to good logicians is an excellent way of strength¬ 
ening the causative power. The endeavor to arrive at the absolute 
truth by irresistible proofs is calculated to lead to the most cogent 
conclusiveness. 


COMPARISON. 

Definition .—Ability to originate, comprehend, arrange, criti¬ 
cize, and compare ideas, plans, and systems; capacity to reason 
logically and to use analogy; power to comprehend complex 
systems by investigating their laws. Comparison assists philosophy, 
planning, and invention. It gives breadth of mind, good sense, 
and correct judgment. It creates a desire to learn laws, investi¬ 
gate principles, penetrate causes, and expound theories. This trait 
is large in lawyers, statesmen, generals, leaders, inventors, natural¬ 
ists, scientists, orators, and chess-players. 

An excess leads to sophistry and tiresome and useless theo¬ 
rising,—to the planning of impractical schemes and wild and 
visionary speculations. 

A deficiency is exhibited by those who are unable to create, 
plan, or arrange ideas, or work systematically, and who fail to 
connect cause with effect. This defect is shown in those who have 
a narrow understanding, and who are incapable of comprehending 
profound, broad, or long-sighted plans in business, government, 


COMPARISON. 


727 


or in mechanism. They are also unable to suggest new methods 
or to make experiments. They are incapable of making a logical 
statement or to comprehend one. They give opinions instead of 
logical reasons , and fail to perceive the difference between the 
“reason why” and a personal opinion on any given subject. A 
lack of reason is the foundation of bigotry and superstition, for 
those who are wanting in logic and common sense allow the 
emotions to rule them, and hence substitute feeling and personal 
opinion for reflection and reason. 

Facial and Bodily Signs. —The most conspicuous and reliable 
facial sign of Comparison is height and breadth of the bridge of the 
nose, conjoined to length of this organ,—provided the quality be 
fine. The nasal sign for Comparison lies above the nasal sign for 
Veneration and joins Causality above. Fullness of the centre of the 
upper part of the forehead is also a sign, if the quality be fine and the 
brain system is dominant, or one of the principal systems. Where 
the osseous and brain forms are about equally exhibited and are of 
good or fine quality, and the bones are square, excellent reasoning 
powers will be manifested upon mechanical and scientific subjects. 
Where the brain form, conjoined with the vegetative or rounding 
form, is dominant and of fine quality, capacity for profound and 
prolonged reasoning upon metaphysical subjects will be exhibited. 
David Hume is a good illustration of this combination. Where 
the forehead is high, full, and broad, associated with fine muscular 
development, ability to reason upon art and metaphysical subjects 
will be manifested. This combination produces the rounding 
forehead, and the curved form is according to universal law the 
form devoted to art. Thus each combination reveals by its form 
and quality its inherent tendency and direction. Each of these 
combinations has its meaning registered in the form of the nose, 
as well as in the form of the brain and body, and mutually confirm 
each other. 

Comparison is of the highest power in those characters who, 
with fine inherited quality, have also a very long as well as high 
and broad nose. Short, bony noses, no matter how high and 
broad, reveal less of this faculty than those which have length. 
Comparison of the nose of Lagrange, the eminent astronomer, with 
that of Gibbon, the historian, and the noses of Lagrange and 
Elizabeth Cady Stanton, grand reasoners, with those of Rubens and 
Miss Hosmer, celebrated artists, will illustrate the differences 
between those noses which reveal ability for the most comprehensive 
comparisons, and those which reason upon subjects requiring rela¬ 
tively less breadth and comprehensiveness. Flat-nosed persons and 
races are entirely destitute both of Comparison and Causality. Their 


728 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 



short, flat noses, depressed chests, and relative lack of breadth are 
most conclusive signs of the absence of the capacity to comprehend 
logical premises and deductions. 

A broad, well-developed body , together with a high, broad, 
and long nose (if of fine quality) is the most favorable formation 

for the manifestation of a 
high degree of sound 
reason, with ability for pro¬ 
longed and profound labors 
in this department of men¬ 
tality. 

Another facial sign for 
Comparison, not so reliable 
as the former, is found in 
fullness of the centre of the 
upper portion of the fore¬ 
head. The sign in the 
nose, as above given, is 
always to be depended 
upon, together with the 
sort of reason which will 
be manifested, for the shape 
of the nose discloses the 
mental tendencies of the 
character, and those ten¬ 
dencies will be toward the 
analysis of art, or of litera¬ 
ture, or of architecture, or 
of science. The form of 
the nose will in each case 
decide the dominant ten¬ 
dency or direction. A well- 
developed nose is the dis¬ 
tinguishing feature of the 
most highly developed races 
and individuals. It is a 
current belief that all 
large, high, broad, and full 
foreheads are evidence of 
fine reason and sound in¬ 
tellect. Nothing can be 
further from the truth. Such 
a forehead, if accompanied with large lungs and good digestive 
faculties, together with fine inherited quality , would be proof of 


Fig. 120.—ELIZABETH CADY STANTON. (Lec¬ 
turer, Author, Reformer, Editor, and Or¬ 
ator.) 

Born in Jamestown, N. Y., 1816. Conspicuous fa¬ 
cial sign, Comparison, shown by width and height of 
the bridge of the nose, robust body, and fullness of the 
centre of the forehead. The law of the straight line, 
curve, and sphere governs this face. The physiogno¬ 
mist in delineating so regal a character as this finds 
language almost inadequate to express its powers and 
excellencies. To a highly developed, social, domestic, 
and moral nature this lady adds all oi the higher facul¬ 
ties of the intellect. In this character, Firmness and 
Conscience, without being severe, are unswerving; 
Love of Home, of Country, and of Young are all of the 
highest order. As a wife, mother, and patriot, this lady 
is unexcelled. The signs for Benevolence, Alimentive- 
ness, Mirth, Approbation, Friendship, Hospitality, San¬ 
ativeness, Color, Self-esteem, and Modesty are well de¬ 
fined. Resistance is large, as shown by her life-long 
efforts in opposing slavery, and in her unflinching en¬ 
deavors to promote woman’s enfranchisement. In the 
nose the signs for Ideality, Sublimity, Mental Imitation, 
Analysis, Human Nature, Construction, Acquisition, 
Veneration, Executiveness, and Self-will are promi¬ 
nent ; so, also, are Form and Size. Locality, Mental 
Order, Calculation, Prescience, and Credenciveness are 
less than average. Language, as shown by the mouth 
and eyes, is copious, fluent, clear, witty, cogent, logical, 
and magnetic. As an orator, she is one of the most im¬ 
pressive and ornate, and is eminently well adapted to 
statesmanship, and would have made a good Secretary 
of State. With the highest powers of Reason she com¬ 
bines those of Intuition, whde her sympathies for the 
oppressed of both sexes and of all races have led her to 
leave a home and life of luxury to travel and labor for 
their amelioration. The women of America will for¬ 
ever be her debtors for legal and property rights which 
she has been instrumental in gaining for them. 


COMPARISON. 


729 


an excellent reasoner and of good intellect in some directions; but 
a projecting, high forehead, without these physiological gifts, and 
with a coarse, thick skin, would be indicative of stupidity or of 
very commonplace mental powers. Let the reader once compre¬ 
hend the immense power which large lungs give to mental pro¬ 
cesses and how much is 



due to a sound visceral 
structure, and he will de¬ 
sire to examine the nose, 
nostrils, and entire face 
before passing judgment 
upon a character based 
upon an inspection of the 
size of the head or fore¬ 
head merely. The rule is 
to observe, first, the quality 
of the subject under in¬ 
spection, and then get the 
direction or ruling talent 
of the character (disclosed 
by the shape of the nose); 
then the force or power of 
the individual to carry out 
his dominant taste, shown 
by the size and width of 
the nose , and in this combi¬ 
nation and classification 
will be found the key to 
the entire mental character. 

The domestic and other 
traits can be read by refer¬ 
ence to those parts of the 
face where their signs are 
situated. 

Taking the forehead 
and nose together as guides 
to the discernment of signs 
of Reason is an infallible method, but where the forehead is high, 


FIG. 121—BENJAMIN THOMPSON (COUNT RUM- 
FORD). (Physicist, Reformer, Philanthro¬ 
pist. ) 

Born in Massachusetts, 1753. Conspicuous facial sign, 
Comparison, shown hy width and height of the bridge 
of the nose and form of the upper and central portion 
of the forehead. The law of the straight line and 
square governs this face. The projection of the eye¬ 
brows and the receding outline of the forehead disclose 
a character in which practical Reason is dominant. 
Whatever abstract plans this man made he was capable 
of putting into practical use. The size, form, length, 
and bony nature of this nose announce a man of might; 
the forehead is equally decisive of energy, of wise 
plans, and of prompt execution. The signs for Firm¬ 
ness, Conscience, Benevolence, Patriotism, Economy, 
Sanativeness, Color, Pneumativeness, Force, Caution, 
Approbation, Friendship, Amativeness, and Self-esteem 
are well defined and form a strong basis for the intel¬ 
lectual powers. The point of the nose stands high above 
the plane of the face, thus showing a far-reaching, as¬ 
piring, ambitious character; also showing a large degree 
of Human Nature. Sublimity, Ideality, Mental Imita¬ 
tion, Construction, Acquisition, Veneration, Execu¬ 
tiveness, and Self-will are all strong traits. Prescience 
and Credenciveness are not large. The practical facul¬ 
ties of Observation, Form, Size, Locality, Order, Time, 
Calculation, and Language are very pronounced ; while 
Memory of Events, Intuition, and practical Reason are 
dominant, and altogether show a character worthy of 
imitation. 


broad, and full, and the nose small, the intellect will be of a 
common order, unless the signs of high quality are present and 
associated with a pyriform-shaped free. 

There are many sophistical reasoners who can run parallels 
so near the truth as to sometimes deceive even the most logical. 
Such persons are known by round or full, smooth, shining faces, 


730 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY 

rounding bodies, and the fingers tapering to a point , with the 
reasoning faculties, of course, in combination, but with small 
Conscientiousness. 

Description of Comparison. —The completeness and perfec¬ 
tion of the reasoning process in man requires the action of two 
distinct traits, viz., those of Comparison and Causality. The 
soundness of the judgment in relation to cause and effect depends 

greatly upon the soundness 
and perfection of the vis¬ 
ceral organization. It is 
true that an individual 
with a large brain of fine 
quality, developed in the 
reasoning faculties, will be 
capable, even in ill health, 
of logical reasoning; yet 
the same person in a state 
of robust health would be 
capable of far greater power 
and more vigorous and pro¬ 
longed thought. The fact 
that some persons in a 
state of permanent ill 
health or great delicacy of 
constitution have evinced 
fine reasoning powers does 
not militate against the 
above statement. Alex¬ 
ander H. Stephens, for 
many years Senator from 
Georgia, was a life-long in¬ 
valid, and of feeble physique 
at birth, yet was remarkable 
for his great mental indus¬ 
try and large and sound 
reason. How much greater 
this mind would have been 
in a normal condition we can well understand. This instance is 
often brought forward to prove that good health and a vigorous 
visceral structure are not essential to profound reason. That 
Senator Stephens was able to acquit bimself of such arduous 
mental labor, involving so much logical acumen, was due to the 
fact that he had mheiited a most uncommon guality of brain and 
body, as well as large size of brain; by great care of his physical 





Fig. 122.—HERMANN LOUIS HELMHOLTZ. (Phy¬ 
siologist Discoverer, Mathematician, Au¬ 
thor, and Physicist.) 

Born in Germany, 1821. Conspicuous facial sign. 
Comparison. The law of the straight line, square, and 
curve governs this face. The clnn reveals Firmness 
and Conscience, also Patriotism, Love of Home, and 
Benevolence. Alimentiveness, Sanativeness, Economy, 
Bibativeness, Hospitality, Approbation, and other do¬ 
mestic traits are well defined. In the nose the signs of 
intellect are manifest. Analysis, Human Nature, Sub¬ 
limity, Mental Imitation, Construction, Acquisition, 
Veneration, Executiveness, and Self-will show their 
power. Form, Size, Observation, Locality, Weight, 
Calculation, Mental Order, Time, and Memory of 
Events are conspicuous; while Causality, Comparison, 
and Intuition are supreme. This combination of facul¬ 
ties, with a high degree of quality, announce a most 
useful, comprehensive, and scientific mind. His most 
celebrated works, in which are elaborated his grand 
discoveries, are as follow: “The Conservator of 
Force” (18741, “A Manual of Physiological Optics” 

K , and “ The Sensation of Tone as a Basis for the 
iological Theory of Music” (1862). In this last 
work Professor Helmholtz has succeeded in 

“ Untwisting all the chains that tie 
The hidden soul of harmony.” 


COMPARISON. 


731 



powers he was able to make this development very effective. 
With robust health, he would doubtless have been a mental 
Colossus. His physiognomy shows that he was descended from a 
vigorous and long-lived ancestry. I do not know the circumstances 
of his birth, but I opine that some accidental circumstance in 
his prenatal life gave permanent feebleness to his physical powers. 

The greatest and most profound reasoners are those who have 
inherited a fine and nearly 
equal proportion of each 
of the five superior systems, 
all of superior power and 
vigor. All this their faces 
disclose. They also dis¬ 
close which part of the 
reasoning process is domi¬ 
nant in cases of disparity 
between them. 

Comparison is that 
part of the intellect which 
leads one to see the various 
differences and distinctions 
in all mental schemes and 
conceptions; hence this fac¬ 
ulty tends to criticism, 
analysis, explanation, anal¬ 
ogy, and induction. It is 
especially the gift of those 
who study and investigate 
the grand and complex laws 
of Nature in astronomy 
and physics, yet it is of 
use in every vocation. 

Another department of 
Comparison gives ability to 
criticise, arrange, and clas¬ 
sify material substances 
in art, science, and litera¬ 
ture. Humboldt, who, in his wonderful work, “ The Kosmos, 
showed his understanding of the vast chain of natural phenomena, 
had perhaps the most comprehensive mind of any man in any age. 
His Comparison and Causality were of immense power, and the 
signs for these traits are observed both in his nose and forehead. 
Linnaeus, the eminent botanist, who gave to the world his great 
system of classification of plants and a precise nomenclature for 


Fig. 123.—LELAND STANFORD. (Mechanic, Gov¬ 
ernor, Senator, Philanthropist.) 

Born in Watervleit, 1824. Conspicuous facial sign, 
Practical Reason, shown by the projecting superciliary 
ridges, where are grouped the signs for mechanical 
ability; shown also by the receding forehead. The law 
of the straight line and square governs this face. The 
key-note to this character is practicality. The domestic 
traits are well represented. The sense of Justice is 
strong, Firmness most decided; the full lower lip shows 
large Benevolence, and with such glandular develop¬ 
ment the faculties of Love of Home, of Country, and 
of Young must be also large. The signs for Self-esteem, 
Hospitality, Friendship, Amativeness, Alimentiveness, 
Pneumativeness, and Resistance are well defined. The 
nose is solid and broad, of proportionate length. In it 
the signs for Mental Imitation, Human Nature, Ideality, 
Sublimity, Constructiveness, Acquisitiveness, Venera¬ 
tion, Executiveness, and Self-will are conspicuous. 
The mechanical faculties are dominant. The signs for 
Form, Size, Locality, Weight, Observation, Order, 
Time, Calculation, and Memory of Events are very pro¬ 
nounced. Language is most apparent. Prescience is 
large, Credenciveness is small, and Causality and Com¬ 
parison excellent. This mind ranks utility above every¬ 
thing, yet has sufficient Ideality and Constructiveness. 




732 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


the same, is another illustration of that comprehensiveness which 
results from a large development of Comparison and Causality. 
In works of this kind the mind must be able to spontaneously 
grasp the points of resemblance and dissimilarity, and thus by com¬ 
parison assign to each object under observation its own true place 
and rank in Nature. Baron Cuvier, another of the world’s mental 
Colossi, was able to build up an entire animal body from the 
inspection of a small bony fragment of the animal. 

Comparison takes cognizance of the mechanical principles in¬ 
volved in arts and architecture, in scientific and surgical instru¬ 
ments, and in the appliances and implements used in the physical 
sciences, such as the telescope, microscope, the telegraph, telephone, 
electrical machines, etc. One sort of reasoning deals with the truths 
and methods of abstract reason on moral questions; another, with the 
concrete, or the principles involved in the operation of the sciences 
and arts. 

The more Conscientiousness there is combined with reason, 
the more just and truthful will be the deductions. A man with 
large reasoning powers and small Conscientiousness will be sophis¬ 
tical and enjoy reasoning from false premises quite as well as from 
a true foundation; indeed, he will not be well able to distinguish 
between the two. Thus, it is proven that Reason (one of the 
highest attributes of the human mind and one of the latest acqui¬ 
sitions of the human race) must have as a foundation the assist¬ 
ance of Conscientiousness, one of the earliest functions evolved in 
the human organism. Comparison is the natural ally and com¬ 
panion of Causality. Possessing high powers, it holds its position 
in accordance with its importance. In the nose, its associated 
signs show by their character what direction Comparison will 
take when influenced by their association. Veneration, the first 
of the high faculties whose signs are found upon the ridge of the 
nose, is one of the traits found only among developed people. If 
observed upon the physiognomy of a semi-civilized person it de¬ 
notes a high grade of development in that individual, for among 
such races are found fine physiques as well as good physiognomies, 
thus showing their tendency to upward evolution. Veneration, the 
faculty which creates respect for all admirable things, gives to 
Causality a respectful and submissive nature, assisting it to bow to 
causes and laws discovered by this inquiring mind. Above the 
reasoning faculties, upon the ridge, we find the nasal signs for Ex¬ 
ecutiveness and Self-will. These two mighty mental forces give 
all the assistance which investigation and discovery require for pro¬ 
mulgating and defending those theories, facts, laws, and principles 
which Comparison and Causality have wrested from Nature’s 


COMPARISON. 


733 


alembic. The philosopher, inventor, and discoverer must possess 
the elements of force and command to a certain degree in order 
that his theories and discoveries shall be thrust upon the world, 
for although the faggot and dungeon no longer threaten the bold 
speculator or daring inventor, yet self-will and self-assertion must 
be used by those whose efforts bring into existence knowledge 
which is revolutionary in its operation. I have sometimes been 
lost in admiration when reading of the efforts made by discoverers 
and inventors to compel the world to receive from their hands the 
principles in science, art, and mechanism to which under great 
sacrifices and amid mighty struggles they have given birth. In¬ 
deed, force of mind , originality, and invention are almost always 
accompanied by strength of body. The inventors, discoverers, phi¬ 
losophers, and originators of new theories, as a rule, have been 
men of strong physique, physical courage, and longevity. The 
portraits of Socrates, Aristotle, Bacon, Kepler, Voltaire, D’Alem¬ 
bert, Descartes, Condercet, Compte, David Hume, Charles Dar¬ 
win, Benjamin Franklin, Martin Luther, Howe, John Locke, and 
the whole army of bold and original minds whose theories and 
works have blessed the world, disclose the fact that they were pos¬ 
sessed of good muscular and visceral organizations. The signs 
in the nose for the breathing and circulatory functions, and for the 
stomach, are interwoven and closely related to mental signs and 
predicate mental powers, and hence it is that bold, ingenious, and 
original minds disclose strong, massive, and so-called “ homely” 
features, viz., a large mouth, large high nose, full eyes, and broad 
cheeks and chin. 

The only accurate method of arriving at a knowledge of the 
sort or direction the reasoning power will take in a given physiog¬ 
nomy, is to apply the “basic principles of form.” The square¬ 
shaped forehead and high, long, bony, square-cut nose disclose 
the capacity for science, morals, and a certain branch of mechani¬ 
cal laws. The rounding forehead and broad, high, and long, 
muscular nose, rounding at the point and full at Constructiveness, 
assure us that the mind will exert itself upon metaphysics, as¬ 
tronomy, abstract philosophy, and invention, while the same mus¬ 
cular nose, if relatively short , will disclose the sort of reason which 
is involved in art, music, the drama, and dramatic literature, as in 
fiction, plays, etc. There are, of course, variations and combina¬ 
tions of all these different lengths, heights, width, etc., of the nose, 
suited to the talents which each character expresses, yet all can be 
understood by the keen analyzer and observer. 

In discussing the faculty of Comparison, Professor Fowler 
observes as follows:— 


734 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Two organs of Comparison doubtless exist. The lower one, more ap¬ 
propriately connected with the physical perceptions, in comparing physical 
substances with each other and reasoning thereon ; while the latter, com¬ 
bining more naturally with the moral faculties, reason from the physical to 
the moral world, compares ideas, criticises and discriminates between them, 
and imparts logical acumen.* 

Although Professor Fowler (who is a good observer) tells us 
that two “ organs ” of Comparison doubtless exist, he fails to 
locate them in the forehead. It is impossible to comprehend the 
kind of reason which a given individual will exhibit by an inspec¬ 
tion of the small portion of the forehead, where he says Compari¬ 
son is situated. Let any good observer examine “the middle of 
the upper part of the forehead,” and endeavor by that alone to un¬ 
derstand and describe the sort of reason which will be exhibited, 
and I predict it will be an utter failure; yet examination of the 
outline and size of the nose will reveal it. The signs in the nose, 
taken in connection with the quality , are unfailing indications. 
When these and the sign in the forehead, taken in connection with 
its form, are observed, a complete summing up of the characters in 
regard to the kind of reason present can be had, but where the 
nose has been injured the forehead can be observed, or when the 
forehead is covered recourse can be had to an inspection of the 
nose. 

Two distinct parts of the reasoning faculty must be used 
in order to complete the process. The cause of anything under 
observation must first be sought, and then it must be classified or 
relegated to its own division, according to the law of similar things. 
This is done by comparing it with others possessing the same ap¬ 
pearance, form, quality, or characteristics. In this process dis¬ 
crimination performs a leading part. Thus it is that discrimina¬ 
tion or reason is common sense practically applied. Where either 
of these two halves of the reasoning power are greatly lacking 
the judgment or estimate of a theory, idea, or thing will be par¬ 
tial or imperfect. The practical things of every-day life require 
the exercise of the reasoning powers quite as much as the investi¬ 
gation of the great and complex laws which regulate the solar 
system or which lie at the base of mechanical forces. 

Inductive reasoning assists the discovery and application of 
natural laws. This sort of reason is used by modern scientists, and 
herein lies the extreme practicability and accuracy of their 
methods. The ancient Greek and mediaeval method was the 
deductive form, which reasons from generals to particulars from a 
premise assumed to a conclusion in accordance with this assump- 


* Human Science, O. S Fowler, p. 1128. 


COMPARISON. 


735 


tion, regardless of whether the premise was based upon truth and 
observation of facts. The inductive method seeks to find a con¬ 
clusion based upon the observation of a fact or a tangible object; 
hence, if its conclusions are in accord with its observation the 
whole is correct. 

Reason is particularly adapted to the discernment and eluci¬ 
dation of natural laws. It was designed that man should be master 
of these laws, else the law-seeking faculty would not have been 
given him, and, although daring inquirers into the truths of Nature 
have lived in all ages of the world, yet the force of superstitious 
unreason was sufficiently powerful to stifle and postpone for cen¬ 
turies the widespread dissemination of laws and principles which 
Galileo, Bruno, and Bacon dared to avow, and for which they 
suffered. 

The sort of Comparison which is used in the ordinary routine 
of daily life and in business is the same which the poet and orator 
use when engaged in giving vent to their thoughts by pen and 
voice. What makes it seem different is because it is combined 
with faculties different from those used in ordinary affairs. Ideality 
or imagination influences them. Mirthfulness and Wit, Construct¬ 
iveness, Form, Size, and Language enable them to paint their 
illustrations of resemblances and differences in the forms of apt, 
mirthful, or witty simile, allegory, metaphor, or parable. Figures 
of speech result from an excess of Comparison, and all the great 
rhetoricians are indebted to this trait for their appropriate and 
convincing analogies, which often convince where argument fails. 
The philologist’s labors are perfected through his ability to compare 
words, sentences, phrases, and languages. Comparison enables 
him to see incongruities and resemblances, and to generalize and 
classify the different parts of speech in diverse languages and 
dialects. The signs of this trait are large in the face of Noah 
Webster, compiler of the great “Unabridged Dictionary;” also 
in that of Mezzofanti, the linguist, who could express himself in 
fifty-six languages and was acquainted with sixty-four others. 
Comparison shines pre-eminent in the face of Bunyan, whose 
allegory of “The Pilgrim’s Progress” has been translated into 
every civilized language. The portrait of Thomas Moore, the 
Irish poet, also exhibits it very largely. It was remarked that in 
his life of Sheridan “ he made use of two thousand five hundred 
similes, besides metaphors and allegorical expressions.” 

It is this trait which gives the orator such convincing powers 
in setting figures of speech in “ supposing a case,” and when com¬ 
bined with the mechanical faculties the illustrations will be drawn 
from these sources, and in combination with Observation, Locality, 


736 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Form, and Memory of Events, historical powers will be manifested, 
as in Gibbon. With large Language added, it enables one to 
write on this subject. Eminent chess-players disclose large Com¬ 
parison combined with Constructiveness, Form, Size, Locality, and 
Observation, as observed in the physiognomy of Herr Zukertort. 

Comparison is so universal a faculty that it has existed in all 
historic ages, in nearly all races, and in combination with all phases 
of mentality. The German and Scotch equally possess the most 
universal endowment of this trait; the English come second, the 
Americans third, and the French possess the least; yet men and 
women noted for Comparison have developed in every civilized race. 
A high degree of Comparison has been also manifested among some 
savage races, notably among the North American Indians, whose 
orators and poets have exhibited its action in their speeches and 
poetry. Their foreheads, it will be observed, are usually receding, 
and this form of the forehead is often found associated with the most 
'practical characters. The forehead of John Locke (renowned for 
his philosophical writings) presents this formation; so, also, does 
that of Arkwright, the eminent inventor. Many of our most 
eloquent orators exhibit receding foreheads. This shape of the 
forehead, when combined with a good endowment of Causality and 
Comparison, reveals reason of the most acute, accurate, and pene¬ 
trating phase; for the receding forehead is one of the signs of an 
active liver and large lungs, and activity of these organs gives 
clearness , distinctness, and analytical power to the mind. Not 
only does this form disclose penetration, but it is indicative of the 
presence of the mechanical and observing faculties; hence, a high 
order of practical tendencies will be manifested where the forehead 
recedes to a certain degree, as shown in the face of Stanford. 

As Comparison is a high trait, and one which brings its pos¬ 
sessor into relation with the vast and comprehensive systems of 
Nature, it follows that its cultivation is of high importance. It 
cannot have full freedom of expansion so long as superstition and 
bigoted dogma are supreme. No, reader! Freedom of mind is 
opposed to the narrow restraints imposed by hide-bound creeds and 
venerable myths. No man can really enjoy the luxury of true 
and complete mental emancipation as long as he allows bigotry and 
superstition to control and fetter his mind. There is a happiness 
and ecstasy, an experience of mental exaltation, resulting from 
complete freedom from false theories and enslaving customs. Not 
until the last vestige of error and superstition has been reasoned 
out of one’s mind can one realize this supernal condition. The 
only way we can understand God is through His works. How 
important, then, to cultivate that faculty which enables us to 


INTUITION. 


737 


realize the immensity and grandeur of the laws which explain and 
reveal them. The study of moral laws and the whole arcana of 
the sciences are of use in the development of Comparison and its 
twin sister, Causality. To be endowed by Nature with a large 
degree of Reason is to have inherited a liberal education, for 
Reason, supported by Conscientiousness, will establish in the 
character the supremacy of wisdom and justice. 

INTUITION. 

Definition .—Webster defines Intuition to be “a distinct in¬ 
spection of the mind; direct apprehension or cognition; an act of 
immediate knowledge, as in perception or consciousness, distin¬ 
guished from mediate knowledge, as in reasoning. Intuition 
is spontaneity of cognition and action, based on spontaneous 
cognition.” 

An excess , an immoderate endowment of Intuition, is seldom 
developed. Where this is the case, it is probably the compensation 
for the absence of Reason, Observation, or Practicality. If it 
prove an annoyance the cultivation of these faculties will tend to 
balance the character. 

A deficiency can be remedied by bathing, cleanliness, and 
purity, thinking more and feasting and sleeping less. By this 
course the nervous system will become more sensitive, aspiring, 
and spontaneous. The brain and nerves will develop new powers. 
Avoid gross eating and drinking, and all low, brutal, coarse sports 
and pursuits; associate with the pure and gifted,—with the refined 
and noble; observe their methods and ways of life, and imitate 
them. Read the works of the purest poets, artists, and scientists. 
Cultivate the highest and best in your mind. So shall the entire 
nature become higher, more refined, and sensitive. 

Facial and Bodily Signs .—Inasmuch as inherited quality is 
the most marked sign of Intuition, observation of the quality of 
the skin, hair, and eyes will show that those who possess very fine 
hair, very bright eyes, and very fine, clear skin are more intuitive 
than those who are the opposite of this; but as the brain is a part 
of the nervous mechanism, we must look to its form and size , also, 
for signs of quality. As the eyes show by their form, size, and 
condition their capacity for receiving sensations, they also must be 
subjected to examination before rendering judgment as to the 
relative degree of Intuition. The capacity for receiving sensations 
is in accord with the development of the sense-organs, viz., the 
senses of touch, taste, sight, hearing, and scent. Now, if all these 
senses are of the highest order of acuteness and efficiency, it fol¬ 
lows logically that one thus endowed will have ability for instan- 

47 


738 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


taneous and spontaneous cognition of tilings observed. It also 
follows that if all of these organs are highly organized, the brain 
will partake of the same quality of fineness and capacity for re¬ 
ceiving the impressions made upon the sense-organs through their 
several organs of sight, hearing, etc. This analysis shows us, 
then, that large, wide-open eyes of fine quality (shown by their 
brightness) are signs of the presence of Intuition, by reason of 
the greater expansion of the optic nerve, which is more expanded 
in a large eye than in a small one. The fineness of the skin and 

hair are also signs of this 
faculty; so also is the large 
size of the forehead, if as¬ 
sociated with fine quality. 
A pyriform - shaped face, 
associated with large, wide- 
open eyes, is another very 
reliable indication of spon¬ 
taneity of sensation and 
impression. 

Bodily signs are those 
which show the supremacy 
of the brain and nerve 
system over the bony and 
muscular structures; espe¬ 
cially if associated with 
small limbs, small and 

fineness and clearness of 
the skin; hence every part 
of the outer skin-cover 
ing will reveal the grade 
of* Intuition in any given 
individual. If the bony 
muscular, or thoracic sys* 
terns are dominant, the skin 
and hair fine, and the eyes bright, Intuition will be active in the 
direction to which each of these systems tends. 

Description of Intuition.— Having thus given the physiologi. 
cal and anatomical signs of that faculty which is perhaps unden 
stood the least of all the mental powers, I shall proceed to analyze 
its sources, and shall show that this trait, which is considered by 
many to be of a nature transcending all others in its powers of appre¬ 
hension and cognition, as well as being more “spiritualized” in its 


spare hands and feet. A 
general sign is known by 



Fig. 124.— CHARLOTTE BRONTE. (Authoress.) 


Born in England, 1816. Conspicuous facial sign. 
Intuition, shown by the dominance of the brain and 
nervous system, large, bright eyes, and tine quality. 
The oval chin and curving eyebrows announce artistic 
capacity. The domestic and moral traits in this face 
are well developed. Conscience, Firmness, Friendship, 
Mirth, Modesty, Benevolence, Love of Home, and of 
Young are noticeable. The mouth and eyes by their 
size denote large Language. In the nose the signs for 
literary talent are evident. Ideality, Sublimity, Analy¬ 
sis, Mental Imitation, Human Nature, Construction, 
Acquisition, Veneration, and Self-will are conspicuous. 
Form and Size are large ; Locality, Observation, Calcu¬ 
lation, Mental Order, and Time are well defined, while 
Intuition is pre-eminent. The talent of this character 
was of the most original and spontaneous nature. With 
a most limited knowledge of the world and people, 
Miss Bronte wrote some very remarkable novels ; her 
powers were almost instinctive. 


XNTUITIOtf, 


739 


operation, is just as much a part of the “fleshly tabernacle” which 
we inhabit as are all the other mental faculties. It is true that it 
is a trait dependent entirely upon inherited or transmitted quality; 
hence it is a condition of the body as a whole and not the special 
endowment of a single organ or system; for, although its primary 
signs are shown by the indications of the brain and nervous 
mechanisms, yet, where the signs for high quality of the brain and 
nerves are observed, an enhanced quality of the entire organism is 
always present. The same phenomenon is manifested throughout 
the animal kingdom. Ani¬ 
mals that disclose dull eyes, 
coarse skins and hair, ex¬ 
hibit relatively less intelli¬ 
gence, quickness of appre¬ 
hension, and capacity for 
receiving spontaneous sen¬ 
sation than do those whose 
appearance is the reverse. 

Compare, for example, the 
various deer tribes with 
the cinnamon bear or hip¬ 
popotamus, and the differ¬ 
ences will be apparent at a 
glance. 

Because of the diffi¬ 
culty in comprehending 
the action of Intuition, 
superficial observers have 
ascribed to it a supernat¬ 
ural origin, believing it to 
be allied in some mysterious 
manner with an incorporeal 
“soul” or “spirit.” Now, 
the brain and nervous 
mechanisms are just as 
corporeal as are the heart, 
liver, and lungs, for they 
all depend upon blood and tissue for their power to act, and 
if an exalted condition or quality of the former produces the 
phenomena observed in the action of intuitive cognition, then the 
trait is no more “spiritual” than are the operations of Hope, Con¬ 
strue tiveaess, or Reason, although to the casual observer it may 
seem more abstruse, occult, and mysterious. 

All of the higher operations of the mind are more complex 



Fig. 125.—RICHARD OWEN. (Naturalist, Sur¬ 
geon, and Writer.) 

Born in England, 1804. Conspicuous facial sign, In¬ 
tuition, shown by supremacy of the brain and nervous 
system, and large, bright eyes. The law of the straight 
line, curve, and sphere governs this face. An amiable, 
moral, modest, persevering expression is here disclosed. 
The Quality is fine and Color well developed. The signs 
for Firmness, Conscience, and Benevolence are noticea¬ 
ble, while the wide mouth, full lips, and lar ge, bright 
eyes evince fine linguistic capacity. Love of Home, of 
Country, and of Young are marked. Self-esteem is 
only average. The sense of Mirth and Wit is very de¬ 
cided. Friendship, Hospitality, Alimentiveness, and 
Sanativeness are large. The signs in the nose of Pneu- 
mativeness, Sublimity, Mental Imitation, Analysis, Con¬ 
struction, Veneration, Executiveness, and Self-will are 
highly developed. Form, Size, Locality, Weight, Ob¬ 
servation, Credenciveness, Calculation, and Memory of 
Events are all of the first grade, while Reason and In¬ 
tuition are pre-eminent. This character can take rank 
with the “mastodons” of learning and of usefulness. 



740 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


than the processes involved in what are termed “ instinctive move¬ 
ments,” viz., those of the muscular movements of the limbs, the 
act of eating, etc.; hence they appear to be mysterious to those 
who are incapable of critical and scientific analysis. Inasmuch as 
they are complex, they are more difficult of comprehension, yet by 
following the laws laid down in my system of practical and scien¬ 
tific physiognomy, and by comparison with other departments of 
Nature, we can easily comprehend the nature of such abstruse 
faculties as Intuition, Prescience, and Reason. 

Phrenologians use the terms “Intuition” and “Human 
Nature” interchangeably, conveying the idea that Intuition is used 
only for the purpose of comprehending the human mind and body. 
Now, the perception of Human Nature is a separate faculty from 
Intuition, having distinct signs in the face; yet it is greatly aided 
by the influence of Intuition, which also assists us in our researches 
into every department of Nature. The scientist relies upon both 
Imagination and Intuition in making his investigations and dis¬ 
coveries; indeed, both these faculties are indispensable to the 
inventor and discoverer, as well as to the artist and poet. 

That Intuition has a physical base is indisputable, and I think 
1 have established that fact by the analysis of its action and descrip¬ 
tion of its signs in the face and body. It is now in order to 
investigate its action and the resulting phenomena, as exhibited by 
those most gifted in this faculty. I will premise by saying that 
there are as many degrees of manifestation of this as of every other 
trait, some showing the presence of it in a most talented form, as 
exhibited in musical, artistic, and scientific geniuses; others 
apparently not possessing even a germ, as shown by the lowest 
races, such as the Digger Indian, and other undeveloped races. 
Among civilized people, even, there are others who are so dull, 
insensitive, coarse, or brutal as to be destitute of any apparent 
power of intuitive knowledge. Yet, as evolution has brought them 
into the grade where progress is possible , so such persons can, by 
intermarriage with those endowed with a greater degree of intui¬ 
tion, become progenitors of offspring who will manifest the presence 
of this trait. In this way such characters can be “born again,” 
a system of “re-incarnation” which we all recognize. 

What causes produce Intuition'? How does Intuition make 
its appearance! What is its office in the human mind, and how 
is it manifested 1 Intuition is the crowning achievement of refined 
organization, or of the highest manifestation of mental power, for 
it divines or spontaneously arrives at an understanding of what it 
perceives or thinks upon with a lightning-like rapidity; that is to 
say, instantaneously or upon sight. 


INTUITION. 


741 


There are several ways of accounting for the causes which 
produce Intuition. That it is inherited there is no doubt; but 
when it is manifested in an extraordinary degree by a precocious 
child whose parents were not noted for anything approaching that 
degree, then it appears to the unscientific thinker to approach the 
miraculous, and to have a spiritual foundation. All things appear 
supernatural to those who clo not comprehend their rational bases. 
A precocious child, in whose early life appears a wonderful 
capacity for music, number, art, or literature, may have received 
during its prenatal life a quickening impulse in this direction, 
through some modification of the brain and nerve structure or 
substance, by impressions made upon the mother’s mind; or he 
may by the law of atavism , or “taking back,” have received his 
germ-form from some remote ancestor whose talents were of a high 
order in the same direction, and this inheritance may have become 
more highly organized; or, as in singers, the musical or vocal 
mechanism involved may have been (as in the case of Patti) 
an inheritance from a long line of ancestors whose vocal apparatus 
by continual use became very highly developed, and in this 
augmented and intensified condition was transmitted to her, and 
through years of cultivation on her part of this already flexible 
and highly-developed organ culminated in a gift which seems 
supernal and almost superhuman. Now, musical intuition is one 
of the simplest forms of genius. Singing is a gift appertaining 
to a certain development of the vocal apparatus, yet musical 
composition would seem to involve something more of a mental 
nature; but when we find Mozart composing excellent music at 
four years of age, we see that something more complex is at work, 
and we must look to an intensified degree of several faculties for 
the explanation of the results which he wrought out at that tender 
age. No matter how wonderfully great the efforts of youthful 
geniuses may appear, not one of the many prodigies have evolved 
a gift which was not already in a certain degree the gift of others, 
thus proving that even the intuition of genius cannot originate any 
distinct or new faculty which is not already, in some measure, the 
property of other human beings. On this point, Dr. Carpenter 
tells us that 

The men who have divined and enunciated great truths stand out 
above their fellows as possessed of a genius which could not only combine 

but create,_of an insight which could clearly discern what reason could but 

dimly shadow forth. Granting this freely, it may yet be shown that the 
intuitions of individual genius are but specially exalted forms of endow¬ 
ments which are thfe general property of the race at the time, and which 
have come to be so in virtue of its whole previous culture. This appears 
readily capable of proof in the case of two forms of mental activity, the 


742 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


tendency to which occasionally manifests itself so remarkably in indh 
viduals as a congenital aptitude that it must be considered as embodied in 
their constitutions ; and which are yet so completely the products of culture 
that we are able to trace pretty clearly the history of their development. 
These are the ideas which relate to Number and those which relate to 
Music.* 

The popular idea of instinct is that it is something inferior to 
reason. Now, instinct and intuition are, in a sense, identical, for 
both act spontaneously or automatically, without previous reasoning 
upon what is perceived or concluded in regard to the object or 
idea under consideration, for Dr. Carpenter, quoting Sir John 
Sebright, observes that 

He went so far as to express it as his decided conviction that by far 
the greater part of the propensities which are generally supposed to be 
instinctive are not implanted in animals by Nature, but are the results of 
long experience acquired and accumulated through many generations, so 
as, in the course of time, to assume the character of instinct.f 

Now, this is precisely what intuition and genius are, and it 
is in this manner that they are manifested; that is to say, as in¬ 
stincts, spontaneously, automatically, or, in other words, mechani¬ 
cally, and because they cannot help it. Let us read Mozart’s ac¬ 
count of himself, and we shall see that his musical intuitions or 
insight outworked in precisely the same manner as the so-called 
instinctive actions of the spider in weaving and balancing his web 
(and I think the reader will agree with me that the web of the 
geometrical spider is as pretty a piece of mechanism as one would 
wish to see). The following account of himself he wrote to a 
friend, and thus we have first-hand evidence of his spontaneity. 
He observes:— 

You say you should like to know my way of composing, and what 
method I follow in writing works of some extent. I can really say no 
more on the subject than the following, for I myself know no more about it 
and cannot account for it. When I am, as it were, completely myself, en¬ 
tirely alone, and of good cheer, say, traveling in a carriage or walking after 
a good meal , or during the night when I cannot sleep, it is on such occa¬ 
sions that my ideas flow best and most abundantly. Whence or how they 
come, I know not, nor can I force them. Those ideas that please me I re¬ 
tain in my memory, and am accustomed (as I have been told) to hum them 
to myself. If I continue in this way, it soon occurs to me, how I may turn 
this or that morceau to account, so as to make a good dish of it; that is to 
say, agreeably to the rules of counterpoint, to the peculiarities of the va¬ 
rious instruments, etc. All this fires my soul, and, provided I am not dis¬ 
turbed, my subject enlarges itself, becomes methodized and defined, and the 
whole thought ere long stands almost complete and finished in my mind, so 
that I can survey it like a fine picture or a beautiful statue at a glance; nor 


* Mental Physiology, W. B. Carpenter, M.D. 


f Ibid., p. 229 , 


INTUITION. 


743 


do 1 hear in my imagination the parts successively , but I hear them, as it 
were, all at once. W hat a delight this is I cannot tell! All this inventing, 
this pondering, takes place in a pleasing, lively dream ; still, the actual hear¬ 
ing ol the tout ensemble is, alter all, the best. What has been thus produced 
I do not easily forget, and this is perhaps the best gift I have my Divine 
Maker to thank for. When I proceed to w r rite down my ideas, I take out 
ol the bag ol my memory, if I may use that phrase, what has previously 
been collected into it in the way I have mentioned. For this reason the 
submitting to paper is done easily enough, for everything is, as I have said 
before, already finished, and it rarely differs on paper from what it was in 
my imagination. At this occupation I can, therefore, suffer myself to be 
disturbed, for, whatever may be going on around me, I write and even talk, 
but only of fowls and geese, or of Gretel or Barbel, or some such matters. 
But why my productions take from my hand that particular form and style 
that makes them Mozartish , and different from the works of other com¬ 
posers, is probably owing to the same cause which renders my nose so, or so 
large, so aquiline, or, in short, makes it Mozart’s, and different from that of 
other people, for I really do not study or aim at any originality. I should, 
in fact, not be able to describe in what mine consists, though I think it quite 
natural that persons who have really an individual appearance of their own 
are also differently organized from others, both externally and internally. 
At least, I know that I have not constituted myself either one way or the 
other.* 

This wonderful self-analysis of Mozart’s is to ns a revelation 
of that spontaneity or intuition which characterizes the methods of 
genius. He tells us that he composed best when quiet, when he 
was of “ good cheer,” after a good meal, or out in the open air, 
traveling or walking, but how his ideas came he knew no more than 
does the ant when it builds its ingenious nest, or the bee when it 
constructs its cell. It is plain to see that his earlier efforts were 
due entirely to an inherited tendency which enabled him without 
instruction not only to play upon instruments, but to compose or 
imagine fine and difficult concertos and quartettes at five years of 
age, just as the bee, ant, and bird create their dwellings without 
having studied the rules of architecture. His comprehensiveness 
of mind and of the science of Form is shown by his allusions to 
the peculiarities of his physiognomy and “ outer and inner consti¬ 
tution,” “the shape of his nose,” etc., as representing a distinct 
individuality, one which revealed his particular characteristics 
by the peculiarities of its form, size, quality, etc. He tells us also 
that he does not aim at originality, and this is still another method 
of proving the instinctive , intuitive manner of his working, which 
produced superior musical efforts spontaneously and without 
purpose of aim. 

The office and use of Intuition in the human mind is to arrive 
at a result with less labor than is demanded by the mere laborer’s 


* Mental Physiology, W. B. Carpenter, M.D., p 273. 


744 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


methods of reasoning. Not all who possess the faculty of Intui¬ 
tion are infallible in their perceptions, for this trait like all others 
is influenced by other faculties in combination. Large Intuition 
combined with large Conscientiousness would produce a most un¬ 
common degree of accurate , intuitive insight, for this faculty must 
be founded upon truth to make its results accurate. Intuition 
alone may lead one astray. If each faculty of the mind could act 
separately and distinctly, uninfluenced by the others, then large 
Intuition would be unerring in its operation. Many persons who 
possess large intuitive powers possess also large reasoning faculties, 
and these offer great assistance in the domain of pure intellect in 
abstract thought. These two powers of mind were large in 
Shakespeare, Newton, Kepler, and others who have evolved and 
discovered great laws and systems of Nature. The physiogno¬ 
mies of the above-mentioned persons exhibit all these signs, but 
in each case they have had the assistance of a good measure of 
Conscientiousness as a foundation upon which to rest and by which 
to test their ideas and theories. No single trait can operate alone, 
but must act in conjunction with others, just as in the body no 
separate organ can functionate without the co-operation of several 
others. The heart beats, but at the same time the lungs respire, 
the brain is moved to action, the blood circulates, and the process 
of assimilation goes on all at once, and each affects the other, 
without the consent of any. In the same manner when we com¬ 
mence with the design of using one mental faculty, it has the 
assistance unasked of several others at the same time. 

The action of Intuition is not confined to geniuses, although 
in them it has its largest manifestation. It is found in many 
grades of mentality, and is often the compensation which Nature 
makes for those who are lacking in some other direction, as, for ex¬ 
ample, in the practical or observing faculties; or, in other cases, it 
takes the place of deficient reason or assists the weak. Intuition 
should be cultivated and developed, for not all who manifest this 
trait are geniuses, and, as before remarked, it may be the compen¬ 
sation for serious deficiencies. 

It cannot be denied that women, as a class, possess a more 
general and universal endowment of this trait than man, and where 
it is largely exhibited in man it is usually an inheritance from 
some female ancestor, near or remote. Very few people know 
anything about the looks, physiognomy, and personal appearance 
of their ancestors three generations or more back of them; hence, 
in deciding from whence certain traits have come, the mass of 
people must depend upon the light which scientific physiognomy 
throws upon the subject. Certainly the science which can teach 


INTUITION. 


745 


us how to trace the entire course of animal evolution in the face 
can quite easily find the source and origin of all faculties whose 
signs are imprinted upon the countenance and exhibited in the 
walk, the voice, the gesture, the handwriting, the movements, and 
habits of body and mind. There is nothing occult or mysterious 
in all this; the faculties which are used in the investigation of 
other sciences are those which are used in discovering all these 
phenomena, and among them Intuition—insight, or a natural 
capacity for discerning the laws and operations of Nature—stands 
pre-eminent. It is one of the faculties upon which the physician 
and teacher rely for their power to heal and teach, and all great 
or eminent physicians and teachers exhibit the signs of this faculty. 
The physicist, scientist, and naturalist, too, must be endowed with 
high intuitive powers, else they will fall far short of the require¬ 
ments of their profession. Artists in every department, if they 
achieve a high rank, possess this trait. Celebrated poets, painters, 
actors, orators, etc., are largely indebted to the operation of Intui¬ 
tion for their greatest efforts, for they, like Mozart, must be able 
without “ aiming ” at excellence to attain it in a spontaneous 
manner. This faculty lies at the base of all great inventions and 
discoveries in natural law. It assisted Newton in his discovery 
of the great laws of motion and Darwin in his discoveries of the 
laws of natural selection. I advise the reader, if he wishes to note 
the manifestation of an intuitive and observing genius, to read the 
“ Origin of Species ” and the “ Descent of Man,” by Charles Dar¬ 
win, whose works have made an epoch in scientific thought, and 
have revolutionized natural science in this century. 

The investigation of human nature, both in regard to its 
mental and bodily manifestations, is greatly aided by Intuition, for 
in intercourse with our fellows we must be able to immediately 
detect existing conditions of mind, and their grade or status of 
character. Without some natural provision of this sort we should 
be obliged to carry about with us certificates of character signed 
by those who have had experience with us, or else wait for years 
of acquaintance with each other before we could acquire positive 
knowledge of each other’s characters; lienee, character-reading is 
an ordinance of Nature, and common alike to man and animals. 
Lavater, Porta, Cicero, and many others were geniuses in this 
direction, and divined , as it were, the characters of those with 
whom they came in contact; yet Intuition is not Human Nature, 
but each depends upon the other for assistance. All of the higher 
faculties of mind are more and more complex in their operation 
and manifestation as they rise in rank, and it takes the highest and 
most finely organized faculties to comprehend in a talented manner 
the rationale of this complexity. 


746 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Tlius we see in every century a few men and women who 
have shone resplendent in their intuitive comprehension of char¬ 
acter. Shakespeare, among intuitional character-readers, takes 
first rank. Yet the number of physicians, scientists, orators, in¬ 
ventors, artists, and discoverers who have been possessed of talent 
and even genius in this direction is legion. It is highly essential 
to the actor, to enable him to comprehend, seize upon, and portray 
the emotions which stir the hearts of the masses, and arouse them 
to action. In woman, as the mother of the race, however, is the 
highest degree of Intuition needed and manifested, for the compre¬ 
hension, training, education, and government of children requires 
its greatest power, and in this department of life the most univer¬ 
sal and constant degree of intuitive insight is exhibited, rising in 
some instances to positive genius in this direction. 

Intuition is a conservator of life, for by the insight into char¬ 
acter, motives, and health conditions its possessors are foreicarned 
of that which would be hurtful. Indeed, this faculty, like all 
sciences, is one of Nature’s methods of foreknowing—of prevision 
and of protection. 

Children in most instances possess a high development of 
Intuition, but, like many infantile instincts, it is stifled by the 
accumulation of technical and experimental knowledge which they 
gain by age and education. Most children, like many animals, 
instinctively feel the characters or tone of those about them, and 
even in infancy are attracted or repelled by the personal appearance, 
physiognomy, or magnetic atmosphere or aura which is thrown out 
from those with whom they come in contact. This intuitive 
“sensing” is their only method of knowing people, and of protect¬ 
ing themselves until experience and acquaintance have given them 
other methods of distinguishing character and conditions. 

When we come to an investigation of the animal kingdom 
we shall find the highest forms of Intuition, not excelled even by 
human genius, for it must be understood that in the case of 
animals it is the acquisition of ages of practice in given directions 
which lead them so unerringly to do those things which are 
scornfully termed by man “instinctive,” and which are looked 
upon by him as mere automatic acts, inferior to the reason, observa¬ 
tion, and calculation which man uses in his works; yet when this 
same automatic, spontaneous talent is exhibited by an Arago or a 
D’Alembert in the science of numbers, or by a Coleridge, a Hart¬ 
ley, or a Byron in poetry, by a Mozart, a Bach, a Haydn in music, 
we enthrone them among the greatest of earth’s geniuses, while 
eminence, riches, and immortal fame await them. Genius acquires 
its gifts precisely as the animal acquires his automatic powers of 


INTUITION. 


747 


building, providing, path-seeking, and character-discerning, viz., 
by an augmented and intensified transmission of powers, which 
by long usage upon the part of ancestors have become incorporated 
into the very constitution ; or perhaps by the action of some obscure 
and hidden law of heredity and selection the germ of life of the 
genius has become vivified in some favorable maternal nidus , and, 
thus endowed, it shines forth resplendent in the world of mind or 
art, and we have a Cicero, an Aristotle, a Bacon, a Shakespeare, 
a Michael Angelo, or a Herbert Spencer; and the unthinking, 
unscientific world, looking up to the achievements of these men, 
exclaims: “From whence comes all this splendor'? Neither father 
nor mother were like unto these.” So slight is the knowledge of 
human beings in regard to their powers and natures that it sinks 
into insignificance when compared with the instinctive genius of 
animals, who, ivithout instruction , can produce buildings, domiciles, 
nests, combs, dams, and webs founded upon the highest laws of 
architecture. They can trace their course through the boundless 
spaces of ether, and return to their homes without chart or com¬ 
pass ; and all this they are able to do from birth, without education 
or training. What human genius has ever been able to accomplish 
this'? In presence of such facts it becomes us, human mortals, 
not to be too conceited , egotistic , or top-lofty, but, in all conscien¬ 
tiousness, and in a spirit of comprehensiveness, to acknowledge that 
this wonderful instinctive knowledge of all the animal tribes is 
their compensation for the lack of the hands and developed cere - 
brum of man. Very happily has George Henry Lewes remarked 
that “Instinct, like chance, is one of those words which men use 
to conceal their ignorance.” Yet the manner in which they use it 
betrays to an observant person the very thing which they would 
conceal. 

One might fill volumes with accounts of the intuitional genius 
of animals. I bring forward no examples here, for they are all 
about us, and as numerous as the sands of the sea; hence it is 
needless to point to any special cases, for their number is exceeded 
only by their marvelous ingenuity. In some directions the humblest 
animal is superior to man; yet, by virtue of man’s possessing hands, 
speech, an upright position, and a more complex brain and nervous 
system, he stands at the head of the animal series. Intuition is a 
gift which man shares in common with all the higher animals, 
differing in degree, yet the same in kind. 

The portraits in this chapter are most of them those of superior 
persons, hence, as the reader has doubtless observed, very few 
deficiencies have been noted in their faces. In the chapter which 
follows there will be displayed and described the physiognomies 


748 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

of many defective and abnormal beings, such as the criminal, 
the feeble-minded, and the undeveloped. The reader can institute 
comparisons between these and those. This course will afford a 
fine opportunity for discerning the differences existing between 
those who are highly developed in all parts of their organism and 
those who are greatly lacking in certain departments, and also 
between those of high and those of low quality. The subject of 
beauty according to art-standards has not been considered in this 
chapter. A scientific delineation of the face reveals meanings 
which art fails to expound as beauties; for the most part, art con¬ 
siders as beautiful the most infantoid forms of features and outlines 
of faces,—that is, those abounding in curves. The higher and more 
severe styles of beauty, viz., those which reveal the square and 
cubical forms, art does not, as a rule, consider beautiful. 

The reader of the preceding pages has, I judge, learned that 
beauty of character appears in all normal forms, and that whatever 
form reveals genius, talent, morality, physical power, or capacity 
for usefulness may well be considered as beautiful. In order to 
have a comprehensive view of the human face and its associated 
character we must enlarge our understanding of the meaning of 
Form, and come to learn its inherent significations. We must, in 
short, come up higher into the domain of scientific knowledge,— 
into the adult stage of mind,—and from this height learn, accept, 
and apply what Nature reveals to us of the human physiognomy. 


CHAPTER III. 


The Human Face in Outline, Motion, Feature, Expression, 

and Color. 


“ The history of a man is liis character, and his character is written on his or¬ 
ganization and might be read there had we but senses acute enough to decipher the 
organic letters. There is not a thought of the mind, not a feeling of the heart, not 
an aspiration of the soul, not a passion that finds vent, not a deed which is done, 
that is not grayed with an unfailing art in the structure of the body ; its every organ 
and the constituent elements of each organ grow to the fashion of their exercise, 
and there is nothing covered that might not be revealed, nothing hid that might not 
be known.”—H. Maudsley, M.D. 

E VERY form in Nature reveals its own history. In order 
to be able to read this history, we must learn to apply 
the alphabet of form, and thus spell out the entire 
signification of the human face and body. Every 
motion expounds its own purpose. Natural gestures 
are a part of the personal form, correspond to it, and are as indi¬ 
vidualized as the features. 

The outline or contour of each human body is a circumferen¬ 
tial entity. Each distinct limb and feature is a fragment of this 
entity, and declares the homogeneity of the whole. 

Each color and shade reveals the health conditions, native 
force, integrity of the tissues, and the intensity of the emotions. 

The human physiognomy is the highest and most perfect of 
forms, because it includes, sums up, and expounds all form, hence 
contains the record of all lower forms and illustrates the laws of 
form and motion. Not only does each individual human counte¬ 
nance unfold its own bodily and mental status, but it is also the 
index of countless ancestral traits, types, and influences. Every 
face announces its possessors, grade in morality, mentality, and 
physiological activity, as well as his racial connections and national 
descent. It reveals also his mental aptitudes, often his sectarian 
proclivities, his habitual pursuits, his vices and his virtues, both 
active and latent, and to the scientific physiognomist it sums up 
the totality of its accompanying character. 

The laws of muscular motion (from the action of which ex¬ 
pression mainly proceeds) must be rightly comprehended in order 
to understand and translate motion and form into character. The 
two kinds of expression, permanent and transient, depend almost 

( 749 ) 


750 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


entirely upon the motive apparatus, viz., upon the bones and mus¬ 
cles, for the power to express thought, feeling, and emotion, or the 
lack of them. It is true, that the soft tissue—the adipose matter 
of the face—assists expression and co-operates with muscle in 
producing dimples, wrinkles, folds, and outlines; while the nerve 
of the eye adds its quota of expression by its quality and activity. 
The muscles of the face are related to every part of the brain and 
to every internal organ through their nervous connections. Were 
it not for this intimate cerebral and visceral relation, the face could 
express neither thought nor emotion, hence there would result no 
more beauty nor variety of expression than is observed in the 
countenance of a dog or horse. 

Thus, it is shown that each system, each tissue must be inter¬ 
rogated, and its constituents and character as well as its method 
of action be known, before passing judgment upon an individual. 
The outline exhibited by each separate being is an epitome of the 
entire character. The attitude habitually assumed, both in action 
and repose, is highly indicative of the man. The movements of 
the body in walking, and of the gestures of the limbs and hands, 
together with the accompanying movements of the head, are most 
decisive signs of inward mental and moral states. How rational 
must this last assertion seem in face of the fact that when an actor 
wishes to represent a character he alters his walk, his gestures, 
and habitual position to suit the one he would portray; and the 
walk, gestures, and movements of a noble character, how different 
from those of an ignoble one! All this goes to show, not only 
that the forms of the internal organs create different external 
shapes and varied phases of character with different degrees of 
power, but also proves that the contour or outline of the body, 
which is created by certain internal combinations of organs and 
systems, reveals the main design or animus of the individual. As 
forms are produced by the law of motion, so the mode of indi¬ 
vidual motion is indicative of the character thus produced. No 
postulate can be sounder than this. Contour and motion, then, 
are the first subjects for consideration in this chapter, as they are 
the first phenomena which strike our senses when a stranger 
approaches us. 

This may not be evident to our perception, so accustomed 
have we become to the movement forward toward us of others ; and 
so instantaneous and instinctive is our reception of the impression 
which we glean from the approach of an individual or of his re¬ 
treating form, that many will believe that they receive the first 
intimation of his character from the expression of* the face; but 
as it often occurs that our first sight of one is a sidewise view or 



751 


HUMAN FACE IN OUTLINE, MOTION, ETC. 


iom ehincl, and when in motion, as in walking, gesticulating, 
e c., we consciously or unconsciously derive some accurate and im- 
por ant impiessions from these circumstances,—ofttimes most vivid 
an . startling ones, too, when the motions and gestures are ener- 
ge lc. As the individual approaches nearer, the features next com- 
uian oui attention, and then the general expression, color, and 


Fig. 126.—THE MUSCULAR MECHANISM OF THE FACE 





1. Platysma myoides. 

2. External jugular vein. 

3. Trapezius. 

4. Sterno-cleido-mastoid. 

5. Depressor anguli oris. 

6. Depressor labii inferioris. 

7. Levator menti. 

8. Orbicularis oris. 

9. Risorius. 

10. Buccinator. 

11. Depressor alae nasi. 

12. Compressor narium minor. 


13. Dilator naris posterior. 

14. Dilator naris anterior. 

15 Compressor naris. 

16. Pyramidalis nasi. 

17. Corrugator supercilii. 

18. Levator labii superioris alae- 

que nasi. 

19. Levator labii superioris. 

20. Levator anguli oris. 

21. Zygomatic minor. 

22. Zygomatic major. 

23. Masseter—superficial portion. 


24. Masseter—deep portion. 

25. Attrahens aurem. 

26. Orbicularis palpebrarum. 

27. Frontal portion of occipito¬ 

frontalis. 

28. Temporal fascia. 

29. Attollens aurem. 

30. Retrahens aurem. 

31. Occipital portion of occipito¬ 

frontalis. 

32. Tendinous aponeurosis of oc- 

cipito-frontalis. 


A close study of the above figure will go far toward enlightening the reader as to the very 
important part which the muscular system plays in the expression of character as shown by the 
face. Observation of this figure will soon convince the investigator that one well endowed with a 
fine muscular system is better able to express emotions than one who is greatly deficient in the de¬ 
velopment of this tissue. Examine attentively the muscles of the chin, the cheeks, the lips the 
nose, and those of the mouth, and you will learn why it is that an organism which has inherited a 
fine development of the muscular tissue is capable of great mobility and variety of expression. 
The development of the muscles at the point of the nose is remarkable, and reveals to us the origin 
of the several signs of character which I have discovered and located there, it should be under¬ 
stood that muscular development varies in every subject. Undeveloped and barbarous peoples do 
not exhibit as fine a nasal form as do the civilized races, and among the latter there is as great a dif¬ 
ference in the degree of development of the nose as there is in the external form of that organ; 
and this is also true of each facial feature, as well as of the limbs and trunk of each subject. 

* From Gray’s Anatomy. 
















752 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY, 


voice. These are all combined, taken up instantaneously into our 
common sensorium and there announce themselves as a concrete 
whole, and we, with lightning-like rapidity, “ sum up” the person 
and pronounce our verdict upon our conceptions of his status, and 
pass opinion as to our like or dislike of his personality. 

The superior power of the face as a revealer of character to 
that of the skull is recognized by all intelligent writers on anatomy, 
for the reason that they are aware of the superior power of the 



Fig. 127—THE OSSEOUS FORMATION OF THE FACE * 

1. Inferior maxilla. 6. Zygoma. 10. Nasal bone. 

2. Angle of inferior maxilla. 7. C'oronoid process of inferior 11. Frontal bone. 

3. Condyle of inferior maxilla. maxilla. 12. Temporal bone. 

4. Mastoid portion of temporal. 8. Malar bone. 13. Parietal bone. 

5. Occipital. 9. Superior maxilla. 14. Superciliary ridge. 

The above figure gives a good idea of the solidity of the foundation of the face and head. 
A good osseous endowment is a grand inheritance, for it gives stability and reliability to the charac¬ 
ter. The teeth are not reckoned among the bones of the face, as they are tegumentary in character 
and belong to and reveal the condition of the alimentary tract in a large degree. The joining of the 
bones by sutures, which dovetail as it were into each other, is a marvelously fine piece of mechanism. 
The protection which the prominent eyebones affords the eye is still another manifestation of high 
architectural power. The parts of the bones of the face which express the greatest degree of 
stability are shown by a well-developed chin and jaws, nasal bones, frontal sinuses, and superciliary 
ridges. 


fifty-five muscles of the face to express emotion. The contour of 
the skull always harmonizes with the body to which it is attached, 
but it is impossible to draw from it alone that accurate and compre¬ 
hensive knowledge of character which can be deduced from a view 
of the face alone. The form of the head corroborates the form of 
the face and body, and phrenologists make their best “ hits ” by ob¬ 
servation of the upper part of the face, about the eyes and eye- 

* From Wells’ New Physiognomy. 















HUMAN FACE IN OUTLINE, MOTION, ETC. 


753 


brows, for here is expressed more varied character in the formation 
of the bones than in other portions of the head. 

The following opinion of Gray, one of the most celebrated of 
anatomists, in regard to the superiority of the face as an indicator 
of character, is most emphatic:— 

A word on the lines of the face as indicative of expression. Ever}’ 
one pays unconscious homage to the study of physiognomy. When scan- 



Fig. 128.—THE NERVOUS DISTRIBUTION OF THE FACE* 


1. Superficial cervical. 

2. Platysma myoides (muscle). 

3. Steruo-mastoid (muscle). 

4. Spinal accessory. 

5. Auricularis magnus. 

6. Occipitalis minor. 

7. Great occipital. 

8. Posterior auricular. 

9. Fascial. 

10. Infra-maxillary. 

11. Supra-maxillary. 

12. Mental. 


13. Buccinator (muscle). 

14. Buccal. 

15. Infra-orbital. 

16. Malar and infra-orbital nerves. 

17. Temporal. 

18. Termination of temporo-malar. 

19. Termination of nasal. 

20. Termination of infra-trochlear. 

21. Termination of supra-trochlear. 

22. Temporal branch of auriculo-temporal. 

23. 24. Supra-orbital. 


The affluent distribution of the nerves upon the face reveals why it is that the face is so well 
able to express both temporary and permanent conditions of the entire organism. The muscles and 
nerves act in harmony, and together reveal the feelings and sensations, and by the co-operation of 
these two svstems the movements of the face express what is passing in the consciousness of the 
snbieet The more highly organized the facial nerves the more sensitive is the subject, hence, the 
better able is he to feel and express the more delicate grades and shades of emotion, as well as a 
greater variety of sensations than he who is less well endowed in this respect. Where the nervous 
distribution is elaborate and of the highest quality, in combination with an equally high develop¬ 
ment of muscle, we find the highest power for facial expression, as well as for sensation, as is 

observed in actors. _ , . . 

* From Gray s Anatomy. 

48 













































754 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

ning tlie features of a stranger, lie draws conclusions concerning his intelli¬ 
gence, disposition, and character. Without discussing how much physiog¬ 
nomy is really worth, there can be no doubt that it is a mistake to place it 
in the same category as phrenology, since the latter lacks that sound basis 
of physiology which no one can deny to the former. The muscles of the 
features are generally described as arising Irom the bony fabric of the face, 
and are inserted into the nose, corners of the mouth, and the lips. But 
this gives a very inadequate idea of their true insertion. They drop fibres 
into the skin along their course , so that there is hardly a part of the face 
which has not its little fibre to move it. The habitual recurrence of good or 
evil thoughts, the indulgence in particular modes of life, call into play cor- 



1. INTERNAL jugular vein. 2. DEEP cervical glands. 


The above figure discloses the position of the glands of the face and adjacent parts. These 
vary in size in each individual, some being more richly endowed in this respect than others. In 
those who have inherited consumptive or dyspeptic tendencies, the glandular development is not 
so great as in those who possess a normal degree of this system. The glandular system is the base 
of supply of the domestic and social faculties; hence this tissue is a very important one, and its per¬ 
fect organization is very much to be desired. 


responding sets of muscles, which by producing folds and wrinkles give a 
permanent cast to the features and speak a language which all can under¬ 
stand and rarely mislead. Schiller puts this well when he says that “ It is 
an admirable proof of infinite wisdom that what is noble and benevolent 
beautifies the human countenance; what is base and hateful imprints upon 
it a revolting expression.” f 

Let me add here, that until people generally understand the 
significance of certain expressions observed in the human face, 

* From Gray’s Anatomy. f Ibid., p. 919. 
















HUMAN FACE IN OUTLINE, MOTION, ETC. 


755 


they will not be able to determine which are benevolent and which 
are base. I discover beauties of expression in countenances which 
many other beholders term “homely,” and sometimes “ugly.” 
On the other hand, I perceive signs of moral weakness, of mental 
deficiency, of malice, spite, and revenge in some faces which the 
majority denominate “handsome,” and even “beautiful.” How is 
this dense ignorance to be removed] Simply by an application of 
the laws of scientific physiognomy, by observation and comparison, 
just as is the method of procedure in all other branches of 
knowledge. 



Fig. 130.—GEOMETRICAL FORMS OF THE FACE. (After Lavater.) 

The outlines in the above figure are those which are most usually observed in the forms of 
the human face. 

The first figure (A) is a primitive form,—globose like all infantoid objects. It is the shape 
more nearly of the infant’s face and head,—also of the vegetative adult. 

The second shape (B) is a modification of the former, and corresponds closely to the form 
which infancy assumes in its transition from infancy to childhood, hence is more nearly the distinct¬ 
ive contour of youth,—as, also, of the adult, muscular subject. 

The third form (C) is a muscular form, and is found slightly modified upon the faces of 
short, squat, and relatively undeveloped adults. It is breadth without height, and this form is a low 
variety of the muscular class, and denotes commonplace, selfish, vulgar character, with commercial 
or grasping propensities. 

The fourth outline (D) describes the form of the face of the highest type of character,—the 
cubical, such as is observed in the countenance of Martin Luther; it denotes solidity, equilibrium, 
reliability, rectangularity. 

The fifth figure (E) illustrates angular character, and is a modification of the cubical, but 
lacking in the qualities of breadth and balance, which distinguish the cubical individual; at the 
same time it denotes honesty with narrowness. 

The sixth (F) is a sort of caricature or burlesque upon the cubical character and is a form 
of face rarely observed. It would declare a character solid, but not so well balanced as that of the 
one exhibiting the cubical form of physiognomy, yet preserving many cubical characteristics. 

The seventh figure (G) belongs to a common variety of the vegetative class; the addition 
of two curves will create this type. 

This form indicates large feeding powers combined with small thinking ability. 

The eighth outline (H) is the pyriform-shaped fac e—angled, so to speak. This outline, with 
slight curvings, illustrates the brain form dominant, the power for thought combined with feeble 
nutritive powers. 

The ninth form (I) is first cousin to G, and shows the same character on a larger scale, with 
more ability both for eating and getting ; breadth here as elsewhere counting for something,—that 
is, for more capacity. 

These are bare outlines, yet I believe every face is patterned after one or the other of these 
forms. They are modifications‘of the five most general shapes of the face, and are to be found 
universally present in the physiognomies of both civilized and uncivilized races. 


Sir Charles Bell’s ideas of the superiority of the face are as 
emphatically expressed in his work on the “Anatomy of Expres¬ 
sion.” He observes:— 

The truth is that we are more moved by the features than by the 
form of the whole head. Altogether independently of phrenology it has, 
of old time, been acknowledged that fullness of the forehead, combined with 
those forms which have been noticed, is an indication of intellectual capacity, 
and, as we have shown, of human character and beauty. Near'ly all physi¬ 
ologists have agreed in this view; while some are equally confident in 
affirming that anatomy affords no foundation for mapping the cranium into 
minute subdivisions or regions. As Nature, by covering the head, has 
intimated her intention that we shall not too closely scan our neighbor’s 








756 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


capacities, slie nas given us the universal language of expression. Man is 
gregarious; he looks for sympathy; it is not good for him to be alone; lie 
solicits a unity of sentiment, and the language which expresses it is in 
the face.* 

In the preceding we have the testimony of two of the most 
eminent writers on Anatomy as to the superiority of the face as a 
revelator of character. I could fill a volume with evidence as 
conclusive from hundreds of other practical anatomists, but let 
these suffice; they cannot be gainsaid. 

THE FIVE GENERAL OUTLINES OF THE FACE. 

There are five general outlines of the head and of the face, 
and these outlines are caused by the shape and degree of activity 
of the internal organs, as well as by the outward muscular and 
bony framework. The globular outline of the face is accompanied 
by a low, broad, and rounding head and forehead; puffy cheeks; 
slow-moving eyes; soft, fat, double or triple chin; large mouth; 
full lips, and short, broad, and depressed nose. This form indi¬ 
cates mere domestic character, a good eater, sleeper, and sitter; 
a sort of human vegetable. (See Fig. 7, p. 67.) The dominance 
of the thoracic system, caused by the development of the lungs 
and liver, evolves a face which exhibits a rather long nose and 
prominent (particularly at the point), large nostrils; an acutely- 
defined, receding forehead, and in youth the lower part of the face 
inclined to the oval, except where square bones are present. It 
also produces a high, arched chest; bright, active eyes, quick 
motions, and lively gestures. This outline reveals a pure-minded, 
hopeful, cheery, and active character. (See Fig. 8, p. 72.) 

The muscular form is characterized by roundness and curves, 
and is caused by the shape and action of the muscular or fibroid 
organs,—viz., by the peculiar shape and action of the stomach, the 
heart, and the reproductive system,—and the dominance of these 
organs produces the externally rounded, oval, and curved muscular 
development observed in artists, athletes, etc. The outline of the 
face (when this system is supreme, or one of the regnant systems of 
the body) is rounding; the forehead nearly perpendicular; the nose 
straight, relatively short, soft, and rounding; the face inclined to 
the oval; the eyes prominent; the head round; the eyebrows 
arched; the mouth of medium size; the chin oval or pointed. If 
the round muscles are present, the chin is inclined to the oval; 
but if the flat muscles are exhibited, the chin is more inclined to 
be pointed or narrow. (See Fig. 9, p. 75.) 

* Anatomy of Expression, Sir Charles Bell, pp. 29, 51. (The italics are mine.) 


THE FIVE GENERAL OUTLINES OF THE FACE. 757 

The osseous outline of the face is shown by a rectangular 
form; the forehead inclined to be square; the eyebrows horizontal ; 
the chin long, broad, and angular, rather than oval; the nose 
high, long, and bony; the cheeks rather prominent, and the super¬ 
ciliary ridge projecting. (See Fig. 10, p. 84.) 

The fifth form of the face is caused by the supremacy of the 
brain and nervous system, and the form and action of this system 
gives a pyriform shape to the face, which is inclined to be narrow, 
with a delicately-molded chin, a long and thin nose, thin cheeks, 
eyebrows somewhat inclined to arch, although these will take the 
shape of the underlying bones. If these are square, the eyebrows, 
will assume a horizontal form; if they are rounding, the brows will 
arch. The forehead is high, broad, and generally full, especially 
in the upper part, as well as perpendicular. (See Fig. 11, p. 94.) 

These are the five superior outlines of the human face. All 
others are caused by combinations or modifications of these prin¬ 
cipal forms. 

The student should be able by observation to judge how much 
of each of these several systems is present, and be able to estimate 
the comparative influence of each system in revealing character, as 
well as to know which are dominant and which is the second most 
influential in its effect. This can be determined by applying the 
law of the ovoid or sphere, the law of the square, angle, and 
straight line, to each one of the features , and to each portion of 
every feature . 

MOTION. 

The movements in walking, gesticulating, working, playing, 
etc., reveal the mind of the individual as well as his native and 
acquired powers. 

The motion of the body and limbs in walking disclose and 
repeat the external configuration of the body. 

Movements of the hands in gesticulating bear direct relation 
to the mental status,—the emotional nature,—and establish one’s 
grade in the scale of development. 

The set or position of the feet in standing harmonizes with 
the contour of the body, and reveals a great deal of the character. 
Now all these movements are the spontaneous expressions of the real 
inner man, hence are of the highest value in interpreting character. 
As motion is the underlying principle of all growth and develop¬ 
ment, it is necessarily the exponent of the organisms when they 
are perfectly developed or completed, as has been shown in the 
“ Basic Principles of Form.” A square-built man, with an upright 
mien, moves in a straight line, with measured, methodical steps, 


758 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY 


showing the presence of Order, Time, Precision, and Measurement, 
the qualities which inhere and appertain to that particular form. 

A person with narrow, sloping shoulders, long and thin build, 
long and narrow head and slim feet, will pursue a devious, wind¬ 
ing, zigzag, serpentine course, as he threads his way along the 
street, without precision or regard to order. This form has not the 
regularity of movement of the square-built mechanic, nor the per¬ 
fect curve of the artistic man, for he is neither one nor the other, and 
his gait discloses his status or rank in humanity; he is a perverted 
being, for no true specimen of humanity pursues this winding, 
eccentric mode of locomotion, and this last example teaches us that 
this malformed being has not been bred by normal methods, but 
that the countless motions of the nerve-forces and muscular fibres 
which assisted his prenatal growth were abnormal and eccentric. 
How truly does the following express the action of this law:— 

Every organism, from the lowest to the highest, can only work out 
those laws of motion by which its organization has been produced. The 
bee in making its cell copies the hexagonal facet of its own eye. The snake 
in its motion on the ground and in coiling itself around its victim, follows 
the law of its own construction. Fundamental laws are the fundamental in¬ 
stincts of motion in life.* 

The perfectly curved motions of a well-formed artist, actor, or 
athlete, illustrates the law of the true curve (the segment of a circle). 
With these people the law of their motion in walking, in gesture, 
and in the exercise of their several pursuits, is exhibited by true, 
graceful, curvilinear motions of the body, hands, head, and limbs. 
The organs and organisms of all those who are perfectly curvilinear 
have been produced by normal, regular motions of the fluids and 
forces involved in their construction. Therefore, they present 
true , regidar , normal curvation in all their members and move¬ 
ments ; hence are able to execute true curves in the sway of the 
body in walking and dancing, of the hands in painting or other 
art works, as well as in posing, playing ball, rowing, swimming, etc. 

The abnormally constructed being, who is not formed upon a 
true square nor a true curve, discloses his abnormal build by 
awkward and inapt movements, and can never be trained to per¬ 
form easy, graceful movements, nor those which are essential to 
art-works, with the same degree of perfection as can the normal, 
curvilinear being, although he can be very much improved men¬ 
tally and morally, by precept, example, and encouragement. Such 
beings come into existence under unlawful conditions. It is no 
fault of theirs , but it is our fault if we judge them too harshly and 
ridicule and revile them, instead of endeavoring to “ square” them 

* Sexology, p. 247. 


GESTURES. 


759 


by all the knowledge and patience which we can bring to bear. 
These abnormal growths are observed in the vegetable kingdom as 
well as among crystals. Who has not seen a flower perfectly de¬ 
veloped upon one side, while the other was very defective in its 
formation l This defect is owing probably to deficiency in nutrition 
or the inability of the juices and sap to carry equal quantities to 
both sides; hence the law of “ Sinistrality,” or one-sidedness, oper¬ 
ates to produce this deformity, just as is observed in the peculiar 
crooked foot of some congenital thieves, or the oblique eyes of 
natural liars, for— 

The laws of motion are always regular, when undisturbed, and where 
the surrounding conditions are uniform, as seen in the formation of crystals 
and snow-flakes. If the division were unequal, the dividing line would not 
be true. The parts must be equal, because the laws of motion in a rotating 
body require and compel a perfect equilibrium or balance of motion on each 
side of its axis.* 

GESTURES. 

Natural gestures are in a pre-eminent degree indicative of 
character. The circumscribed and incomplete gesture of the 
secretive person is in marked contrast with the wide sweep of the 
hand and arm of the frank, friendly individual; so, also, the nar¬ 
row-minded or cautious person will make very few gestures, and 
these with the arm fast to the side, and with the back of the hand 
turned outward or sidewise, and not with the palm open, and with 
only a feeble attempt at a curve; while the man with a frank, 
broad, and comprehensive mind makes a wide sweep of the arm 
and hand, as if he would embrace all creation in the area de¬ 
scribed, and with his palm outward and upward. The angular 
individual makes “ elbow r s,” and angular, jerky movements of the 
hands and head. His walk is also characterized by jerky motions, 
and often his utterance will be far from smooth and uniform; par¬ 
ticularly is this the case in reading, unless he has been well 
trained in this respect. So homogeneous is man’s nature, that a 
peep at his knuckles will reveal his method of speech and gait. 

The gestures, carriage, and movement of an ignorant person 
are quite different from those who are by nature intelligent. To 
prove this it is only necessary to observe for a short time these two 
classes. Ignorant people, or those who are stupid by nature, make 
fewer gestures than those whose natures are more richly endowed. 
The reason of this is that the more sensitive being feels and thinks 
more, hence possesses a more mobile and plastic body. Stupidity 
« is always accompanied by a body which harmonizes with it, hence 
we observe that stupid and narrow-minded people are ungraceful, 

* Ibid., p. 143. * 


760 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

and, if they make gestures at all, they are awkward and inappro¬ 
priate, and this at once betrays their mental status; while the few 
gestures which they make, being natural to them, will be a reflex 
of their dominant powers, both mental and moral. A study of the 
gestures of the ignorant , stupid , and criminal will yield a harvest 
of knowledge in the science of Form, for a gesture made by the 
hand or arm, or a movement of the body in walking or in working, 
is as much a shape as though embodied in substance. 

Congenital or professional criminals, as a rule, use very few 
gestures, for they are usually very secretive, and a secretive man 
never moves with the freedom of an upright character. All of 
their movements are comparatively restricted and stealthy. I 
cannot imagine a natural “ crook,” as they term themselves, stand¬ 
ing with arms outstretched, palm outward, head erect, and with 
eyes looking upward to heaven. This position would be entirely 
foreign to his nature, hence never assumed by him. The terms 
which this class of people use is characteristic and doubtless in¬ 
stinctive, as, for example, the use of the word “ crook” to designate 
themselves; and herein is another proof of the homogeneousness 
of mind and body. Instead of using free and frequent movements 
of the hands, arms, and head, they confine themselves to stealthy, 
sidewise, oblique glances, just as do the timid and nocturnal 
beasts of prey, whose natures resemble these human beasts of 
prey. The jerk of the thumb is one of their peculiar gestures. 
This can be used in a less noticeable manner than a movement of 
the hand, and is, besides, harmonious with the contracted natures 
of this defective class of beings. Who that has ever observed two 
of this class in conversation will have observed that, upon finding 
themselves the objects of scrutiny, one would signal to the other 
with a sidewise movement of the thumb, together with a sidewise 
glance of the eye, very quietly done, with scarcely a perceptible 
movement of the shoulder or body. Now, there are many other 
movements and gestures peculiar to this class, which must be ob¬ 
served to be understood. They are as distinct and characteristic as 
the gestures and movements of every other class of minds. Each 
profession, as well as each sex, exhibits gestures and movements 
peculiar to itself, for all gestures are dependent upon the forms 
of the body, and by observation we can very soon classify them, 
and assign each to its own proper position. 

Mechanics gesticulate and pose quite differently from the pro¬ 
fessional man. Each profession moves differently. The actor’s move¬ 
ments are different from those habitually made by the clergyman. 
A man of the world—of society—has an entirely different bearing 
and movement from that of the purely domestic man. It is thus 


GESTURES. 


761 


staywn that the movements and gestures of each class and of each 
sex are a record of their character, pursuit, and natural powers of 
mind and body, for 44 all form indicates character,” no matter 
whether that form is concreted with substance or not. The wreath 
of steam arising from the steam-pipe of a locomotive assures us of 
the circular form of the instrument which produced it, and the 
walk, gesture, position, and motions of each individual are forms 
thrown off from their organisms, and will reveal the shape of the 
bodies from which they receive their impetus. 

Comparison of the form of the body with the motions it creates 
will reveal the character expounded by both. 

Study the habitual gestures, movements, walk, and attitude 
of those whom you desire to know, and you will be richly 
rewarded, for, says Lavater:— 

« 

Each man has his favorite gesture, which might decipher his whole 
character were he observed with sufficient accuracy to be drawn in that pre¬ 
cise posture. Of equal utility would be a series of drawings of the motions 
peculiar to individuals. The number of these in lively men is great, and 
they are transitory. In the more sedate they are less numerous and more 
grave.* 

All motions produce forms which are a part of the subject 
producing them. The numerous motions caused by the play of 
the facial features are wonderfully indicative of character. The 
forehead, it is true, is almost immovable, but the eyebrows, corru- 
gators, and palpebral muscles move with rapidity and produce 
numberless expressions; so also do the muscles and fibres of the 
lower lid and parts adjacent imprint a lasting and truthful record 
upon the countenance. The nose, another great central organ, is 
immovable in its upper portions, but the nostrils are flexible, and 
by their size and shape tell us of the form and rate of motion of 
the blood in the internal organs,—the heart and lungs. Here, 
again, we have the record of both form and motion co-ordinated. 
Tire shape of the eyeball and the commissure tells us what shape 
the motions and gestures will assume. The full, round, convex 
orb reveals round muscles ; hence, the gestures will be true curves, 
the pose of the body graceful, the movements in walking, dancing, 
playing, and in art-works will be easy, regular, and curvilinear; 
for the eye is the indicator of the condition of the entire muscular 
system, and from an inspection of this single facial feature we 
arrive at a knowledge of a great share of the character, for 44 all 
is contained in the least.” 


* Essays on Physiognomy, Lavater, p. 308. 


762 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


MOVEMENTS. 

The mouth presents an infinity of movements, and when in 
repose one could scarcely believe it capable of such numerous, 
complex, and beautiful expressions. It is the most mobile of all 
the features, not excepting* the eye. The mouth has interior agents 
or assistants in the larynx, the palate, the tongue, and walls of the 
mouth, and many of the movements in speech arise in these organs 
and parts; but the form and size of the mouth will indicate to a 
scientific physiognomist the kind of language which will proceed 
from it, for language is based on sound, and sound is one mode of 
motion ; hence, in the action of this facial feature we again find 
the co-ordination of form and motion. The active characteristics 
of the individual, are disclosed by the movements of the mouth and 
surroundings and by the resulting expressions, for “ out of the full¬ 
ness of the heart the mouth speaketh.” Let one, for a few mo¬ 
ments, watch the movements of the muscles of the mouth.and 
note the resultant expressions, and also the permanent imprint 
which these muscles have left about the mouth, and he will have 
an excellent idea of the dominant moods as well as of the quality 
or kind of language most affected by the subject under considera¬ 
tion. The more hypocritical the subject, the more will this fact he 
evidenced by the fixity of the muscles involved in the masquerade 
of thought and emotion. 

If the human face were immovable we should not be long in 
learning the meaning of the outlines of the whole and of the 
shape of the features, but as motion creates the greater part of its 
expressions and meanings we are obliged to study the laws of 
motion as applied to form and concreted with substance. 

No two persons in the world are just alike. No two persons 
that have ever lived were just alike. Even twins, conceived and 
nurtured under the same conditions are never quite alike, notwith¬ 
standing the similarity of their nurture, for the reason that each 
individual germ is the repository and outcome of many diverse 
ancestral influences. Not only are there no two persons just alike , 
but no person exhibits precisely the same form and size of the 
duplex features, viz., the eyes, cheeks, ears, and hands; neither 
can be found one whose nostrils, eyes, and eyebrows are precisely 
alike and the two sides of the body exactly similar. Indeed, the 
two sides of the face and the two ears in most persons might well 
be thought to have belonged to two different individuals, so entirely 
different are they in size, shape, and expression. Anthropologists 
have often declared that the right side represents the father and 
his family, and the left side the mother and her race. My own 


DIFFERENCES IN THE FORM OF INTERNAL ORGANS. 


763 


observations in the majority of cases corroborate this statement. 
If this be a law of Nature, how can we expect that the two sides 
of any being should be precisely similar'? 

Differences in the Form of the Internal Organs. 

It is taken for granted that every human being possesses ex¬ 
actly the same number of facial muscles, and it is vaguely under¬ 
stood that the internal organs, viz., the heart, the liver, the lungs, 
etc., are similar in all individuals. Neither of these assumptions 
are correct. The internal organs are as diverse in form, size, and 
color as are the external form, size, and color of individuals. The 
facial muscles, too, have always been the subject of dispute among 
anatomists, for they have appeared so varied in shape and different 
in number as to puzzle the most observant. In some subjects por¬ 
tions of the labial , buccal, and other muscles are absent. How can 
it be otherwise when such divergent characteristics appear asso¬ 
ciated with such perfectly contrary forms of all the features ? It is 
just the same with many bodily muscles, for the savage and un¬ 
developed man could not produce the same apt and complex move¬ 
ments as the most highly talented artist or mechanic in civilization, 
for the reason that such beings do not possess a muscular system 
as finely organized nor as sensible and flexible as the latter class. 
Dr. Gray has told us that 

The muscles drop little fibres all along their course in the face. 

Now, it is certain, from the absence of expressions of various 
kinds in meagre beings, that these “ little fibres ” are greatly lack¬ 
ing in some and very plentiful in others who are rich in facial ex¬ 
pression. The faculty of Mirthfulness exhibits in its labial signs 
a most extraordinary diversity in different persons in civilization; 
still greater is the difference between the savage and the most per¬ 
fected races. Let a comparison be made between one naturally 
grave and sedate and one extremely mirthful, and there will be 
found about the corners of the mouth a different muscular forma¬ 
tion, which will confirm the foregoing statement. Comparison of 
the appearances of other portions of the muscles of the face in 
diverse characters will prove that as character develops it takes on 
an increase in quantity as well as in quality of muscular endow¬ 
ment. Compare, for example, the lower third of the nose of the 
most gifted artist with that of a most commonplace character, and 
the former will disclose a far larger development of muscle in that 
region than the latter. It is just the same with all characters. 
The more faculties , the more development of appropriate tissues 
with which to exhibit them » 


764 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Mind is a question of physiological and anatomical develop¬ 
ment. What the soul may be I know not; mind is material in 
its present phase of existence. If this be true, no one is to be cen¬ 
sured for discovering and asserting it. If it be false, it can be 
readily disproved. 

Sir Charles Bell gives us many correct ideas in regard to the 
subject of expression. This subject is so little understood that I 
have decided to give many of his thoughts to the reader. There 
is a great deal said in art circles about the 44 divine ” expression in 
the human face. This is all very well, if we only knew how to dis¬ 
tinguish the human from the divine. As yet there has appeared 
to universal humanity no countenances other than animal and 
human ones,—each, in its grade, noble or ignoble. The lion, mas¬ 
tiff, and horse represent the noblest animal faces. The most ele¬ 
vated human countenances are found accompanying such characters 
as have striven for the rights of man and for the elevation and 
happiness of the race in every age and nation, regardless of danger 
and with no desire for fame or popularity. Among the many of 
these I may mention the following:— 

Martin Luther, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John 
Howard, Earl Shaftesbury, Lucretia B. Mott, Peter Cooper, Flor¬ 
ence Nightingale, George Peabody, Emily C. Judson, Madame 
Boland, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Clara Barton, John Bright, Gari¬ 
baldi, Elizabeth Fry, Susan B. Anthony, William Lloyd Garrison, 
John Brown, and Charlotte Corday. 

Besides these there is an innumerable host of lesser and more 
obscure characters, whose humble and secluded lives have yet 
been as heroic, self-sacrificing, noble, and magnanimous as the 
former. 

Now, in all these lofty characters we shall find only human 
faces, devoid of all expression of meanness and vice. Yet popular 
opinion does not always accord to such faces the possession of noble 
or divine expression, because the masses do not know how to dis¬ 
tinguish between noble and base expressions, nor the many grades 
and shades of each of these traits. A face which has in repose 
nothing remarkable in its expression to the ordinary observer may 
become, under the influence of sudden emotion, positively illumined; 
yet the scientific physiognomist would see the capacity for goodness 
or greatness in the features while in repose. It is such expressions 
that leads one to say of them that they are 44 divine ” ; yet this is 
one of those loose and vague statements which it is the office of 
physiognomy to dispel; for until human expressions of vice and 
virtue are comprehended it is impossible to ascribe to the hum&n 
face any appearance of 44 divinity.” 


DIFFERENCES IN THE FORM OF INTERNAL ORGANS. 


765 


Of this idea Sir Charles Bell remarks thus:— 

Those who have professedly written on the antique say that to arrive 
at the perfection of the ancient statue the artist must avoid what is human 
and aim at the divine. But we speak of what stands materially before us, 
to be seen, touched, and measured. With what divine essence is the com¬ 
parison to be made ? When the artist models his clay he must have re¬ 
course to some abstract idea of perfection in his own mind; whence has he 
drawn his idea of perfection ? This brings us to the right path in the in¬ 
quiry. The idea of representing divinity is palpably absurd. We know 
nothing of form but from the contemplation of man. The only interpreta¬ 
tion of divinity in the human figure, as represented by the ancient sculptor, 
is that the artists avoided individuality ; that they studied to keep free of 
any resemblance to any individual; giving no indication of the spirit or of 
the sentiments or affections, conceiving that all these movements destroy 
the unity of the features and are foreign to beauty in the abstract.* 

There is one gross error in the minds of the masses in regard 
to beauty of expression, and that is, that in order to have perfect 
beauty there must be present certain mathematical measurements. 
Nothing can be farther from the truth. Beauty of expression is 
not confined to such a rigorous standard. Nature herself gives the 
lie to this, and all of the best writers on art-beauty, etc., coincide 
upon the subject. Says Sir Charles Bell:— 

Every scheme by which it shall be proposed to elicit the reasons of 
our feelings of admiration, love, or disgust by measuring the comparative 
areas of the head and face will fail.j* 

This eloquent writer quotes Addison as saying that 

No woman can be handsome by the force of features alone any more 
than she can be witty only by the help of speech. 

Hence, measured regularity of feature and harmonious pro¬ 
portion alone do not constitute all there is of beauty. If mobility 
of the facial muscles is wanting, or clearness and color of the eyes 
and complexion, true beauty is absent. In statues, I grant, there 
is beauty, but it is the beauty of form alone , true to Nature ; hence, 
it possesses the same beauty that is seen in a grand marble temple 
or cathedral. It reflects the mentality of the artist. Beauty of 
form and outline are in the statue, but motion, color, and the play 
of the emotions upon the face and in the body are lacking. The 
body in motion as well as in repose displays great beauties of tran¬ 
sitory form, and expresses by its movements a thousand character¬ 
istics. The Celtic races in conversation use not only the body to 
assist language, but they use all of the features of the face as well 
as the hands, arms, shoulders, and legs. Emerson says that the 

* Anatomy of Expression, Sir Charles Bell, M.D., p. 22. 
t Ibid., pp. 25, 29. 


766 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


“Englishman speaks with all his body.” Dr. Maudsley remarks 
that 

He is a poor medical psychologist who cannot see idiocy in the walk 
as well as in the talk of his patients. 

There are three modes of approaching the analysis and de¬ 
scription of the face. One is by following the course of the evo¬ 
lution of the facial features. This plan would begin with a 
description of the mouth, as this feature was the first evolved. 
The second method would be to commence with a description of 
the forehead and follow down the face to the chin. The third 
method is the one I have employed all through this work ; this is by 
commencing with a description of the chin and thence working up¬ 
ward, believing this to be a method the most easily comprehended, 
and also because it follows very nearly the course of evolution in 
face-building, for the mouth was the first facial feature evolved, and 
the signs of character about the mouth and in its immediate neigh¬ 
borhood—upon the chin—are all directly related to the action of 
the digestive functions. This method then follows most closely 
the course of the evolution of the domestic faculties and functions, 
and consequently of their associated signs in the chin and mouth. 

Previous to discussing the various facial features I shall call 
attention to the several elements of Form as illustrated in the face 
and body. The application of these elements is essential to a just 
knowledge of each feature, face, and body. 

The Basic Elements of Form as Exhibited in the Features. 

In giving a comprehensive resume of the human face, as I do 
in this chapter, it is here opportune to recapitulate the basic prin¬ 
ciples of Form and show how and to which feature each element of 
Form applies. 

The normal factors of Form, as described in Chapter III, 
Part I, are as follow: The point, the line, the sphere, the angle, 
the square, and the cube. All of these find representation in the 
human countenance, and are significant of much that is both 
simple and complex. Not only so, but each of these elements has 
an occult or hidden meaning which cannot be elaborated in this 
work, but may appear in some subsequent work devoted entirely 
to that phase of physiognomy. 

Each element of Form has an inherent meaning which it car¬ 
ries with it, and wheresoever found it announces its meaning with¬ 
out a word of explanation, for straightness indicates truth, up¬ 
rightness,—normalcy. Crookedness or imperfect curvation reveals 


BASIC ELEMENTS OF FORM AS EXHIBITED IN FEATURES. 767 


untruth fulness or lack of normal capacity, and so of each distinct 
fundamental form ; each one is self-explanatory. 

The straight form or line, or horizontal and straight line, is 
the form appertaining to the mouth; that is to say, this is the 
normal standard for that feature. The sphere or circle belongs to 
the eyeball; the acute angle , to the commissure or corner of the 
eye. The true curve —a section of a circle—is the normal standard 
for the cheeks, the jaws, the chin, the outer edges of the red or 
upper margin of the lip, certain parts of the nose, the eyebrows 
or portions of them, the eyelashes, the head, and the forehead. 
Some foreheads are very much arched; others less so. The 
sphere is also well represented in the ear, as it abounds in curves, 
and some ears describe a semicircle in the upper part of the shell; 
also in certain barrel-shaped bodies. The square is exhibited in the 
bones of the face as well as in the bones of the body, and in cer¬ 
tain noses which form a perfect square or angle in the junction 
of the nostril with the cheek. The cube finds representation in 
the rectangular and solid form of highly developed moral and 
scientific faces and bodies. 

The curious student of universal principles who desires to find 
a common basis for all created forms, and who dreams that some¬ 
where in the universe all the elements of Form may be found 
epitomized, has not far to go to find the realization of his dreams. 
The human face combines and illustrates all of the prime elements 
of Form; not one is here wanting. 

THE POINT. 

The point , or “least element of Form,” is represented by the 
“blind spot” of the eye, so-called. This is the place where the 
optic nerve pierces the anterior surface of the eyeball. This point 
also represents the unit,—the number one. It is also analogous 
to the nucleus or germinating spot of cellular tissue. This least 
element of Form finds its illustration in the feature through which 
the forms of the icorld enter the mind —the eye. The point is 
the representative of the starting-point of growth, and corresponds 
to the beginning of the germinating process in all animal things. 

THE SPHERE. 

The sphere or globe is the most primitive of forms, and is ex¬ 
hibited by the eyeball—the only perfect circle in the human organ¬ 
ism. It is true that the primitive cells of vegetable and animal 
tissue are spherical, but they are not fixed, and yield to pressure, 
and assume irregular forms. The eyeball retains permanently its 


768 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


perfect globular form, hence is the best representative of the sphere 
in the human face. 

The opening of the iris is always round in man , but in animals, whose 
range of vision requires to extend widely in a horizontal direction (as the 
herbivorous animals), it is in the form of an ellipse. In animals, on the 
other hand, that leap up and down in pursuit of their food, as the cat, and 
other carnivorous animals that seek their prey in the same manner, the pupil 
has the elliptical form, but with the long diameter vertical.* 

It is thus shown that the true circle is exhibited only in the 
human eye. 

THE CURVE. 

The curve is a section of a circle, and finds its illustration 
many times repeated in the human face. It is calculated that 
there are “thirty-six curves in the face, and one hundred and 
forty-four altogether in the human organism.”f The curve and 
sphere belong together as factors of form, and produce ease, motion, 
and variety of movement and expression. 

THE LINE. 

The line is conspicuously displayed in the physiognomy of 
man in the form of the normal-shaped mouth, and suggests, as its 
resultant signification, trueness, regularity, straightness, the basic 
element of squareness , hence the form best adapted to the expres¬ 
sion of truth and integrity , or wholeness ,—“the truth, the whole 
truth, and nothing but the truth.” The straight line is the repre¬ 
sentation of moral principle, hence is the only form which would 
be in harmony with the expression of the truth through the use 
of language. 

THE ANGLE. 

The angle finds its highest representation in the angles of 
the eye and of the nose, where it joins the upper lip. The more 
acute the angle of the corners of the eye, the greater is the 
power for truth in language , as well as for fidelity in the mo- 
nogamic relation, or love for one only, either in marriage or out 
of it. The obtuse angle exhibits much less capacity for fidelity 
in love and marriage where the eye presents an acute angle. 
This is in harmony with the basic principles of Form throughout 
Nature, and especially in the human physiognomy. 

The eye is not only the sign for language, but it is also one 
of the prominent signs of Amativeness, or love of the opposite 
sex; hence, its highest manifestation would call for that form 


* Hooker’s Human Physiology, p. 295. 


Book of Wisdom. 


THE SIGNS IN THE CHIN. 


769 


which Nature has assigned to integrity, fidelity, and truthfulness. 
And again, the angle is one of the elements of the cube, the 
“grand or completed form;” therefore, when we observe the acute 
angle in the corners of the eye, we shall surely find in its owner a 
certain degree of the truth-telling quality; also fidelity in dealing 
with the opposite sex. 

In painting portraits of the human countenance, artists draw 
several straight lines and angles, and from these they produce the 
curves of the features, an instance of inversion quite significant; 
for, whereas Nature builds the human face by curvilinear processes, 
as is observed in the primitive cell of animal tissue, the artist works 
out upon his canvas the human physiognomy by first drawing 
straight lines and angles, and from these he constructs the “thirty- 
six curves” essential to the expression of a highly-developed 
Caucasian face,—a fine exemplification of the necessity of the 
scientific element of Form with which to produce a pictured repre¬ 
sentation of Nature’s grandest achievement in architecture—the 
human face. 

• THE CUBE. 

This form is best exemplified in the solid thorax of such 
bodies as that of Washington, Martin Luther, Napoleon, and other 
cubical-shaped bodies. This form of this part denotes powerful 
and perfect action of the inclosed viscera, and this combination 
gives force and vigor to the body and brain, and results in the 
grandest achievements of humanity, whether they be exhibited in 
great physical feats and labors, or by great moral, mental, or 
executive power, as in the case of Washington, Luther, and 
Napoleon. 

It is thus that the cubical form stands representative of 
wholeness, soundness, or integrity of the thoracic structure. Those 
features and outlines of the face which present a tendency to cubic 
form belong to the most solid-minded characters, and herein is 
another application of this form. 

The Signs in the Chin. 

For convenience in localizing the signs that are in the chin, I 
divide it into three parts, by drawing two horizontal lines across 
it (Fig. 131, page 770); the lowest, just above the oval, or point 
of the chin; the second, just below the arching of the lower lip; 
while the line of closure of the mouth creates the third line, and 
thus assists the student in finding the signs of character in the chin. 

In commencing a description of the features of the face I 
shall first describe the chin as being the base or lowest part of the 

49 


770 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


countenance. The chin is a comparatively recent feature in evo¬ 
lution. No animal has a chin proper, neither do undeveloped 
races possess a perfect chin. Many idiots possess only a rudiment 
of this feature. Infants exhibit very little indication of a chin, 
but it develops with advancing age, as the osseous system becomes 
perfected. The progressive evolution of this feature from infancy 
to adult life assures us that its perfect development is one indication 
of a more perfected character than where it retains its infantile 
form and size, or where it is never greatly developed in the adult. 

The size and form of this feature depend mainly upon the 
development of the bony system, for the inferior maxillary or 
lower jaw is composed mainly of bone; the teeth and the enamel 
of the teeth are composed of the hardest substance in the human 
frame; hence, the chin is one of the most substantial parts of the 
face, when it is normal. If this characteristic be lacking, and the 
chin small and inferior in size, it follows that something positive is 

wanting, and the character compara¬ 
tively negative; or if, on the other 
hand, the chin exhibits more muscle 
and fat than bone, we must infer that 
the disposition is more yielding, less 
severe, positive, and persevering than 
where the bones are long and wide, 
for the nature of these several tissues 
is very dissimilar, and whichever is 
supreme in the structure of the chin decides the character of the 
individual for firmness or for lack of it. 

The reader has previously learned that the length downward 
and forward of the chin is the sign for Firmness; the width of its 
bony structure the sign of Conscientiousness; hence, the impor¬ 
tance of a normal supply of bone in the chin. 

The framework of the chin is composed of bone, and a well- 
developed chin should exhibit a fair share of this material. The 
three systems—the bony, the muscular, and the vegetative—assist 
in forming this feature. Where the osseous material is dominant, 
the greatest amount of positiveness or firmness is present. Where 
the muscular system is supreme in its structure, the art side of 
character is indicated. Where adipose tissue is pre-eminent, the 
character lacks firmness, and is given to ease, sociality or gluttony. 
These latter characteristics appertain only when fat is dominant. 
Many chins exhibit a so-called “ double chin,” yet possess a long 
and wide bony formation. Such chins must be credited with the 
firmness due to the bone present, and the sociality due to the fatty 
deposition must be added to the character in summing it up. 








THE SIGNS IN THE CHIN. 


771 


THE THREE GENERAL FORMS OF THE CHIN. 

There are three general forms or outlines of the chin. All 
others are composites, blends, or modifications of these three primal 
forms. As before stated, every chin is composed mainly of one or 
the other of the three most important or primitive tissues, and in 
their structure they assume the form of one of the three funda¬ 
mental shapes. The fatty chin is globose, the muscular chin is 
curved, and the bony chin is square. Each of these forms repre¬ 
sents specifically the character which Nature has designated as its 
peculiar attribute. 

The soft, globose chin of infancy and of undeveloped man is 
small, round, apparently all fat, and receding. When observed in 
the adult it denotes either a somewhat soft, yielding nature, an 
infantile or inferior intellect, excessive Alimentiveness, or too 
great a degree of sociality or gluttony, any one of which is a 
defect. It is a law of physiognomy that when a feature exhibits 
in the adult an infantile form, size, and condition, the character 
also retains something relatively weak, infantile, or negative. 



Fig. 132.—The Globose. 



Fig. 133.—The Oval. 



Fig. 134.—The Square. 


The oval or muscular chin is caused by the supremacy of 
muscle, which always produces curved outlines and movements. 
This chin denotes a taste or talent for some form of art. Other 
facial signs in combination with it will indicate which department 
of art and what quality is present. I use the term 44 art ” here 
comprehensively, including poetry, painting, acting, dancing, sing¬ 
ing, and athletics, executively or appreciatively. 

The square or bony chin announces positive characteristics, 
together with conscientiousness, order, precision, mechanical and 
scientific tastes, and moral courage. If of proportionate length 
also, it denotes constitutional vigor. The several forms of the chin 
show various degrees of functional power and weakness. These 

will be explained as we proceed. 

The most general modifications of these three forms of the 
chin are as follow: The globose chin of infancy develops more 
bone as age advances, and thus takes on a more fixed and exact 
outline. Of course this outline accords with the general structure 
of the individual. If very muscular, an oval form will result; 



772 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


if the bones of the body are fairly developed and square, a like 
form will appear in his chin. 

The oval chin is modified almost indefinitely, and produces in 
different individuals diverse shapes. If the muscles are round, the 
chin will curve forward and produce an oval or round appearance 
of the levator menti muscle. (This is the muscle which assists in 
forming the end or prominence of the chin.) A curved outline of 
the lower jaw will be also exhibited, and this form of the jaw not 
only announces constitutional vigor, but also creative ability and 
dramatic tastes or capacities. The basic element of the sphere 
always represents by its curving form the presence of the creative 
principle . 

Where constitutional vigor is wanting the chin is either sharp 
and very pointed or narrow and receding. The chins of congenital 
consumptives and dyspeptics are often narrow and sharp, together 
with narrow and perpendicular jaws without any outward curvation. 

The straight muscle causes less curvation outwardly than the 
round muscle. So numerous are these modifications in form, 
caused bv numberless combinations of the several sorts of bones 
and muscles, that I should only perplex the reader were I to 
attempt to define many of them; hence, I shall treat of only the 
most usual and general. 

The square chin is modified so as to produce the broad and 
square and the narrow and square outlines; also a degree of 
squareness which is but slightly perceptible. The broad and 
square announces great constitutional vigor, together with thor¬ 
oughness, moral principle, and reliability. This form denotes 
fidelity, hence those who possess this form of chin will be faithful 
in love, as in other matters. (These qualities are modified by very 
light eyes.) 

The narrow and square chin denotes less constitutional vigor 
and relatively less moral courage. Where the square form is very 
slightly defined, the love of art and mechanism is about equally 
balanced, and courage is derived from the bony system as well as 
from the muscles. The moral and affectional nature will with 
this form be about equal. 

There are two sorts of the pointed chin. One is a modifica¬ 
tion of the bony chin; the other • a modification of the muscular 
chin. The pointed chin which projects forward is derived from 
the supremacy of the long, flat muscles. The narrow, pointed 
chin which points downward is derived from the dominance of the 
long bones, and announces weakness of the kidney system and 
narrowness of the pelvis. 


THE SIGNS IN THE CHIN. 


773 


THE THREE POSITIONS OF THE CHIN. 

There are three positions, of the chin which also expound 
character, viz., the perpendicular, the receding, and the projecting. 
The chin is perpendicular when it touches a line dropped perpen¬ 
dicularly down from the eyebrows and upper lip. This perpen¬ 
dicularity is the normal type. All others are deviations from this 
form. If they recede greatly, they denote one form of weakness; 
if they project greatly they announce another sort of deficiency. 
The receding chin lacks firmness and perseverance; while the chin 
greatly projecting is persevering in one direction mainly, and that 
is in saving. Where this projection is much exaggerated an 
avaricious disposition is present. This phase is a perversion of the 
true economical faculty , and all exaggerated forms accompany and 
disclose excessive deficiencies. Now, any face which exhibits a 
projecting and pointed chin announces that its possessor is wanting 
either in good, square honesty or in mental power, for which the 
desire to save is in some sort a compensation; that is to say, it 
enables such defective beings to exist and maintain themselves. I 



Fig. 135.—The Perpendicular. Fig. 136.—The Receding. Fig. 137.—The Projecting. 

have known many excellent persons to have the saving faculty 
well defined in the face and character; this is normal; but when it 
approaches the degree indicated by the chin which is greatly pro¬ 
jecting, we shall find a large degree of avarice and a lack of 
sound judgment. Avarice is an exaggerated form of Acquisitive¬ 
ness, and is derived from the muscular system. Penuriousness, as 
well as avarice, sharpens the features. It is a species of littleness, 
caused by weakness, both of faculty and function, hence exhibits 

itself by narrowness of formation. 

I have observed the saving faculty very large in some indi¬ 
viduals who were uncommonly slow , and the saving faculty was in 
their case the compensation for their lack of quickness. In some, 
excessive saving proceeds from a lack of commercial power; in 
others it arises from want of practicality, and in others deficient 
mental ability. The physiological law that all excessive develop¬ 
ment of one part is the sign of a deficiency of some other faculty 
or function is well illustrated in the peculiarities of the structure 
of the chin. No really grand intellect was ever known to possess 





774 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


this shape of the chin and its accompanying characteristic, avarice. 
The great Sir Francis Bacon was dubbed the “wisest, brightest, 
meanest of mankind,” on account of his love of gold, which he 
acquired in a dishonorable manner. His physiognomy, however, 
does not show an avaricious chin, but his dishonesty is disclosed by 
a crooked nose , curved like that of the beak of the bird of prey. 
This form shows intellectual capacity for gaining pelf, while the 
avaricious chin shows the propensity to hoard up what is gained, 
regardless of whether it is little or much that is acquired. 

In denominating the perpendicular the normal type of chin 1 
must explain somewhat my position on this subject. The perpen¬ 
dicular chin in its highest manifestation is found where the osseous 
system is dominant, and, as the osseous system is a later and more 
developed system than the muscular or vegetative systems, it is 
hence higher in rank. The muscular chin is often observed to be 
perpendicular in many gifted artists. It is often found in others 
to be receding slightly, and with these two classes it is often dim¬ 
pled or cleft, and this denotes sensuous tastes, which are also art 
tastes. 

We have found, then, that the perpendicular chin is observed 
in the best class of osseous individuals, as well as in the best or 
most perfected characters among artistic characters (and I here use 
this term “ art ” in its most comprehensive sense). We hence 
deduce that this form stands representative of development, and so 
the student of physiognomy will ever find it in Nature. And this 
evidence finishes the argument, for Nature is infallible,—the court 
of last resort, from which there is no appeal. 

In my analysis of the several forms of the chin I give the law 
which expounds them and the natural or scientific base from which 
they derive their form and accompanying character. In order that 
my observations shall not be taken unsupported, I shall quote from 
that prince of observers, Lavater, who, however, gives no laws or 
basic principles by which to examine and prove his assertions. He 
observes:— 

Long experience lias proved to me that a projecting chin always an¬ 
nounces something positive , whereas the meaning of a retreating chin is 
always negative. The character of an individual as regards energy or weak¬ 
ness often manifests itself solely by the chin. A pointed chin ordinarily 
passes for a sign of cunning. I have, however, observed this shape in the 
most honorable persons, with whom cunning was a refined kind of good¬ 
nature. 

A soft, fleshy, and double chin is generally the sign and effect of 
sensuality; angular chins are only seen in sensible, firm, and benevolent 
persons; small ones are characteristic of timidity; round ones, withadim- 
ple, may be regarded as a token of kindness or good-nature, 


THE SIGNS IN THE CHIN. 


775 


I establish three general classes for'different shapes of chin. In the 
first I rank retreating chins; in the second, those which in profile are per¬ 
pendicular to the lower lip; in the third, those which project beyond the 
lower lip. The retreating, which may be boldly called the female chin, since 
it is to be found in almost all women, makes me always suspect some weak 
side. Chins of the second class—the perpendicular—inspire me with con¬ 
fidence ; those of the third are to me the proof of an active and shrewd 
mind, provided they do not take the shape of a “ handle,” i.e., a nut-cracker 
shape, for this exaggerated form generally leads to pusillanimity and avarice.* 

The following general rule, which Lavater applies to all the 
facial features, applies with equal force to the chin. He remarks:— 

When the lineaments of the countenance are flat, without gradation, 
without character, without flexion or undulation, they denote dullness or 
stupidity, f 

FORMS OF THE CENTRE OF THE CHIN. 

There are three forms of the middle portion of the chin (that 
is, the part between the lower lip and the lowest part or oval of 
this feature) which denote diversity of character, and are highly 



Fig. 138.—Flat, or Stupid. 
(A Simpleton.) 


Fig. 139.—Convex, or Brutal. 
(A Malefactor.) 



Fig. 140.—Indented. 
(Edward Everett.) 


important in the interpretation thereof. These three forms are the 
flat, or stupid (Fig. 138), the convex, or brutal and undeveloped 
(Fig. 139), and the indented, or highest type (Fig. 140). Of the 
latter Lavater remarks:— 

A deep indentation in the middle of the chin seems to indicate without 
fail a judicious, steady, and resolute man, unless this feature is belied by 
other contradictory features.^ 

I do not think that any feature can wholly neutralize the effect 
of a good chin. It may modify somewhat its indications. Lavater 
himself must have thought this, for elsewhere he observes:— 

When the chin decisively indicates good sense the whole will certainly 
have the character of discernment and understanding. That chin decisively 
indicates good sense which is somewhat incurved or indented in the middle, 
of which the under part somewhat projects, which is marked with various 
gradations, incurvations, and lines, and below sinks in somewhat in the 
middle. A long, broad, thick chin—I speak of the bony chin—is found only 
in rude, harsh, proud, and violent persons.§ 

* Lavater’s Essays, p. 186. f Ibid., p. 463. I Ibid., p, 186. § Ibid., p. 477 . 


776 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Again Lavater remarks:— 

The more chin, the more man. 

Lavater lacked scientific training, hence his classification of 
forms wants order and his descriptions are lacking in minute details, 
and although his works are profusely illustrated they do not ex¬ 
hibit that accuracy of classification which ought to characterize 
scientific physiognomy; hence, these latter statements are loose and 
vague to the general reader. He probably did not intend to convey 
the meaning that a bony chin was rude and harsh because it was 
bony, but because it was long, wide, and badly shaped. The 
former statement would contradict the following assertion of his, 
viz., “ the more chin, the more man.” The converse of this would 
be true,—the less chin, the less of the firm, conscientious, and 
courageous, hence a negative, weak, unmanly character. All forms 
are relative , and close comparison as well as accurate observation 
are required to decipher small and minute differences in the forms 
of the several parts of each feature. 

The several modifications of the three basilar or ruling forms, 
viz., the spherical, oval, and square, create a great variety of char¬ 
acter—of that part of the character of which the chin stands repre¬ 
sentative, viz., the moral and domestic. Every departure from the 
strict regularity of the standard of normal types announces devia¬ 
tions which bring with them their own explanations if the basic 
laws of Form are applied to them. 

When the countenance below the mid-line of the mouth is 
disproportionately long and wide, the character is correspondingly 
commonplace and gluttonous. A medium or proportionate length 
downward from the mouth denotes a better-balanced character than 
the former. A chin relatively short from the mouth downward dis¬ 
closes timidity and also a lack of vocal volume. All- those gifted 
with powerful voices exhibit chins not only long downward, but 
they are accompanied with full cheeks. This peculiarity of form 
is demanded in order to produce powerful tones, which cannot be 
emitted by those who have very short chins, or who are dispropor¬ 
tionately short from the junction of the lower part of the nose with 
the upper lip down to the point of the chin. All good singers dis¬ 
close average or large vegetative systems, and this system tends to 
lengthen and widen the chin; it also gives softness to the tones 
and a sympathetic expression. The latter is derived from the 
strength of the glandular system,—an important part of the vege¬ 
tative system. 


THE SIGNS IN THE CHIN. 


777 


THE THREE GENERAL CLASSES OF CONSTITUENTS IN THE CHIN. 

The three general classes of character, the domestic, the ar¬ 
tistic, and the mechanical, may be known in the chin by the domi¬ 
nance of one or the other of the three following-named tissues, 
viz., fat, muscle, and bone. Fat represents domestic character; in 
excess, gluttonous habits. Muscle denotes emotion and artistic 
tastes; and bone mechanical arid scientific tastes. 

The outline-form of the chin announces the character as well 
as the quality of the material of which it is composed, while its 
relative proportions give us yet another opportunity to decide upon 
a verdict. 

DIMPLED CHINS. 

A round dimple in the chin (Fig. 141) denotes art-loving tastes, 
for the reason that a round dimple is caused by a combination 
of the round muscle with the round bone, and this combination 
is the one best adapted to assist every species of art-work, except 
sculpture. The latter requires square bones and round muscles 
for its best illustration. 




Fig. 141. 


Fig. 142. 


A straight-cleft dimple (Fig. 142) is found where the round 
muscle and square bones are combined. It denotes a love for art 
and beauty, the same as the round dimple. By observation of this 
one little peculiarity we get a clue to one of the dominating sys¬ 
tems of the body, and this opens to our comprehension the greater 
part of the character. Nearly all of our great poets, painters, 
actors, many writers of fiction, as well as athletes, exhibit a dimpled 
chin—either a round or a cleft dimple. In all these classes the 
perception of beauty, and particularly the beauty of the opposite 
sex, is very marked. It is, in fact, a part of their talent. It is 
something more than a mere personal taste ; it is essential to the 
successful working out of their ideas in acting, in painting, in all 
works of imagination based upon ideals formed in the mind and 
portrayed by voice, gesture, and position, as in singing, painting, 
acting, playing, and composing. Many singers exhibit the dimpled 
chiri as well as many composers. Among the latter classes ex¬ 
amine, for example, the chin of Liszt, Beethoven, Mozart, Handel, 







PRACTICAL and scientific PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Schubert, Schumann, Arthur Sullivan, and many others. Among 
singers it is almost universally present. Observe the portraits of 
Miss Thursby, Madame Materna, Emma Abbott, Signor Bavelli, 
Mr. Santly, Campanini, and others. Of poets who possess this 
“beauty spot” their name is legion. Examine the portraits of 
Southey, Byron, Burns, Goethe, Corneille, Dryden, Pope, Keats, 
Goldsmith, Herrick, Moore, Marvel, and others too numerous to 
mention. The majority of painters, writers of fiction, orators, 
architects, actors, and athletes, without number, exhibit a dimpled 
chin and thus announce that the muscular is one of the dominant 
systems. A great majority of actors and actresses not only reveal 
a dimpled chin but dimpled cheeks, hands, arms, and shoulders. 
An inspection of the following-named persons proves that love of 
art, agreeability, and benevolence are associated with dimples and 
talent. See, for example, the personnel of Eotta, Lawrence Bar¬ 
rett, Joseph Jefferson, William Warren, Modjeska, Mdlle. Croizette, 
Mdlle. Barretta, Mdlle. Bichemberg, Moliere, and Irving. There 
are many other actors thus characterized which the reader may 
prove by collecting a number of their portraits. Examine among 
painters the physiognomy of David Bembrandt, Lorraine, Mur- 
rillo, Vandyck, and Dore. Orators are almost universally endowed 
with a dimpled chin. See the faces of Clay, Bossuet, Charles 
James Fox, Erskine, Burke, John Adams, Wendell Phillips, 
Beecher, Ingersoll, and Bichard Brindley Sheridan. Observe the 
portraits of the following writers of essays, fiction, the drama, etc.: 
La Bruyere, Addison, Sir Walter Scott, Madame de Stael, David 
Hume, Gibbon, Des Cartes, De Foe, Swift, Voltaire, Macaulay, 
Linnseus, Benjamin Franklin, Halley, Bunyan, T. B. Aldrich, 
Howells, Thoreau, Draper, Geoffrey, Saint-Hilaire, and Washing¬ 
ton Irving. 

In all faces in which the muscular or artistic chin is observed, 
when not dimpled, it will be found to possess a rounded shape, 
soft and mobile. This chin is to be classed with the dimpled chins. 
It does not follow that because the chin is dimpled that artistic 
talent is present. This depends upon the form and quality of brain 
in combination. Many persons exhibit only a taste for art and 
beauty; others possess varying degrees of talent of various sorts. 
A taste and love of an art is often possessed by one who has very 
little executive talent for that art. Such a one may make a good 
critic if experienced in the observation of artistic works. 

FORMS OF THE CHIN. 

The physiological and anatomical knowledge of the body, to 
be derived from observation of the several forms of the chin, is 


THE SIGNS IN THE CHIN. 


779 


most useful. Taken in connection with the form of the lower jaw 
(of which it is really a part), we may extend our knowledge of the 
size and activity of several organ systems within the body. The 
broad and square chin (Fig. 143) denotes a strong and active kid- 



Fig. 143. 



Fig. 144. 



Fig. 145. 


ney system, unless the eyes are very light-colored; in this case the 
system is not as vigorous as where the eyes have a normal supply 
of color. A broad, bony chin shows constitutional vigor and assur¬ 
ance of longevity. A narrow and receding chin (Fig. 144) an¬ 
nounces relative weakness of the kidney system. A very sharp, 
pointed chin, with long, narrow lower jaw (and these two forms 
are usually found associated) always denotes feeble digestion, to¬ 
gether with general constitutional weakness. I have never observed 
a very aged person with this formation. Those who exhibit this 
peculiarity of form usually die young, either of diseases of the in¬ 
testinal system or of consumption. (See Fig. 145.) 



Fig. 146. 



Fig. 147. 



Fig. 148.—A CONVICTED THIEF, 


Another peculiar form of chin rarely seen is the long, peaked, 
and upturned chin, which Lavater names the “ Menton de galoche ” 
(Fig. 146), which he claims is the sign of a rickety predisposition, 
and he also adds that it is an infallible sign of a “ faulty conforma¬ 
tion of the pelvis, which is dangerous to woman in child-birth.”* 


* Lavater’s Essays, p. 186. 





780 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


This last assertion is doubtless true, for abnormal narrowness of 
the lower part of the face indicates feebleness or defective organi¬ 
zation of the functions related to the vegetative system; hence 
narrowness of the bony structure of this portion of the face indi¬ 
cates much less vigor of all these functions, inasmuch as they are 
mutually dependent on each other and their relations to each other 
very intimate and complex. 

A chin composed mainly of fatty tissue (Fig. 147) not only 
denotes silliness, feebleness of intellect, or idiocy, but also indi¬ 
cates dropsical tendencies, gout, tumorous growths, and various 
chronic disorders. 

Irregular-shaped chins (Fig. 148, page 779) are composed 
mainly of muscles with slight depressions all over, as if intending 
to dimple, announces a nature inclined to crooked and devious 
methods. I have seen such chins in the physiognomies of first-class 
burglars, who had also other irregular-shaped features, viz., crooked 
eyes and mouth, and also in those of relatively feeble honesty. 

THE “FEMININE CHIN.” 

Many writers upon physiognomy denominate the small, reced¬ 
ing chin the “feminine chin.” I do not assent to this misnomer 
and false classification. Were it not for the beard with which 
Nature has supplied men they would stand convicted of possessing 
as small chins as women, numerically speaking. There are as 
many weak-principled and childish men as there are immoral and 
petty women. Were it not that kind Nature prepares a sort of 
“masked battery” for men’s chins which enables them to hide 
from women their moral and domestic deficiencies by means of a 
heavy beard very many weak, “womanly” chins would be revealed 
in all their littleness. I never make a delineation of an individual 
whose face exhibits a beard and moustache without taking pains 
to discover the exact size and form of both the chin, jaws, and 
upper lip. Women, it is true, exhibit more affection and emotion 
than men, but the very strength of their affections often impels 
wives and mothers to heroic deeds in the defense of their loved 
ones. In all ages of the world women have appeared who, with¬ 
out parting with their love and femininity, have played the part 
of heroines in times of war and desolation. Some have led in 
battle, like Joan of Arc ; some ascended the scaffold, like Madame 
Roland; others have defended their hearths and homes; others 
still have commanded ships when their husbands have become dis¬ 
abled ; again, many have served as nurses and soldiers upon the 
field of battle. Yet I doubt if one such possessed either a weak 
chin or lacked true femininity. No, reader ! Heroism, like intellect, 


THE FORMS OF THE JAW. 


781 


has no sex. Believe not the fallacies and fictions of so-called physi¬ 
ognomists, who would ascribe to man all the stronger and nobler 
traits, because his head is big and his brawn great; and to woman 
all the weaknesses of human nature, because she is smaller and 
finer in every way. The Greeks did not so erroneously judge of 
human nature; they personified all the stronger traits , such as 
wisdom and justice, in the figures of their Goddesses ,—a subtle 
way of showing that these personifications are creative states of 
mind, and that they understood the female to be the best repre¬ 
sentative of the human creative power, in being the creator of the 
race through maternity. Artists ranked, in their minds, as some¬ 
thing less than woman; mere material creation seemed to them 
much lower than woman’s transcendent power as the creator of 
artists—of man. 

Forms of the Jaw. 

THE UPPER JAW. 

The upper jaw is a negative feature, being necessarily 
passive in its fixed position. 

THE LOWER JAW. 

The lower jaw is an active agent, powerful to a degree, posi¬ 
tive and decided in movement, and one of the chief agents in 
articulation and mastication. 

The lower jaw, strictly speaking, is one continuous bone 
termed the “ vomer,” or ploughshare, which it resembles in shape. 
(See Fig. 127.) “It is divided into the body or chin, the sides, 
the rami, and the processes.” The chin is termed the “ mental 
process.” So intimately associated are the several parts of this 
feature that it is impossible to adequately describe the chin with¬ 
out at the same time describing the form and meanings of the 
sides, angles, and rami of the jaw. 

The several forms of the lower jaw are highly indicative of 
character, and to them we must bring to bear acute observation 
and analysis if we would master their full significance. The 
figures at the head of this chapter will give the reader the names 
and positions of the bones and muscles of the face. Reference to 
them will greatly facilitate one’s comprehension of the anatomy 
of the parts mentioned. 

As the signs of the vegetative system are found mainly in the 
lower part of the face, by applying to this part the basic laws of 
Form we shall be able to interpret the character by the various 
signs found here. We have learned in these laws that the spheri¬ 
cal form or any portion of a sphere, as, for example, the segment 


782 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


of a circle, is indicative of primitive growth and conditions; that, 
in short, the curving form announces creative tendencies, also more 
vigorous conditions than the perpendicular or straight form. If 
we apply this law to the formation of the lower jaw we shall find 
that it is an infallible expounder of existing conditions. In infancy, 
the lower jaw-bone presents a more obtuse angle than in the adult, 
but as the infant advances to adult age the angle becomes more 
acute, hence shows the presence of more bone, and the sides and 
rami combine in forming a more curved outline. The outline of 
the cheek is also modified from the globose appearance present in 
childhood. Globosity is primal. Curving is the next stage of 
formation. When we observe the youthful face as it approaches 
the age of puberty, we find that the infantile form of the cheeks, 
the nose, the chin, and the jaws are changed, and the globose 
cheeks of infancy have given way to a graceful curve of the cheek 
and lower jaw. The nose also has risen in the centre and attained 
a more dignified contour than that presented by the concavity of 
infancy. The convex or rounded outline of the forehead is changed 
to the perpendicular or slightly receding form. All this is due 
mainly to the development of bone , and with this process more 
intelligence and stability of character appears. 

Width of the bony structure of the lower jaw is thus shown 
to be one of the facial signs, not only of vigorous, physical func¬ 
tions, but of more powerful mental faculties. Breadth of jaws is 
one of the signs of longevity, as well as of strong vegetative 
powers, for the breadth of the lower third of the face belongs to 
and indicates the condition of the visceral structure, and, as vigor 
of this part of the organism is essential to prolonged mental effort, 
we shall expect to find, in the faces of those whose mental efforts 
are the greatest and most prolonged, a normal width of the jaws, 
and especially a nice degree of curvation outwardly of the lower 
jaw-bone and muscles. It is true that many eminent writers have 
exhibited only a fair degree of outward curvation of this feature. 
An analysis of their works will establish the truth of the basic law 
of Form as applied to them. All writers on profound and recon¬ 
dite subjects exhibit relative width of the lower jaw; so, also, do 
all persons whose discoveries, researches, and inventions are on a 
large scale. While writers and theorizers on the lighter and less 
comprehensive subjects disclose a lower jaw relatively less wide, 
and the reason for this is very well explained by Dr. Cross, whose 
analysis of this feature I shall now offer. He observes:— 

Broad jaws, therefore receptive of much food, argue powerful func¬ 
tions, but as functions are not necessarily intellectual, and as the intellectual 
faculties are indicated by the brain, and the strength of the intellectual 


THE FORMS OF THE JAW. 


783 


faculties by the breadth of the brain, so the relative breadth of head and of 
jaws shall mark the natural channel for the flow of intellect. Accordingly, 
where the jaws are broader than the head, there the channel for the flow of 
intellect is wide, but the fountain is scanty. This relative conformation of 
head and jaws is the characteristic of strong passions and weak intellect. 
Accordingly,! also, where the jaws maintain nearly the same breadth as the 
brain, there the fountain keeps the channel full. This relative conformation 
of head and jaws bespeaks a character who can exert all his intellectual 
powers on a subject,—who is calculated for scientific pursuits. Accordingly, 
also, where the jaws are much narrower than the head, there the channel is 
too narrow for carrying off the profuse supply of the fountain, so that the 
intellectual current passes down in an impetuous jet. Here the mind acts 
most forcibly and most keenly upon a small spot at a time. While the 
narrow head with broad jaws represents a large smoking fire; while the 
broad head with broad jaws 
represents a hot smelting-fur¬ 
nace ; the broad head with 
narrow jaws represents the 
keen, sharp flame from a blow¬ 
pipe.* 

The latter contour of 
head and face is observed 
in the faces of witty, bright, 
smart people, quick at 
retort and repartee. Sev¬ 
eral of our prominent hu¬ 
morous writers disclose this 
form of countenance (Fig 
149). Still more sharpened 
at the chin and the forehead, 
and the features not quite 
so wide as the former, we have the sly, crafty, foxy form of face, 
which shows inferiority of judgment and intellect generally. It is 
exhibited by a sly, insinuating manner, dealing in hints, allusions, 
suggestions, and innuendoes, which is a modified form of wit. 

In describing the several normal or most useful forms of the 
lower jaw, I shall follow the course of Nature in evolution, or the 
progressive development of this feature from the embryo tic to the 
most perfected form. 



FIG. 149.—PRINCE TALLEYRAND. 


EMBRYOTIC LOWER JAW. 

The evolution of the lower jaw is a most interesting process, 
and the form of this feature which is gradually developed in the 
human embryo is most instructive. A human embryo at six 
weeks has not as much of a jaw as an ape or a marmoset. Below 
the mouth there is no trace of a face; from the lower lip there is 

# An Attempt to Establish Physiognomy on Scientific Principles, John Cross, M.D., pp. 179,180. 



784 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


a backward slope to the neck, or what will eventually be the neck. 
At the fifteenth week of prenatal life, about as much chin is ex¬ 
hibited as is found in the ape and chimpanzee, and it recedes at 
about the same angle. Were the chin to remain at this stage of 
development the character would possess no more stability, perse¬ 
verance, and conscientiousness than an ape; but from this time 
onward until birth the bones of the lower jaw develop, and unless 
the child is idiotic the chin and lower jaw gradually assume a 
normal size and form. During early childhood the chin remains 
small and the lower jaw-bone narrow and receding. If these 
peculiarities continue until adult life, the character will be want¬ 
ing in perseverance, stability, integrity, courage, and application. 
These latter qualities inhere in the bony structure and are exhibited 
by bone development, but, as it occurs that the softer tissues are 

dominant in early life, we shall observe 
that the chin is at first round, receding, 
and soft. The outline of the bone in plump 
infants is almost hidden by the globose form 
of the cheeks and by the fat of the neck. 
Later, the outline assumes an oval form, and 
still later the permanent form of the jaw 
appears, and it is this last form which re¬ 
veals to us the character of the individual 
for firmness, perseverance, and integrity, or 
the lack of them. It is this form, also, 
which unfolds the strength or weakness 
of the visceral organs and the width of the 
pelvis. Narrowness of the bones at this 
portion of the face denotes relative weakness 
of several visceral organs, for Nature is 
harmonious and sets her signs and signals in the face in order 
that the related interior mechanism and external form of the body 
shall be understood. 

THE INFANTILE JAW. 

The form of the lower jaw peculiar to infancy, immaturity, 
and undevelopment is shown by narrowness of its bony frame and 
an obtuse angle or lack of curvation of the muscles of the sides 
and rami. This form denotes absence of force and perseverance, 
as well as immaturity, and if observed in an adult it betokens 
either idiocy or a very small degree of firmness and reliability. 

THE DYSPEPTIC JAW. 

This form of the lower jaw presents a perpendicular or almost 
perpendicular line from the malar or cheek-bone to the chin. In 



Fig. 150. — HUMAN EM¬ 
BRYO. (After Haeckel.) 


1, external nasal process; 
2. upper jaw ; 3, the tongue ; 
4, lower jaw. 












THE FORMS OF THE JAW. 


785 


most congenital consumptives and dyspeptics this is quite marked, 
and is a sure indication of a short and sickly life. I have never 
observed this peculiar formation in the physiognomy of any very 
aged person. It is a transmitted form, and usually descends from 
parents who have a narrow and perpendicular formation of the 
lower jaw-bones. When transmitted from both parents, those who 
inherit this form and its associated weakness 
disclose their feebleness of the viscera and 
lungs very early, and usually die before reach¬ 
ing maturity, unless surrounded by the most 
favorable circumstances. Such persons lack 
vital energy, and if possessed of a good brain 
form will plan much more than they can 
execute, and will be constantly hindered in 
carrying forward their plans by constantly-recurring attacks of ill 
health. This class of people may exhibit common morality, but 
we cannot expect that they will display moral heroism, nor that 
they will be able to command a regiment, a war-ship, or quell a 
mob, no matter how fine or active the brain may be. 

THE WEAK OR NEGATIVE JAW. 

There are several distinct forms of the weak jaw, each of 
which disclose varying mental and physical defects. The most 
commonly observed are the perpendicular and narrow, which indi- 


FiG. 152.—OLIVER GOLDSMITH. 

cates feeble digestion, and the short and obtuse jaw, terminating in 
a receding chin. This is the characteristic chin of childhood. It 
denotes (when observed in the adult) lack of perseverance, of 
strong moral principles, firmness, and decision, as well as weakness 

& 50 







786 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


of the kidney system and relative feebleness of the entire visceral 
structure. 

THE CONSUMPTIVE JAW. 

The form which discloses the tendency to this dread disease is 
marked by general narrowness of the face at the upper part of the 
cheek, flatness of the malar bones; narrow, sharp nose; thin nos¬ 
trils, hollow cheeks, and usually a thin lower lip. (See Fig. 145, 
page 779.) This conformation of face and jaw is an inherited 
one, and has been transmitted from ancestors whose physique was 
very much impoverished. The entire formation denotes feebleness 
of both visceral and thoracic structures, hence it follows that the 
mental powers are correspondingly feeble. With a dominance of 
a brain form of a fine quality in combination, a considerable degree 
of mental brightness may be manifested in early life, but life itself 
will be short and painful. 

Where the brain system is not one of the dominant systems a 
very ordinary grade of intellect will be present. The subject will 
scarcely reach the adult stage. The nearer the approach to embry- 
otic forms, the greater is the weakness of the physical powers and 
a lack of positive force and substantial, reliable character, for where 
the bones of the jaw do not develop normally in size and form the 
characteristics of undevelopment are naturally associated. These 
characteristics are relative, of course. They do not imply that the 
character will he altogether childish, but that there will be rela¬ 
tively less of the substantial and firm quality exhibited which be¬ 
long to a normal character, and which are always exhibited by a 
normal proportion of bone, muscle, and fatty tissue in these parts 
of the face. 

CRAFTY AND WITTY JAW. 

There are several grades and phases of intellect manifested 
by those with the sharpened chin and slightly perpendicular jaw. 
Those whose wit takes on a keen, cutting, satirical manner present 

a sharper aspect of jaw and chin than where 
the nature of the wit is more good-natured. 
Voltaire’s face is an illustration of the former, 
while Sterne’s countenance denotes the latter. 
\ oltaire evinced also great powers of chican¬ 
ery, subtlety, and craft in his management of 
his enemies and opposers. We may with truth 
denominate satire, sarcasm, and wit “ intellectual cunning,” while 
the common, low grade of cunning used by those who are deficient 
in mentality may properly be designated “ animal cunning,” inas¬ 
much as it is the compensation for a lack of intellectual vigor, 
breadth, or acumen. 



Fig. 153. 

LAURENCE STERNE. 




THE FORMS OF THE JAW. 


A man may possess considerable intellectual power of a crafty, 
astute nature. It does not follow that he is weak because of this 
species of cunning. Such an intellect was exhibited by Richelieu. 
He possessed an intellect of a high order, but all turned in the 
direction of governmental diplomacy, in which chicanery, intrigue, 
and craft, so much used in European politics in his day, were domi¬ 
nant. His was cunning on a grand scale. He showed talent for 
hiding his own designs while discovering those of others. The 
shape of his nose proves him to have been possessed of a compre¬ 
hensive intellect, while the shape of his lower jaw and chin reveals 
his craft and adroit finesse, but not moral heroism. 

An examination of the lower jaw and chin of the following- 
named persons will give a good idea of the witty jaw and the 
cunning jaw in their several phases and aspects: Mark Twain, 
Cardinal Fesch, Duke of Buckingham, and Voltaire. 

The general conformation of the head and jaws which pro¬ 
duces that peculiar sharpness of the chin and jaw which denotes 
wit is not one of the indications of weakness of the physical func¬ 
tions. It is the result of the dominance of the brain form with a 
subdominance of the muscular and bony system; hence, the jaws 
are relatively less developed and less square, and the chin less bony 
and prominent. It is this combination—viz., brain first, muscle 
second, bone third—which creates those imaginative, witty, playful 
tendencies that are found in many first-class writers whose works 
abound in wit, sarcasm, and playful, sportive, mirthful, and in¬ 
genious fancies. The witty jaw and chin (for we are obliged to 
combine these two features in order to illustrate this peculiarity) 
proceeds from the relative breadth of the forehead and the taper¬ 
ing of the face downward. Now, where the forehead is relatively 
narrow, combined with narrow jaws and a sharp chin, then the 
former shape of the face is modified to that degree which denotes 
less intellect and more cunning, for cunning is wit diluted, so to 
speak. The physiognomy of the fox is a good illustration of the 
cunning jaw which indicates animal wit, while the faces of Vol¬ 
taire and Sterne are the best examples of sharp, keen Avit and in¬ 
tellectual cunning. The remarks on this peculiar form of jaw and 
chin by Dr. Cross are quite appropriate, and I quote them in this 
connection. He observes :— 

The tapering of the head and face from above to below indicates natu¬ 
ral cunning,— natural only, for the broad face may be trained into artificial 
cunning and the sharp, tapering face into artificial sincerity, not , however , 
without leaving corresponding impressions on the soft parts. 

In examining the anterior plane of the face we found that recession 
from the perpendicular indicated deficiency of animal character. On now 
examining the lateral plane of the face, we find that recession from the 


788 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


perpendicular also indicates deficiency of animal character.* Cunning is 
at once an indication, a consequence, and a partial cure of some primary de¬ 
ficiency. If an animal were sufficiently wise to keep clear of all difficulties, 
and courageous enough and strong enough to stand his own ground, he 
would not have stood in need of cunning. A face, therefore, tapering into 
narrowjaws denotes a character whose basis of animal appetites and passions 
is feeble ; but this tapering face, while indicating such radical deficiency, also 
indicates how the character is compensated by cunning—by stratagem. A 
bestial face, tapering from above downward, indicates sheer cunning, whose 
object is self-preservation, whether in acquisition of prey or in elusion of 
danger. Human cunning may be said to run ultimately into the channel 
of self-preservation, but has so many meanderings through all its windings 
and turnings of social life, and through the extensive and complicated field 
of human intellect, as scarcely to join the great animal stream before it dis- 
embouges itself. The cunning of the fox is directly and exclusively devoted 
to stealing prey and eluding detection, but human society is so organized 
that the Sternes and Voltaires are necessitated to discharge their cunning 
in wit. A human head and face tapering from above downward bespeaks 
wit, keen in proportion to the sharpness of the jaws.f 

THE CURVED OR ARTISTIC JAW. 

This form of jaw, when terminating (as it generally does) in 
an oval chin, is significant of normal strength and a taste for art 

and beauty. The curving is caused by the 
dominance of the muscular system, hence a 
love or taste for art and beauty will be present; 
also, agreeability of disposition, unless contra¬ 
dicted by some other sign. 

The oval form of the muscles shows that 
movement is easy, and ease of movement 
denotes a certain degree of agreeability. 
When the curved jaw terminates in a rounded chin, in which 
there is a round dimple, we can safely predicate that talent or taste 
for art of some sort will be manifested, and a sort of good-natured 
benevolence or generous disposition as well. 

THE DRAMATIC JAW. 

The most perfect or normal form of the adult lower jaw pre¬ 
sents a curved outline. When it is greatly curved we shall find 
that it signifies creative power of a dramatic nature, and this form 
of jaw is observed in the physiognomies of many who are eminent 
in various phases of creative art. 

As we have found that globosity denotes immaturity and per¬ 
pendicularity, when not in its normal place, weakness and defective 
organization, so we shall find, while observing the forms of the 

* The writer here uses the term “ animal” to indicate both the vegetative and animal functions, 
f An Attempt to Establish Physiognomy on Scientific Principles, J. Cross, M.D., pp. 180-182. 



Fig. 154. 

CLAUDE LORRAINE. 


THE FORMS OF THE JAW. 


789 


rounded lower jaw, that it expresses what the segment of a circle 
always signifies when found in living organisms, viz., creative or 
original powers. The primitive animal or vegetable cells are cir- 
culoid; their mission is creative of new tissue, and the circular 
form is the only one adapted to that formative process. When we 
observe this circular or semicircular form in any feature we may 
know that creative effort of some sort is indicated. The sort of 
power which is present is shown by the particular feature in which 
the curving is exhibited. 

The lower jaw of a majority of the most celebrated dramatic 
painters, poets, writers of fiction, actors, singers, playwrights, etc., 
exhibit this form. The reader is referred to the faces of the follow¬ 
ing for examples of this law and its associated form, I denominate 
as dramatic artists all those whose works express or exhibit the 



Fig. 155.—BENJAMIN R. HAYDON. 
(Historical Painter.) 



Fig. 156.—LORD BYRON. 
(Dramatic Poet.) 


main elements of the drama, viz., tragedy, comedy, or farce. Now, 
in the works of the following-named artists will be found highly- 
dramatic elements embodied or expressed. The shape of the chin 
and lower jaw will reveal their power in this direction. 

See, for example, among orators, Mirabeau, Henry Ward 

Beecher, Ingersoll, Henry Clay. 

Among poets, Corneille, Miss Barbauld, Byron, Mark Aken- 
side, Keats, Schiller, James Hogg, Alfieri, Abelard, Klopstock, 
Ovid, Petrarch, Goldsmith, Herrick, Horace, and Elizabeth, Queen 
of Roumania (“ Carmen Sylva”). 

Among painters, B. B. Haydon, greatest of English historical 
painters; Dore, Holbein, Van Dyck, Vernet, Turner, Powell; 
Elizabeth Ney, German sculptress, and Canova, sculptor. 





790 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY 


Among actors, actresses, and opera-singers, observe the follow¬ 
ing: Sarah Siddons, Philip John Kemble, Charlotte Cushman, 
Talma, Moliere, Forrest, David Garrick, Nat. Goodwin, and Lotta. 

Of writers whose lower jaw is dramatic, and whose works are 
dramatic, I name the following: Miss Louise Alcott, Dickens, 
Lucy Larcom, Mrs. A. D. T. Whitney, J. Fenimore Cooper, T. B. 
Aldrich, W. D. Howells, Joseph C. Neal, La Bruyere, Mad. de 
Stael. 

There are many others in each of these classes, but a sufficient 
number are here mentioned to give the reader an opportunity to 
make generalizations and comparisons. 

Many persons in private life also exhibit this form of jaw and 
chin, but wherever observed a love, taste, or talent for dramatic 
works of some sort will be found associated with this peculiarity. 



Fig. 157. 

SIR ISAAC NEWTON. 


THE SQUARE JAW-MORAL, MECHANICAL, SCIENTIFIC. 

The square-shaped jaw has many significations, for its form 
denotes a high grade of development in a moral, mechanical, or 
scientific direction. This form must not be confounded with the 

angular jaw, which indicates quite different 
| traits. The squaring of the square jaw is 
observed to be situated upon the sides of 
the jaw, and when combined with a certain 
degree of width of the chin always denotes 
a high degree of conscientiousness and moral 
power, with either mechanical or scientific 
tendencies. These two classes of traits are 
in close relationship, inasmuch as they are both based upon the 
laws of Nature and are closely related. Signs in other parts of 
the face will point out to which of these two departments of 
mentality the mind belongs. 

The lower jaws of Jonathan Trumbull and Boger Sherman, 
heroes of ’76, show the square form, and their conduct was heroic 
in the “times that tried men’s souls.” The signs for Conscien¬ 
tiousness, Firmness, Perseverance, and Moral Courage are strongly 
defined in their chins. All these traits inhere in the osseous sys¬ 
tem, and their signs are in the bony structure of the lower jaw 
and chin. 

Squareness of the chin or lower jaw denotes fidelity to what¬ 
ever one is most interested in, hence an individual with a square 
jaw will be faithful in love, as well as prompt and steadfast in 
business relations. The signs for principle and morality are found 
in the hones of the chin, while the signs for art, love, and emotion 
are revealed by the form and development of the muscles . If the 









THE FORMS OF THE JAW. 


791 


chin is more bony than muscular, integrity is the stronger; if the 
muscles dominate, the affections are supreme. Where the fatty 
tissues are most developed a sense of ease, comfort, and sociality, 
with love of eating, drinking, and sleeping, will be manifested, and 
the double and triple chin will register the supremacy of these 
tastes and appetites. 



Fig. 158.—VOLTAIRE. 


THE ANGULAR OR CONTRARY JAW. 

This peculiarity of the lower jaw is shown by a decided angu¬ 
larity of the bones at the junction of the side of the jaw with the 
ramus, or where the bone commences to ascend to join the malar 
or cheek-bone. It denotes absence of ease in the movement of 
the muscles, and the lack ol easy movements shows by contrariness 
or angularity of conduct—opposition to the wishes and plans pro¬ 
posed by others. In form and movement this jaw is just the 
opposite of the curving jaw, and it indicates precisely opposite 
traits. In the curving jaw great ease of action is obtained by reason 
of the roundness of the bones and the supremacy of the muscles. 
This combination gives ease of motion to all the joints of the body, 
and this is, of course, indicated in the motions 
of the jaw as well. Those who possess this 
combination are imitative , and readily adjust 
the muscles to suit any position required. They 
can also make gestures in a graceful manner, 
and evidence, by their imitations of the walk, 
voice, and manners of others, that the muscles 
have free play, and are not impeded by angularity of the joints. 
This perfect freedom of the muscular system tends to agreeability, 
whereas the movements of the former are less free, and, as angu¬ 
larity presupposes defective organization of some sort, it is shown 
in this case by perverse opposition to the will or wish of others, 
regardless of whether it be for one's own interest or not. The 
angularity which is disclosed in the jaw is an attribute of the 
entire bony and muscular framework of the body to which this 
jaw belongs, and registers its facial sign in the lower jaw, particu¬ 
larly. It is a species of contrary will-power, and quite as often 
acts in opposition to its own desires as it does to the will of others. 
Sometimes the subject of this unlovely trait will oppose at first 
what he really desires, and later will accede to the plan first pro¬ 
posed, working by the law of contrariety which is in harmony 
with his structure, the sign for which is signally conspicuous in 
his physiognomy. 

Those in whom this sign is observed are either lacking in good 
sound judgment or practicality, or knowledge of human nature, or 



792 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

some other important trait. We must look to the indications in 
each individual case to learn which of these faculties is lacking. 

The angular form observed in the lower jaw of the bull-dog, 
the zebra, the South African dauro, the ass, donkey, and quagga, 
denotes in these animals precisely what it does in man. The 
character for contrariness of all these animals is well known, added 
to which the ass and donkey are somewhat knavish and the others 
tierce—both states of undevelopment. Now, contrariness in man 
and animals indicates a lack of something which is required to 
balance the character. Fierceness in men and animals is a symp¬ 
tom of undevelopment, and the signs of these defects are found in 
the same place in the physiognomies of both these classes. They 
will all exhibit more or less of the perverse, refractory, unruly, 
antagonistic, and retroactive traits of character. 

The angular jaw is a perversion of the square form; hence, it 
exhibits neither the steadfastness of square bones, nor the easy 
movements of round, pliant muscles. It is an unfortunate 
chemical combination. This is an exemplification of the law of 
the angle misplaced. That is to say, an acute angle does not 
normally belong to this feature. It should be gently curved to 
facilitate ease of motion in speech, etc., and as it is just the reverse 
of this normal method it announces contrariness and opposition 
both in speech and action. The basic laws of Form wherever 
applied expound the character, and nowhere are they more strik¬ 
ingly revealed and proven than in this instance. 

PROGNATHOUS JAWS. 

The projection forward of both the lower and upper jaws 
which is observed in several negro tribes is prognathous in contra¬ 
distinction to the more regular and perpendicular form of jaws and 
lips observed generally in the Caucasian race. This form, termed 
by anthropologists “ Orthognathous,” is characteristic of the ma¬ 
jority of all the Caucasian races, the European, the Anglo-saxon 
and their descendants. Yet among all these races the prognathous 
jaws are frequently met with. It is, I believe, the most frequent 
among the Irish race, and is also found in other European people, 
among whom a generous diet and social advantages have been 
absent for generations. Now, although this form of the jaws 
belongs by virtue of evolution to savage or semi-barbarous people, 
it shows up in every civilized country among those who have been 
impoverished for generations — among those who have lacked 
ample nutrition, education, refinement, and social opportunities. 
This is why it is so frequently met with among the poorest of the 
Irish peasantry, for this people has for generations been deprived 


THE FORMS OF THE JAW. 


793 


of nearly all the accessories of civilization, and this long-continued 
impoverishment has been followed naturally by degradation of 
structure, as well as by degradation of moral and mental powers. 
This long arrest of development has resulted in a genuine “ atavism,” 
or reversion to savage types, for it has been observed in hundreds 
of instances by many observers that the children born in America 
of parents whose jaws (one or both) were prognathous presented a 
more modified and comely form than that of their parents or elder 
brothers and sisters born under the disadvantages of the serf or 
peasant modes of life. In this case, an ample diet and improved 
social advantages tended to bring the offspring back to normal 
types and forms from which they had retrograded through gener¬ 
ations of deprivation. 

The prognathism of the negro is caused by an exaggerated 
growth forward of the jaw-bone and teeth, and an uncommon 
development of the lips. 

Prognathism of the upper jaw is caused by an outward incli¬ 
nation of the upper jaw-bone and 
a protrusion of the teeth and 
lip, but the form of protrusion 
observed among the Caucasians is 
usually somewhat modified from 
this form. In these cases the 
chin recedes and the alveolar 
process and the teeth project and 
are met by a similar projection of 
the teeth and lips of the upper jaw. 

In others the prognathism is apparent only in the projection 
forward of the upper-jaw teeth and lips. 

Some jaws are very decidedly protrusive; others less so. 
This feature thus characterized is always indicative of a sort of 
kindly, generous, or easy, good-natured disposition, which is doubt¬ 
less in each separate case the compensation lor a defect in some 
other faculty and feature, for all notorious exaggerations of feature 
or faculty are defects for which the law of balance of compensation 
furnishes a remedy, or seeks to do so by the peculiar development 
of some other feature and faculty. All imperfections of the mouth, 
the jaws, the lips, and teeth are indications, first, of inherited 
defects of the nutritive system; secondly, of existing and inherited 
defects of the vocal and linguistic capacities. Inasmuch as the 
mouth and its accessories are the organs both ol alimentation and 
speech, it follows naturally that peculiarities in the structure of 
these parts would be the indications of peculiarities in speech and 
digestion. The inference to be drawn from this interaction and 



FIG. 159.—PROGNATHOUS JAWS. 





794 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


consensus of function and faculty is that all imperfections and 
departures from the normal forms of structure of the mouth, jaws, 
etc., would give rise to defective mental powers. This is the case, 
as exhibited by those having hare-lip, crooked mouths, cleft-palate, 
too thin or too thick lips, a mouth disproportionally small, or by 
lisping, stammering, or hesitating manner of speech, all of which 
refer to mental or moral defects. The theory of the relation of 
mental and moral states to oral conditions is sustained by the 
experience of prison surgeons, who state that large numbers of 
professional criminals exhibit defects of speech of various sorts. 

Now, prognathism is a departure from the normal form of the 
Caucasian jaw, and may be of two kinds, dental or maxillary. In 
the former the teeth only project; in the latter, the projection is 
caused by the elongation of the jaw-bone. The negro’s jaw is an 
excellent illustration of the latter; while the more modified form 
of dental prognathism is the variety most frequently observed in 
civilized communities. The evolution of the lower jaw-bone as 
observed from infancy to adult life is an additional proof of the 
above assertions. In the Caucasian infant the lower jaw recedes 
greatly from the line of closure of the mouth; later it assumes 
the line of perpendicularity, while in some very firm characters it 
projects slightly forward of this line. 

Mons. Quatrefages asserts that “all races and all individuals are 
more or less prognathous.” My observations in physiognomy do 
not corroborate this statement, for those whose teeth close evenly 
together while in a normal position cannot be said to possess any 
degree of prognathism whatever. Those whose teeth of either 
jaw project one beyond the other are in that degree prog¬ 
nathous. 

I am aware that in ill-balanced characters this appearance is 
frequently met with, and so numerous are the subjects who exhibit 
teeth which do not exactly meet that they form a majority of the 
human family. So rarely do dentists find a subject whose teeth 
do thus meet, that it seems to be the prevalent opinion among 
them that this is the normal structure, for so I have been assured 
by those eminent and experienced in that profession. I cannot 
accept as correct their opinion upon this phenomenon for two 
reasons: first, because a cutting, biting, and grinding apparatus is 
most perfect where the opposing points meet exactly; secondly, 
because in the best-balanced physiognomies the incisor teeth, 
which are intended for biting and cutting, come together evenly in 
the act of closing them or in biting, whereas those not so evenly 
balanced exhibit often a slight projection of the upper over the 
lower, or of the lower beyond the upper teeth. A critical and ex- 


THE SIGNS IN THE LIPS. 


795 


tended knowledge of scientific physiognomy is needed in this de¬ 
partment of knowledge, as well as in pathology and psychology, 
in order to rectify the errors constantly made by those who take 
the majority of existing forms as proofs of perfection, instead of 
following the course of development shown by the combined 
sources of embryology, evolution, and ethnography. 

Prognathism of the lower jaw-bone is evidence of a compara¬ 
tively undeveloped mind; it denotes an uneven or crude disposition 
as compared with those possessing the normal form of this feature. 
Where the jaws are both prognathous they can very materially 
assist in grasping, and in this case are a true prehensile and are 
analogous to the same function in the ape tribes. Such feature 
greatly exaggerated is never seen associated with a first- or even 
second- class intellect. It belongs to the commonplace or inferior 
character. The slight prognathism of the upper jaw, which I 
have observed in the physiognomies of many excellent persons 
of good intellect, does not denote the grade of inferiority indicated 
by the prognathism of the lower jaw, while it is always evidence 
of a certain degree of good-natured, kindly generosity. 

The section devoted to the “Upper Lip” which follows gives 
all necessary information in regard to the physiognomical appear¬ 
ances of the upper jaw; it is therefore not treated of separately. 

The Signs in the Lips. 

THE UPPER LIP. 

When we wish to learn the signification of a feature, we must 
first observe its use and purpose in the human economy,—the 
tissues of which it is composed, and its mode of action. Now the 
lips, as before remarked, are for several purposes. Their primal 
functions in the human family are mastication and articulation. 
All other uses have evolved as civilization has progressed, and thus 
perfect lips have become the indicators of a grade of refinement , 
the absence of which cannot be remedied by the perfection of any 
or of all the other features. The reason is obvious and may be 
analyzed thus: The mouth and lips are primary features, assistants 
to the most primitive of all the functions,—digestion. Now, if 
these features reveal a high grade of development in regard to 
form, size, color, and quality, it is an infallible sign of the high 
grade of the entire personality , as a result of civilization and 
refinement. Where the domestic and sympathetic functions and 
sentiments, as represented by the mouth and lips, are perfected, 
we shall find lovely characteristics, even if great intellect is not 


796 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


present, for the perfection of primitive faculties shows a fine grade 
of all the associated faculties,—it gilds and refines all the others. 

The lips and adjacent parts are representative of the fluids 
and soft tissues of the body, and as the entire body is built up by 
means of fluidic action the importance of its representatives cannot 
be ignored. The ancient Greek philosophers recognized fluids as 
important factors of human character, for Sir Charles Bell states 
that 

The ingenious reasoners of ancient Greece ascribed the diversity of 
disposition to the texture of the frame, not to the features nor to the pro¬ 
portions or shape of the skull, but rather to the mixture of the elements of 
the body, and more to the fluids than to the solids. These distinctions, 
familiar to all, have, in every succeeding age, been attributed to the humors. 
When we speak of the constitution , the temper, the humor of a man, we are 
in truth adopting the language of Hippocrates, who treated of the four 
radical humors,—the sanguineous, phlegmatic, choleric, and melancholic.* 

The lips, in order to express harmonious character, must be 
of a relative proportion, for, says Lavater:— 

All disproportion between the upper and lower lip is the sign of folly 
or wickedness. The wisest and best men have well-proportioned upper and 
under lips. Very large lips always denote a gross, sensual, indelicate, and 
sometimes a stupid and wicked man.f 

The physiognomical observer will find, upon comparing irregu¬ 
larities of the mouth and teeth with their associated characters, 
that they are, without exception , the evidences of unbalanced or 
abnormal functions and traits, for when the primitive functions 
and faculties are of a low grade the character is pitiable and im¬ 
poverished in a most essential part. When the foundation of an 
edifice is weak and defective, all the fine gilding and painting of 
the walls and ceiling will not compensate for this defect. If one 
examine the features of Zola or Rabelais, he will find that their 
intellectual and literary ingenuity is saturated with the grossness 
evolved from their unrefined domestic and sympathetic faculties. 
Their lips and mouths are physiognomically eloquent, for the 
exaggerated size and grossness of these features, together with 
their soft, dimpled chins, reveal the source of their filthy lucubra¬ 
tions. Rembrandt, the great artist, discloses also great grossness 
of mouth and lips; his life was that of a low voluptuary, and 
many of his paintings took their inspiration from this part of his 
nature. If one examine the lips and mouth of Mozart, Goethe, 
Burns, Sir Isaac Newton, Addison, Handel, LaBruyere, Sir Walter 
Scott, Edward Everett, and Ralph Waldo Emerson, great beauty 

* Anatomy of Expression, Sir Charles Ball, p. 130. 

f Lavater’s Essays, p. 475. 


THE SIGNS IN THE LIPS. 


797 


of these features will be observed. Of the latter, Oliver Wendell 
Holmes remarked that 

He bad a look of refinement centring about the lips which is rarely 
found in the male New Englander, unless the family features have been for 
two or three cultivated generations the battleground and the playground 
of varied thoughts and complex emotions, as well as the sensuous and 
nutritive port of entry. 

Let one compare the lips of Mad. de Stael (Fig. 103), of An¬ 
gelica Kauffman, or of William Pitt (Fig. 35), with those of the 
native Tasmanian woman and Mrs. M. (Fig. 60), and the relative 
degrees of culture and refinement in these two classes will be at 
once apparent. 

The unity of mind and body is nowhere better proven than in 
the evolution of the lips. Continental Europeans, as a class, are 
better endowed in this respect than Americans or English, and for 
the reason that for generations the cultivation of the domestic 
sentiments has been unrestrained, and the fine arts, music, paint¬ 
ing, and the drama have been accessible to the masses for ages. 
Whereas, the religions of the latter race have tended to suppress 
the display of emotions of all sorts, and the development of a taste 
for the opera, the drama, and the universal cultivation of music 
have not been fostered as upon the Continent, hence the emotions, 
domestic sentiments, and the aesthetic tastes have not made as strong 
an impress upon the faces of the descendants of these peoples. 
A most remarkable difference may be observed between the lips of 
the Germans, Italians, and Spanish, and those of the English and 
Americans. In the former, the signs for Amativeness, Love of 
Young, Sociality, and Sympathy, together with Patriotism and Love 
of Home, in the chin are most decided; in the latter, much less so. 

The muscles of the mouth and lips, being extremely flexible 
and capable of describing many diverse shapes, we may naturally 
expect that permanent expressions will follow as the result of emo¬ 
tions and speech that are habitual; thus, the passions of rage, 
scorn, envy, and malice, if often indulged, mark their presence 
upon the muscles about the mouth, and the subject of these pas¬ 
sions cannot escape detection , for scientific physiognomy, in teach¬ 
ing what is normal and what is abnormal in the development of 
the facial features, lifts the mask from hypocrites, whose smiles 
only serve to show that they are foreign expressions and put on 
the outside for a maslc to cover viciousness. The moral of this is 
that in order to seem amiable we must become so in reality. The 
so-called “upper classes” of England cultivate what they term 
“repose” of manner and stolidity of expression, and suppress all 
spontaneous emotion as far as possible, as not consistent with “high 


798 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


breeding.” This kind of “breeding” is an excellent fashion for 
dolts, hypocrites, and criminals, for it enables them to hide the 
play of the muscles of the face, which would at once “give them 
away ” and tear the mask from their assumed character of being 
“highly bred.” All true thoroughbreds can make it apparent that 
they are such, not by self-suppression but by self-assertion,—by 
naturalness,—and nowhere is great refinement shown so strongly 
as by the unrestrained expression of the lips and adjacent parts. 
The master of physiognomy, Lava ter, had great opportunity to 
study the manners of the aristocracy of Europe, and he probably 
had some of them in mind when he wrote the following:— 

Ye ry discreet, very cold, or very dull, but never truly wise, never 
warmly animated,never capable of fine sensibilities or tendencies, are those 
the lines of whose countenance never conspicuously change.* 

The movements of the muscles of the mouth, lips, and adja¬ 
cent parts are highly significant of character. No matter how 
much one may dissimulate, these movements will betray innate and 
habitual states of mind, even should the speaker assume a softness 
of tone and amiability of manner for a purpose; the constrained 
and unaccustomed movements of these muscles will reveal the 
true character and show by their stiffness and inapt motions that 
they are performing a part not habitual. On the other hand, one 
may derive both profit and pleasure in observing the play of muscles 
about a mouth that is accustomed to use sentiments of sincerity, 
amiability, and refinement. To watch the play of the labial 
muscles in certain faces, which the world terms “homely,” is a 
treat to a physiognomist. I do not say that all ugly faces exhibit 
beautiful movements of the mouth, but there are some counte¬ 
nances which art would stamp as plain, at least, that to the scien¬ 
tific physiognomist would reveal some traits of surpassing goodness 
and sweetness; and these traits are disclosed more by the move- 
ments of the mouth, lips, and adjacent parts than by the outlines 
of the features, and for the reason that all of the domestic and 
social signs of character, as well as social and linguistic, are clus¬ 
tered about the lower third of the face. 

It is thus shown that art-beauty and scientific beauty are in 
some cases quite different. Science is intended to reveal truth ; 
hence it insists upon making goodness or truth the synonym for 
beauty , for, says Dr. Cross:— 

All living beings in the great sum of things have their ranks in the 
scale of life on the same level of elevation with their physiognomical 
beauty; indeed, the correct association out of which true beauty arises 
constitutes the science of physiognomy, j- 

* Essay on Physiognomy, p. 462. 

f An Attempt to Establish Physiognomy on Scientific Principles, J. Cross, M.D., p. 4. 


THE SIGNS IN THE LIPS. 799 

With these general and preliminary remarks I will now pro¬ 
ceed to the analysis and description of the lower lip. 

THE LOWER LIP. 

The part of the face which lies above the point and middle 
portions of the chin belongs properly to the lower lip by virtue, 
first, of a similarity of tissues, the dominant ones of which are 
glandular and fibroid; secondly, by reason of contiguity. 

In all properly-developed human beings the part just below 
and toward the sides of the red-colored portion of the lower lip 
discloses two fine signs of character, viz., Love of Home and of 
Country. When this part is full these traits are strong; when 
this part is flat they are relatively weak. The tissues about tbe 
lower lip are soft, caused by a normal supply of the juices sup¬ 
plied to the glands in this portion of the face; hence these traits 
would be here indicated which disclose faculties of an emotional 
character, such emotions as glands, fat, and muscle in combination 
would create. All indications about the mouth and its immediate 
neighborhood show that they are of a glandular, fibrous, and 
adipose nature. This is in consequence of their close proximity 
to the mouth, which is the principal facial feature concerned in 
nutrition or alimentation. A glance at the figure that describes 
the glandular formation of the face at the head of this chapter 
will show how greatly the mouth and adjacent parts depend upon 
the softer tissues and muscles for the power to masticate, articulate, 
and express emotion, as well by movements of these parts in pro¬ 
ducing vocal sounds. All signs whose indications are situated in 
muscular or glandular tissues are shown by well-developed full¬ 
ness of the part involved. Deficiency is known by flatness or 
hollowness. 

We have learned that the muscles “drop little fibres” all 
along their course in the face, so we shall find a great diversity of 
expression about the lower lip in different persons. So diverse are 
these forms that disputes have arisen among the most eminent 
anatomists in regard to the number of muscles comprised in the 
lips. It must be apparent to all thoughtful persons that as each 
individual mouth is associated with a distinct and diverse character 
(and many of these characters widely divergent in their powers and 
peculiarities), so each mouth would present an entirely distinct 
form and appearance. This is really the case, and it is this diver¬ 
sity of labial structure that had led anatomists to differ so radically 
in their opinions and descriptions of the structure of the lips. 

The lower lip of an undeveloped, miserly, unsympathetic in¬ 
dividual woidd present much less fibroid and glandular development 


800 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY 


than the lip of one whose character was precisely the opposite. 
Dissections of the lower lip of two persons thus differing in struc¬ 
ture would lead, of course, to entirely conflicting descriptions ol 
these features. Under the light of scientific physiognomy all these 
discrepancies are cleared away, and we are thus enabled to know 
that a description of one pair of lips will not suit all cases, and 
that only a general description of the labial muscles can be given. 
Swedenborg has noted the differences of opinion of anatomists on 
this subject, for he observes that 

All myologists differ both in their plates, descriptions, and enumer¬ 
ations of the labial muscles. Santorinus saw many more than other anato¬ 
mists. Yerheyen added a new risor muscle. Winslow discovered several. 
“ So much variety,” says he, u is met within the muscles of the lips in 
different subjects that it is not surprising that anatomists differ in their 
accounts. In some subjects portions of these muscles are wanting ; in some 
it is scarcely possible to distinguish them; in others there are particular 
fasciculi which are not generally to be found.”* 

Fortunately for the cause of physiognomy we are able to 
study the racial and national peculiarities of the savage face from 
the numberless cuts which adorn the works on ethnology. And 
in civilization art is the handmaid of science and photography aids 
our scientific study of the face by its numberless “ counterfeit pre¬ 
sentments ” of all classes of people, and thus we are able to ob¬ 
serve the labial forms of those who are or have been eminent in 
the expression of Patriotism and Love of Home, the two faculties 
whose signs-lie adjacent to and just below the lower lip, and, in¬ 
deed, we may say with justice, form a part of it. 

Patriotism, or love of country, is not altogether a trait of civi¬ 
lization, neither is it confined exclusively to the human family, al¬ 
though it here exhibits its highest manifestation. Various animals 
exhibit a lively affection for their own climate as well as for their 
own habitat within the peculiar zone which is their birthplace. 
This is their form of patriotism. Animals manifest a strong love 
of country in many ways similar to man. Many animals that are 
carried away from their native countries, and even in a state of 
freedom, exhibit intense homesickness and often die from the 
intensity of this emotion. 

Fullness of the lip, as seen in Figs. 25 and 26, is the facial 
indication of love of one’s own country. It is wonderfully de¬ 
veloped in great orators, statesmen, poets, painters, rulers, leaders, 
and reformers, as their works testify, and is corroborated by their 
physiognomical structure of the lower lip. Some men have this 
portion of their face concealed by a beard, hence one of their chief 

* Animal Kingdom, Emanuel Swedenborg, p. 53. 


THE SIGNS IN THE LIPS. 


801 


facial beauties is hidden; but among the innumerable persons who 
have shown by their deeds, as well as by their words, their posses¬ 
sion of this trait, I may mention the following, taken at random 
from portraits before me: George Washington, Wm, E. Gladstone, 
Emperor Alexander II, of Russia; Bismark, von Moltke, Napo¬ 
leon I, Lord Brougham, Henry Grattan, Thackeray, Thos. Moore, 
Goethe, Rosa Bonheur, Robert Burns, Macaulay, Count Cavour, 
Ben. Franklin, Frederick the Great, Fitz-Green Halleck, Daniel 
Webster, Wm. H. Seward, Lamartine, Francis Joseph, of Austria; 
Ericsson, John Quincy Adams, Harriet Hosmer, Admiral Far- 
ragut, Florence Nightingale, Walter Scott, Lady Burdette-Coutts 
Bartlett-Coutts, Abigail Adams, John Adams, Henry Clay, Gerritt 
Smith, Starr King, and Bjorstjorne Bjornson. 

All truly noble characters possess this trait, and in many com¬ 
prehensive philanthropists it widens out, and such minds regard 
the entire world as their country, and with Thomas Paine they 
can truly say, “The world is my country.” This is indeed the 
highest manifestation of patriotism. 

Under the centre of the lower lip, and between the signs for 
Love of Home, is an indentation which differs in depth in different 
faces. Should this place not exhibit an indentation, a certain 
degree of symmetry, of beauty, is wanting; and as all physical 
and facial defects argue mental or moral deficiencies, so we shall 
find that the character whose face exhibits no indentation here, or 
who shows a slight fullness instead of a slight depression, is not 
so richly endowed with good sense, true sympathy or sensitiveness, 
as where this part exhibits a normal indentation. In order that 
the lower lip should curve , and also that the levator menti muscle 
in the point of the chin should round, a depression must neces¬ 
sarily exist between the two places. If it does not. true beauty 
and true sympathy are lacking. 

A face to express beauty, strength, and fine character of an 
artistic nature, must abound in curves , flexions , indentations , and 
undulations. 

A face to express beauty, strength, and high character of a 
mechanical or scientific cast, must exhibit both curves and angles ; 
but it must disclose one curve in the descent from the forehead to 
the nose, and describe two curves in the profile outline of the 
chin,—one curve of the lower lip, the other a curve of the point 
or lowest portion of the chin. 

A handsome or well-formed lower lip is of unspeakable physi¬ 
ognomical value, as it reveals a high grade of character in a cer¬ 
tain direction, as well as being the indicator of general refinement. 

If the primitive or vegetative faculties have become refined 

51 


802 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

by ages of culture, this development will be revealed-in the mouth 
and lips pre-eminently; hence it follows that if the lips exhibit an 
abnormal form or a lack of development, the social, sympathetic, and 
domestic faculties are correspondingly defective. No better proof 
of this statement can be had than by reference to the lips and mouth 
of undeveloped, immature, criminal, miserly or unsympathetic per¬ 
sons, and by comparing them with those of the most refined. 

THE EMBRYONIC LOWER LIP. 

The mouth, in the early stages of embryonic life, is a rela¬ 
tively large, irregularly shaped opening (Fig. 150), occupying nearly 
the whole of the space which is afterward the region in which the 
facial features make their appearance. Later in gestation, the 
development of the body and bodily organs produces the develop¬ 
ment of the facial features, for organ and function develop or 
appear simultaneously with facial feature and mental faculty. The 
figure quoted shows how exceedingly low in development the lips 
are, while the internal visceral organs concerned in digestion are 
as yet unperfected. This knowledge is a part of the science of 
evolution, and, taken in connection with the science of physiog¬ 
nomy, it throws a flood of light upon the signification, not only of 
mental signs in the face, but also gives us a great amount of 
knowledge as to the facial signs of the visceral organs, which I 
have discovered and localized. 

I introduce the above figure in order that a general knowl¬ 
edge of the evolution of the mouth and lips may be had, and 
thus by following systematically the onward progress of these 
features to infancy, thence along up to the highest development 
possible to humanity as it now exists. From this rich and high 
growth I propose to show their retroversion or degradation to 
abnormal, impoverished and criminal types, such as are exhibited 
in the countenances of the idiotic, the feeble-minded, the miserly, 
the unsympathetic and otherwise defectively organized beings, and 
which are the result of long-continued abuse or misuse of the 
bodily organs and functions; and as these internal organs develop 
progressively as the features develop, so their degradation caused 
by unhygienic modes of life is registered in the face, for this is the 
dial or register of what is contained in the mind. Long-continued 
want of nourishing food produces such impoverishment of the 
general system as to mark its conditions upon the lips, teeth, cheeks, 
and gums; so, also, a bountiful supply of good, nourishing food for 
generations makes its effects felt both in the internal form and 
action of the alimentary system, and also stamps its effects upon 
the external contour of the body, and finally registers this condi- 


THE SIGNS IN THE LIPS* 


803 


tion in the shape of the mouth and lips, the external and facial 
features and organs of nutrition and of digestion. 

In the figure spoken of there are no indications of lips. It is 
only later in embryonic life that these features are evolved, and at 
birth the normal infant exhibits full, red, moist lips. The infantile 
state being pre-eminently the age of alimentation, its facial signs 
would be naturally more prominent than any others; such is the 
case as observed in well-nourished infants. 

INFANTILE LOWER LIP. 

The lower lip of all normal infants is full, pouting, rosy, and 
moist. If well nourished and the digestion perfect, this appear¬ 
ance continues to the adult stage, and shows that the glandular 
system is normal and creating warmth, color, and adipose tissue 



Fig. 160 .—MARY AND SUSIE. 


with which to clothe the bony framework of the child. The 
region about the mouth, especially at its corners, is full, and a soft 
cushion of fat appears in which several beguiling little dimples 
nestle cosily, and speak only of love and hunger , the two most 
pressing demands alike of infant and adult, the two gieat foices 
which underlie life and in their results rule the world. 

Undeveloped or immature infants present less labial develop¬ 
ment at birth, with not so much beauty of form and color as nor¬ 
mal infants, and, when the system has become impoverished by 
wasting disease, there is a falling off in si/e and coloi, and the 
shape of the lips presents a less beautiful appearance than when 
in health. The distended mouth of a crying infant appears some- 








804 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


what like the irregular opening of the embryonic form. In laugh¬ 
ing, the lips and mouth form curves of beauty, proving that the 
latter act is normal; the former act not so much so. 

Happiness and comfort are the ultimate aims of life; laughter 
is the normal expression of both; crying, the natural outlet for 
pain and suffering. The one creates strength and beauty; the 
other, in excess, weakness and ugliness. 

The lower lip is the facial sign for the glandular system, and, 
as the chief office of all glands is to secrete liquid material for the 
upbuilding of the tissues of the body, we shall, therefore, expect 
that the lips of those who live mainly upon liquid foods, or who 
indulge greatly in soups, sauces, milk, ale, beer, lemonade, etc., 
would disclose this propensity. Observation of the mouth and lips 
of those who live mainly upon a liquid diet reveals this taste by 
the large size of the mouth and the development of the lips, par¬ 
ticularly of the lower lip. Comparison of this class of mouths 
with those who are poor feeders and whose digestion is feeble will 
show us the form and color of the mouth and lips just the reverse 
of the former. Infants are liquid feeders, hence their mouths are 
relatively large and flexible. The intellect has not as yet attained 
sufficient power to shape it into intelligent expressions, but when the 
child begins to talk and think the lips and mouth assume more intel¬ 
ligent forms, and after the diet changes from a liquid to solid nutri¬ 
ment the shape of the lips, cheeks, and corners of the mouth change 
materially, the globose form of the infant’s cheeks is changed to a 
more artistic curve, and the lips are not so pouting. 

The lower lip has many uses besides those of mastication, 
tasting, and articulation. Its changes in form and color denote 
pathological conditions of great service to the physician in detect¬ 
ing and diagnosing certain diseases, such as fevers, etc. Its size 
and color in the healthy subject announce power in the direction 
of digestion, and so we come to consider the gustatory lip. 


THE GUSTATORY LIP. 

The sort of lower lip which detects flavors and enjoys 

drinking and eating is full, protrusive, 
red, and moist. The line of closure will 
be of varying form according to the 
character of the subject. As a rule, 
however, the largest eaters have the 
largest mouths and the fullest lips. 
Negroes make good cooks, and are good 
judges of flavors, and possess large 
mouths and lips. Individuals with small mouths (if the lips are full 



mm 

\{,W 


Fig. 161.—ALEXANDRE DUMAS. 


THE SIGNS IN THE LIPS. 


805 


and red) have considerable gustatory power and excellent diges¬ 
tion, as the lower lip is the facial sign for glandular action, as 
well as of the sentiments and feelings which flow from a well- 
nourished organization. We have seen formerly that an organism 
full of rich, warm blood and juices, and supplied with strong 
fibres and warm tissues, is more actively helpful, sympathetic, and 
sociable than one whose body is wanting in blood, color, warmth, 
and strength. We shall expect to find, then, that those who dis¬ 
close the facial sign large for the glandular system will exhibit more 
sociability, more linguistic taste and capacity, hence greater desire 
for associating with others at meal-times and in social converse. 

This combination of traits would naturally have their signs 
registered in the face and upon features devoted to their exercise, 
viz., upon the mouth and lips; hence it will now be in order to 
Investigate the “sociable lip.” 

THE SOCIABLE LIP. 

This lip, by its size, color, texture, and moisture, tells us of 
the internal alimentary condition. 

A very full and red lower lip of coarse quality discloses a great 
eater and talker (if the mouth be large). If the quality or texture 
of the skin be fine, with this appearance, sym¬ 
pathy, generosity, and sociability will be pres¬ 
ent, and the language chaste and refined. 

There is a nice distinction to be made 
between sociability and friendliness. Examina¬ 
tion of the conduct of some shows them to be 
of a chatty, talkative disposition, yet lacking in 
the active offices of friendship. This class 
will disclose a full lower lip, usually a well- 
developed upper lip, but with flat upper cheeks where the 
sign for Friendship is situated; while others will exhibit both 
sociable traits and an active, friendly spirit. The latter are char¬ 
acterized by both a full, rounding, red lower lip, and a full upper 
cheek, the signs for Language and Friendship. It is by under¬ 
standing the development of the several facial signs which renders 
the knowledge of individual peculiarities so easy of comprehension. 

THE LINGUISTIC LOWER LIP. 

The lip which approaches most nearly to the normal form 
and size, if of fine quality and of bright, healthy color, is the 
best adapted to language. All great orators and actors, as well 
as brilliant conversationists, exhibit well-formed and well-propor¬ 
tioned lips of a normal color, thus showing the activity of the blood 



Fig. 162. 

WILLIAM PITT. 




806 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


and juices of the body. This activity gives warmth, fervor, and 
enthusiasm to the language, and thus the speaker is able to impress 

his hearers more forcibly than he who speaks 
in a weak, faltering, hesitating, lackadaisical 
manner. 

The linguistic lip is well curved, firm in 
appearance,—that is to say, not flaccid or 
loose,—of a bright-red color, and the mouth 
relatively wide. 

The linguistic lip and the sympathetic lip 
are somewhat similar in shape, for “out of 
the fullness of the heart the mouth speaketh,” 
and a sympathetic person will be often prompted to eloquence in 
pleading the cause of the suffering. No one can succeed as a 
pleader or persuader whose lips are thin, pallid, dry, and ill-shapen; 
such a one will not succeed as a lawyer, minister, auctioneer, or 
book-canvasser. 



Fig. 163. 

De WITT TALMAGE. 



THE WITTY LOWER LIP. 

This form of lip shows a depression through the centre. It 
is an unfailing indication of wit and mirth. 

Lips too large cannot enunciate clearly 
and concisely, hence the tones are thick and 
blubbering, like “Brudder Bones,” of the 
negro minstrels. Lips which are too thin 
are too weak to produce strong tones, and 
so emit faint and sharp notes, which fail to 
command respect. A voice which is rich, 
full, and clear always commands the atten¬ 
tion and respect of the listener. 

Good orators, actors, and singers not only exhibit full 
lips, but the parts adjacent to the mouth are well developed; par¬ 
ticularly is this the case below the lower lip at its sides, where the 
signs for Patriotism and Love of Home are situated. The centre 
of the upper lip is also full at the sign for Amativeness, and these 
traits in their combined power yield to the speaker a rich endow¬ 
ment of sentimental emotion, which, when portrayed by the actor 
or orator, never fail to arouse the feelings of the audience to the 
highest and most spontaneous enthusiasm. 


Fig. 164.-JULES FAVRE. 


THE BENEVOLENT OR SYMPATHETIC LOWER LIP. 

There are so many forms of the benevolent or sympathetic 
lip that it would be impossible to describe more than those most 
commonly observed, Sympathy may always be predicated where 


THE SIGNS IN THE LIPS. 


807 


the lower lip presents a normal fullness, normal color, and is moist, 
or lias a fresh appearance. A lower lip which is congenitally thin, 
pallid, and dry betokens a want of sympathy through lack of 
bodily vigor and power. Let it be understood, however, that finely 
organized persons—those in whom the 
brain system is dominant—will exhibit 
relatively less size of the lip , but more 
power , by virtue of quality or fineness and 
keenness of organization and sensation. 

Many of the latter class possess far more 
sympathy and benevolence than a big¬ 
lipped negro, or a coarse, burly, thick-lipped 
gormand. The mental class show their benevolence in a mental 
manner by wise plans and schemes for the amelioration of large 
numbers of the needy, and this may be known by the general 
signs for the brain system. 

The general form of this lip is elliptical in its outward curve, 
and slightly arched from corner to corner. The reader will observe 
more and more as he progresses in the study of the face that arches 
and curves in the facial features indicate activity, health, and 
beauty; the lack of them relatively less health, activity, and 
beauty. Exaggerations of the normal size denote either coarseness, 
stupidity, or lack of activity, and consequently less beauty. 

If the lower lip is exceedingly protrusive and the quality of 
the skin coarse, there will be less sympathy and benevolence, and 
more of selfishness, gluttony, and sensuality, together with a great 
capacity for “gab,” instead of reasonable conversation. 

Where the texture of the skin is fine and the lower lip very 
full , a great deal of generous feeling will be manifested. This 
exaggeration of the normal size is due to the action of the law of 
compensation. Usually where these appearances are noted we 
shall find a deficiency in the structure of the chin , which is in such 
cases very receding, thus indicating a want of firmness; or it 
may be narrow, showing lack of justice; or it may be both short 
and narrow, denoting absence of both these faculties. The very 
full under lip is usually associated with a small or receding chin. 
A normally-shaped chin needs no counterbalancing effect of undue 
benevolence, for a balanced justice and conscientiousness will see 
that whatever is due to others shall be meted out to them. Still, 
I have known many lovely characters who exhibited this unbal¬ 
anced form of lip; they were very kind and generous, but not 
firm, persevering, nor severely strict in their demands for justice. 
Their moral conduct came from the strength of their other faculties, 
and from the warmth of their affections. It is in these ways that 



808 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Nature endeavors to level up or balance each character which is 
possessed of faculties which are excessively strong or excessively 
weak. 

There are many phases of the sympathetic feeling, and it is 
manifested in a variety of ways. Some feel and do for others; 
some sympathize and give of their means; while others talk, plan, 
and write for the distressed, or use their influence and position to 
assist the needy. Another class become missionaries, and endeavor 
to save souls. Still another class become socialists, and strive to 
save bodies. Others look entirely to mental improvement, and thus 
this feeling fortunately shows in as many ways as there are human 
needs. The signs of character in combination with each individual 
lip will show whether sympathy, generosity, benevolence, or philan¬ 
thropy will be manifested, for all these are different phases of the 
same faculty. 

The lower lip, which presents the most normal form of sym¬ 
pathy, is also the best for conversation and oratory. 



Fig. 166. 

A CONVICT. 


THE SECRETIVE LOWER LIP. 

Secretiveness has its signs in both lips, as well as in the shape 
of the line of closure of the mouth. The signs of concealment in 

the lower lip are known by thinness and sometimes 
dryness of the red part, which is concealed from 
view when the mouth is closed. 

Small mouths, with thin, pallid lips are ex¬ 
tremely uncommunicative. When we reflect that 
the lips and mouth are used for many purposes, 
we can easily understand why a defectively con¬ 
structed lip indicates a lack of linguistic and other capacities. The 
mouth and lips assist gustatory taste, singing, talking, whistling, 
crying, laughing, chirping, groaning, shouting, playing upon 
musical instruments, and often are used as a prehensile implement 
to grasp and hold on to objects. From this exhibit of the func¬ 
tions of the mouth and lips, we can estimate to a nice degree how 
much power and variety of movement inheres in.a well-developed 
pair of lips, and also how much less expression in many directions 
one is capable of whose lips are lacking in normal development. 
It has been said that the oyster in one respect knows more than 
man—it knows when to shut up. This may be true, but it is 
evident that, unlike the man, it does not always know when to open 
its mouth, else it would not be so often devoured by its aquatic 
enemies, which are lying in wait for just this injudicious act on 
the part of the oyster. 

Nature has been extremely kind to defectively organized or 


THE SIGNS IN THE LIPS. 


809 


unbalanced beings by bringing to bear upon their cases the law of 
compensation; for when we find a very uncommonly defective 
person,—one who is wanting either in mental, moral, or practical 
power,—we observe that the law of compensation steps in to his 
aid and shuts the mouth tightly, and such beings are very chary 
of opening the mouth to discuss any subject which may be under 
consideration in their presence, for should they, like the oyster, 
unguardedly open their mouth, their lack of logic, or reason, or 
truth, or common sense would be at once apparent; hence, the 
meaning of large Secretiveness is self-explanatory —there is some¬ 
thing to hide. 

The form of the secretive lower lip is various, depending 
upon the general corporeal development observed in each subject. 
Sometimes the line of closure forms an arched shape, thus: 

In others it is just a simple horizontal cleft, as if cut with a knife. 

The lips of secretive people are usually firm, and seem held 
in constraint by the force of the will. This is really true, for such 
persons are constantly on guard , and when under any powerful 
emotion they give way to speech they will make the most astound¬ 
ing disclosures, such as no well-balanced judicious mind would 
ever communicate. 

Secretive people are very fond of knowing other people’s 
affairs, and will listen with avidity to all that is said; sometimes 
even getting in close proximity to the key-hole in their greed for 
knowledge, and when they are seized with a gushing impulse they 
are quite as apt to reveal the affairs of others as well as their own. 

Those who have cultivated Secretiveness for a number of 
years shut the mouth closely, and shut in all or nearly all of the 
red of the upper lip, and sometimes nearly all of the red of the 
under lip, which is revealed when the mouth is opened. 

There are other facial signs of Secretiveness; these will be 
treated in their proper order. 

THE CRIMINAL LOWER LIP. 

The lower lip of congenital criminals is almost always dis- 
proportionally small and thin, or else greatly exaggerated in size. 
Often the two lips are unequal in size and the line of closure 
irregular, crooked on one side, or raised up or lowered at one 
corner, or by some irregular or ugly shape testify to their departure 
from a normal form. 

In some cases the upper lip is thin and pallid, and seems 
drawn to the lower one as if by a cord; the sympathetic traits 
are absent, and the faculty of Benevolence will be wanting. 

A lower lip which describes a bias form—that is, one which 


810 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY 

rises upward at one side from the centre, while the other side 
remains straight or horizontal—is false, untruthful, prevaricating, 
and unreliable; that is to say, when it is congenital. 

Criminals usually show their depravity most in the mouth 
and eyes. These features are mobile and flexible to such an 
extent that they can be greatly changed from their normal form, as 
we often observe in the countenances about us. Congenital 
crookedness of these two features argues crookedness in speech, 
inasmuch as these are the facial signs of Language, and both 
dependent upon the muscular system mainly for their power to 
perform movements, Now, one may be perfectly honest in regard 
to the payment of just dues (if his bones be straight and square he 
will be inclined to this principle), but if, at the same time, his eyes 
are crooked, one looking in one direction and the other in another 
direction, or his mouth awry, he will be inclined to falsify and 
misrepresent the truth, even when the truth would serve him 
better. 

All crookedness of the muscles indicates either crookedness 
of the language or lack of sexual morality. The lower joint of 
the leg of a natural rake is often observed to be crooked, and this 
appearance of this limb is an unfailing indication of licentiousness 
or unbridled passion. The law of “Skewism” or “ Sinistrality ” 
throws out its warning signals upon various parts of the face and 
body. Even the crooked position of the feet, or the shoulders, if 
sloped too narrowly, announce the crooked or slippery nature of 
those thus characterized; and thus Nature, provident mother that 
she is, forewarns us, by these danger-signals, of the presence of 
immorality, and in this manner attempts to guard her children 
from the sin of reproducing progeny from such defective 
types. 

The laws of Form, when applied to every part and feature of 
the human being, will unfold the entire character, and we shall be 
able by this test to know in just what manner or method a man 
thinks; for, says one of the greatest of artists:— 

A man generally thinks according to his formation, and not only does 
he think according to his formation, but he acts and works in accordance 
therewith. 

i 

A knowledge of the laws of Form, together with the inherent 
meaning of the geometric elements of Form as applied to the human 
face and body, will enable young people to avoid intermarriage with 
crooked, criminal, weak, and defectively-organized beings. It is 
in this manner that scientific selection will supplant the slower and 
less certain method of “natural selection,” the method now pur- 


THE SIGNS IN THE LIPS. 


811 


sued by the law of evolution in the attempt to carry forward the 
race to physical, moral, and mental perfection. 

A flaccid, loose, flabby lower lip is also a sign of weakness, 
and denotes both a lack of gustatory taste and deficient linguistic 
ability; if it be pale as well as flaccid, a dyspeptic or consumptive 
tendency may be inferred. Lavater observes of this condition, 
that 

A perfect agreement may be observed between the lips and the char¬ 
acter; whether they be firm or soft and flexible, the character is always of 
an analogous description.* 

Lips that jerk, twitch, or quiver, or that are tremulous (when 
they are not the effects of nervous shock) are signs of either imbe¬ 
cility, weak-mindedness, debauchery, or criminal tendencies. All 
these phenomena are the reverse of the normal condition, and when 
a feature is precisely opposite to what is normal it has its origin 
in weakness or criminality, or both. 


THE UNDEVELOPED LOWER LIP. 


There are many diverse forms of undevelopment of the lower 
lip, each of which signifies a certain sort of deficiency either in 
sympathy, gustatory power, or vocality. 

A thin, flat, dry, pallid lower lip, with a disproportionally 
small mouth, signifies relative lack of digestive capacity, together 
with absence of the sense of flavor, taste, 
etc., also relatively feeble linguistic powers 
with small amount of sympathetic feeling. 

If the lower lip be thin, flat, and red, and 
the mouth of normal width, the gusta¬ 
tory capacity will be greater than in the 
former case, and the sympathies more 
active. Many misers and hermits exhibit 
undeveloped lips, thus showing the ab¬ 
sence of those beautiful domestic traits 
the possession of which lead men and 
women to desire family and friendly 
associations. When a character shows 
by the impoverishment of his lips that he is deficient in benevolence 
or sympathy, love of home, of country, of children, and of the 
opposite sex, he is poor indeed, and does well to hide himself away 
in hut or cave. His company could benefit no one, and probably 
he could not be much benefited by the society of others. Such 
beings instinctively feel their deficiencies, and, like some sick 

* Lavater’s Essays, p. 190. 



Fig. 1G7.—A BASHKIR. 
Lavater.) 


(After 






812 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


animals, they withdraw themselves from the society of those to 
whom they would be only a nuisance. 

There are many grades of undevelopment shown in the lower 
lip, and in proportion as it is lacking in size, color, form, and 
moisture will the character be wanting in some one or more of 
the traits whose signs are situated upon and about the region of 
the lower lip. In some, the lip is observed to be habitually dry. 
This peculiarity indicates a close-fisted character; one whose heart 
will never run away with his head. 

Moisture of the lips denotes activity of the glands, which are 
the sustaining powers of the domestic emotions. Accidental dry¬ 
ness of the lower lip denotes some pathological disturbance of the 
glandular system; so, also, does change of color. Physicians 
understand the significance of labial changes and are influenced 
by them in their diagnosis and prognosis of various diseases. 

When both lips are undeveloped, there is very little red color 
in the lips and the mouth seems like a mere gash, whose lipless 
line makes it appear like the mere opening for a receptacle for 
food. This form is a reversion to low animal types, and resembles 
the fish mouth in its line of closure. The mouths of many species 
of deer present this form also, and these creatures are singularly 
silent , rarely uttering a sound, except when in great pain. 

The absence of the curved form in lips shows lack of power,— 
vocal and gustatory,—as well in animals as in man. Herbivorous 
animals have relatively less labial development than the carnivor¬ 
ous classes, whose appetites are stronger and who are more noisy 
in the demonstration of their emotions. Contrast the lips of the 
sheep, the goat, the horse, and deer with those of the cat, the 
bull-dog, the lion, and the tiger, and their facial differences will be 
as perceptible as are the traits whose signs are registered in 
the lips. 


THE STUPID LOWER LIP. 

Lavater gives as one sign of stupidity the projection of the 
under lip, which measures one-half the width of the mouth. It 
is also one sign of avarice. 

All projections forward of the line of closure of the under lip, 
beyond a normal fullness, are indicative of disagreeable traits. 
Projections forward of the upper lip, beyond a line dropped perpen¬ 
dicularly by the side of the nose, although they may reveal a want 
of balanced character, are more favorable to character than the 
excessive projections of the under lip. In many cases where the 
entire upper lip has a forward direction, commencing at the under 
part of the nose, there is a positive degree of kindly generosity or 


THE SIGNS IN THE LIPS. 


813 


active sympathy; but this formation, and its accompanying char¬ 
acteristic, is the compensation for some defect which the observer 
must decipher, as the defect varies in different persons. In some 
it shows by a want of normal practicality; in others, absence of a 
large degree of the moral sense, or a lack of reasoning power, etc. 
The cause must be sought for in each individual case. 

In reading the meanings revealed by the form of the lips, we 
must bear in mind the rule laid down by Lavater, that “ All dis¬ 
proportion between the upper and lower lips is a sign of folly or 
wickedness.” Now, Lavater did not bring science to his aid; else 
he would have modified this statement somewhat and softened the 
terms, for a man may possess a disproportioned upper lip without 
being either greatly wicked or extremely foolish. That he will 
exhibit some defective faculty and function in a greater or less 
degree I am certain, and this defect, together with its compensatory 
trait of kindly-generosity, are both revealed by this form of lip. 

If the projection of the upper lip exceeds a certain degree, it 
is termed “prognathous,” and is the certain sign of a low grade 
of evolution, as observed in savage tribes, the Ethiopian, for ex¬ 
ample. If the under lip assume a prognathous form, it also reveals 
undeveloped character. When both lips are extremely full with¬ 
out being prognathous, and the quality coarse, they are evidences 
of coarseness, gross alimentiveness, sensuality, and mental dullness, 
and exhibit the acme of powerful animality; but if the quality is 
of an average fine degree, the indications will be softened to 
epicureanism and great sociality, and disposition to loquacity or 
fluent conversation. 

THE DESTRUCTIVE LOWER LIP. 

A mouth whose lower lip curves downward or outward, just 
where the canine teeth are situated, denotes destructive and cruel 
tendencies. This form of lip is seen 
in the lower lip of cruel and ferocious 
carnivorous animals, notably in the 
lip of the lion, the tiger, the panther, 
and the cat. It is always associated 
with an unfeeling disposition, partic¬ 
ularly if the eyes he very light. 

I have observed this form in 
several intellectual persons. In these 
the destructive tendency was shown 
by sarcasm, invective, and a dispo¬ 
sition to combat and oppose the theories advanced by others in 
debate and by writings. In others it may be shown by a 















814 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


tendency to destroy clothing, furniture, etc., by violent and im¬ 
proper use of them. This lip always shows a good degree of 
bright color, and the canine teeth are well set out, so as to give a 
sort of corner or squared look to the sides of the lower lip. The 
mouth of the bull-dog gives one a good idea of this peculiar 
formation. 

The mouths of sheep, and other graminivorous animals, are 
just the reverse of the former. The canine teeth in these classes 
incline inward , and the jaw curves at this point, instead of squar¬ 
ing, as is the case with the carnivorous animals and destructive 
people. In conversation and in laughter this peculiarity of feature 
is most apparent, but is not always conspicuous when the mouth is 
closed. 

THE UPPER LIP. 

The upper jaw being a comparatively passive feature, and the 
lower jaw a most active and flexible one, it is evident that the 
lower lip would express more active passions than its fellow. The 
muscles which assist the lower lip in its movements enable it to do 
a variety of things of which the upper lip is incapable. It is 
true that the upper lip has a superior muscular attachment, but 
the lower lip, by its attachment to the more freely-moving lower 
jaw, possesses more mobility. It is thus able to express more 
active sentiments and passions, and to make more energetic move¬ 
ments than the upper jaw. 

DIVISIONS OF THE UPPER LIP. 

To facilitate the reading of the upper lip it is divided into 
three parts (Fig. 169). The sign for the faculty of Amativeness 
is situated in the centre, while the two signs for Love of Young 
are placed on either side of Amativeness. 



Fig. 169. Fig. 170. 


The upper lip may also be divided horizontally into two parts 
(Fig. 170), viz., the red-colored portion and the part Avhich lies 
above the colored portion, and which reaches to the nostrils. 







THE SIGNS IN THE LIPS. 


815 


The colored part is sensitive, and well supplied with nerves 
and glandular tissue. It is also moved by a portion of the orbicu¬ 
laris oris , a muscle which is circular and extends all around the 
mouth. 

The signs for Amativeness and Love of Young are located in 
the colored portion of the upper lip; Mirthfulness is indicated 
by the upward curve of its corners; while Self-esteem and 
Modesty have very decided facial signs in this feature. It is thus 
shown how important a factor in physiognomy is a well-developed 
upper iip. 

Now if this feature be thin, pallid, and constricted in appear¬ 
ance, these two beautiful domestic faculties are relatively weak; 
not only are the sentiments of Amativeness and Love of Offspring 
lacking, but these deficiencies point to physical defects of the re¬ 
lated physiological organs, viz., of the generative capacity, and of 
the glandular tissues connected with the function of lactation. A 
want of development of the features of the face always refers to 
and is the index of impoverished conditions of internal organs and 



A B 

Fig. 171. 


functions. As narrow nostrils denote small or weak lungs, so a 
thin, upper lip announces defective or weak conditions of the re¬ 
productive forces of the body. 

The normal position , A, of the upper lip is perpendicular, 
while the convex or outward curving of' the middle portion, B, is 
an exaggeration of the proper position. This last form is observed 
in great egotists, braggarts, and “ blowhards.” 

All variations in the form of the white portion of the upper 
lip relate to Self-esteem or an absence of it—to great self-hood, 
self-feeling, independence, dignity, egotism, or to its opposite, ex¬ 
cessive imitation, and a lack of dignity and independence and cor¬ 
responding demand for the approval of others. 

THE EMBRYONIC UPPER LIP. 

In the human embryo, in its early stages, the mouth is lipless 
(see Fig. 150, this chapter), and the places where lips eventually 
evolve *do not at all resemble the perfected lips of the normal 
human being, nor do they prefigure such development. It is only 


816 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


in the latest stages of prenatal life that the lips are perfected as 
we find them at birth. The mouth and its accessories develop 
pari passu with the development of the visceral and other internal 
organs. 

As the evolution of the digestive organs progresses the mouth, 
lips, and cheeks assume a more complete form, until at birth the 
physiognomy reveals by its appearance the condition of the di¬ 
gestive apparatus. If the lips and mouth are normal in size and 
shape the digestive function is also normal. 

The foregoing statement teaches why undeveloped bps are the 
indications of undeveloped visceral organs. 

An embryonic upper lip in its early stages is characterized by 
thinness and is destitute of color. The mouth is a mere hole, and 
.the lips have no resemblance to human lips, nor indeed do they 
resemble the lips of an animal; they are expressionless and barely 
rudimentary. Now, the nearer the approach of adult lips to this 
form, the closer is the resemblance to rudimentary lips and their 
allied signification—undevelopment. In the lips and mouth are 
situated the signs for the primitive functions, viz., digestion and 
reproduction ; hence the appearances noted in these features stand 
indicative of these two functions and their associated sentiments. 

The upper lip tells us of the condition and development of 
the reproductive system ; the lower lip, of the state of the glandular 
system ; and both together announce the degree of amative senti¬ 
ment and sympathetic feeling to be found in the character. 

We kiss with love and kindness , for the placing of the two 
lips against those of the beloved object is a spontaneous act of 
affection, the natural language of both passion and sympathy; 
for kisses, by their spontaneity and warmth, indicate sexual or 
benevolent feeling, and these feelings depend for their expression 
upon the strength of the organs, to which they are physiologically 
related. 

When one is excited by emotions of sympathy or amativeness 
it never occurs to one to pat the head of the beloved object with 
the hand; the kiss upon the lips is the true language of love , and 
although caressing is also one expression of love it is a secondary 
sign and subordinate to the kiss upon the lips. 

THE UNDEVELOPED UPPER LIP. 

Those upper lips which are thin, flat, and white down to the 
line of closure of the mouth are to a certain degree undeveloped. 
Such mouths betoken a great deficiency of Amativeness and Love 
of Young; hence a lack of procreative energy and sympathy for 
children, and in this case the individual will fail to care for or 


THE SIGNS IN THE LIPS. 


817 



Fig. 172. 

AN IMBECILE. 


attract either the opposite sex or children. It is true, if the sub¬ 
ject possess an agreeable disposition and fine mental gifts, he or 
she may attract those who value these qualities above mere physi¬ 
cal graces, but at the same time he will never be as popular with 
the majority of the opposite sex as a more magnetic person. The 
fact is, that each mental faculty has a physical base 
from which it derives support, and from the large 
development of which it is able to give out an 
aura or force quite perceptible to those who come 
under its influence. 

There is no faculty of the human mind that 
exerts a more powerful influence upon others than 
Amativeness; no faculty which gives out a stronger 
magnetism ; none that are both more attractive 
and more repulsive. Now, as the procreative function is the base 
of creative talent we will not find with the undeveloped upper lip 
much originality unless the brain system is large and of fine quality 
and of a suitable form for mental efforts. In this case it will take 
a philosophic turn and not a mechanical or artistic one, for these 
professions require a plentiful supply of muscle, and a thin, defect¬ 
ive upper lip discloses a defect of muscular and glandular tissues. 

Where the upper lip is very thin and colorless, and the mouth 
small, the structure of the reproductive system is always faulty 
and wanting in power. Females with such a lip and mouth are 
poorly adapted to wifehood or maternity; while men with such a 
formation of the mouth and lip will scarcely make a devoted, 
enthusiastic, marital companion. 

THE PHILOPROGENITIVE UPPER LIP. 

This long and awkward word is meant to express “love of 
young,” and as we have no better word in our language to express 
this sentiment in a single word I am obliged to use it. The upper 
lip which reveals a fine degree of this lovely domestic trait is 
known by the downward droop at either side 
of the centre of the lip. It adjoins the sign 
for Amativeness and lies next to Mirthfulness, 
its natural and necessary associate. 

There are many degrees of its manifesta¬ 
tion, some lips exhibiting delicacy of develop¬ 
ment ; others disclose an upper lip resembling 
the lip of the St. Bernard dog, the mastiff, and retriever. . These 
all have the outer corners of the upper lip overlapping the 
lower one and shaped like a little scallop. I his exaggerated form 
is indicative of physical love of offspring, and is shown by a desire 

52 





Fig. 173. 









818 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


to have many children, and those thus characterized are particu¬ 
larly fond of them in infancy and regret to see them grow out of 
that stage. 

The normal development of this sign in the upper lip (or 
even its exaggerated sign) is a mark of beauty and assists in form¬ 
ing that lovely curve of the line of closure of the mouth known 
as “Cupid’s bow.” This line is composed of three perfect curves, 
and is observed in the mouths of all who have a fine development 
of Amativeness, Love of Young, and Mirthfulness. Examine, for 
example, the mouths of Goethe, Mozart, David Hume, Edmund 
Burke, D’Alembert, Moliere, Claude Lorraine, Cromwell, Ad¬ 
dison, Benjamin Franklin, Sarah Siddons, William Pitt, Baron 
Cuvier, and Henry Ward Beecher. In all of these the signs 
for Amativeness, Love of Young, and Mirthfulness are quite 
marked; that of Benjamin Franklin is particularly decided in the 
sign for Love of Young. This last trait was so great in him as to 
lead him to make a companion of his illegitimate son, for it was 
he who assisted him in his kite-flying expeditions when he “ brought 
the lightning down from heaven.” A rare instance of parental 
love for a man to exhibit, and certainly very commendable in him 
to care for his natural child. 

Mouths deficient in the sign for Love of Children are straight, 
instead of drooping, and pale and dry at the sides instead of being 
moist and red. 

THE MODEST UPPER LIP. 

Modesty, like all faculties, has several facial signs. Persons 

possessed of high or fine quality exhibit some phase of this self- 

protective trait. Its principal facial sign is found in the depth of 

the groove or channel which runs down the upper lip and seems to 

divide this feature in two parts. Another 

sign of Modesty is found in the fineness 

of the texture of the skin—in its purity 

and clearness. The analysis of this last 

sign is that the finer the skin, the more 

sensitive the person; and sensitiveness 

of the nervous system leads one to 

* 

purity of thought as well as to cleanli¬ 
ness of body. 

The location of the first-mentioned sign for Modesty is note¬ 
worthy. It divides Self-esteem and runs down into Amativeness. 
In the first instance it tends to check egotism, and in the second 
place puts a guard upon Amativeness, which, unbridled, would 
lead to impure language and gross conduct. The grouping of the 




THE SIGNS IN THE LIPS. 


819 


f % i 



Fig. 175.—MIRTHFUL MAY. 


signs in tlie face oi related faculties is not the least wonderful of 
the facts of physiognomical science. 

THE IMITATIVE UPPER LIP. 

A relatively snort upper lip with an inward curve is an un¬ 
failing indication of the presence of some phase of imitative ability. 
Nature always tends to assist or compensate every character for its 
defects. Now, a very short upper lip is 
a departure from proportion , hence is 
not normal or balanced. The compen¬ 
sation which restores the equilibrium is 
in giving to the character a certain 
degree of imitative ability, or, in some 
cases, talent , by which the individual 
is able to attract and hold the affections and interests of others. 
Many, if not most, actors, actresses, musicians, and some poets 
exhibit this form of upper lip. Shortness of the lip alone is not 
evidence of imitative talent; this latter quality depends upon the 
possession of fine quality of the brain and nervous system. 

There are many grades of each faculty, and one with a short 
upper lip of coarse quality would not, of course, display the same 
degree of imitative talent that one would who possessed a high 
quality and a suitable brain. A short upper lip denotes relative 
lack of Self-esteem. Nature always compensates by bestowing a 
large share of Approbativeness; hence, we shall find that those 
with this peculiarity of feature display more temper and are pos¬ 
sessed of less dignity, independence, and self-control than those 
with a longer upper lip. As a rule, they are more entertaining 
and amusing through the power of their imitative ability. They 
can play, act, sing, recite, and relate stories in a very attractive 
manner. Their Approbation leads them to make great efforts to 
gain applause, and this is to them highly gratifying. 

This course is just the opposite of that pursued by those with 
large Self-esteem. The latter desire the approval of their own 
jud gment; the former seek the approval of others, and herein lies 
their satisfaction and reward. 

There are several peculiarities of form observed in the short 
upper lip which are not common to the long upper lip. In many 
subjects a slight outward curving of the lower part of the lip is 
seen ; in some others this outward curving is very marked, and the 
curvation is so decided as to prevent the closing of the lips, the 
upper always projecting slightly beyond the lower one. I regard 
all these departures from the normal perpendicularity of the upper 
lip as indicative of defects,—as tokens of slight prognathism, yet 


i 


820 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


not so decided as to indicate savage or barbarous conditions of 
mind. Still, persons thus characterized will be uneven and titful in 
temper,—now calm, and again exhibiting a sudden and violent out¬ 
burst of anger, or they may exhibit violent love or other emotion. 
It always relates to an unbalanced state of the emotions, and ab¬ 
sence of equilibrium is, in a certain degree, undevelopment. In 
coarse persons these peculiarities of the upper lip denote animality 
in many ways. In some it is related to gross amativeness; in 
others, selfishness; in other cases, terrible outbursts of passion, 
accompanied with unjust and unmerited suspicions and accusations, 
are the proofs of a lack of self-control and self-esteem. Observa¬ 
tion of all the other features in each individual case will decide 
which of these several defects is the exciting cause. 

Where the upper lip is relatively short the muscular will be 
one of the dominant systems, and this system is the one best adapted 
to art and imitation, as well as to passion and emotion. The long 
upper lip is always the sign of the dominance of the bony system, 
for the lip in a balanced character marks the length of the bony 
structure of the upper jaw ; this is longer where the osseous is one 
of the dominating systems. Bone gives length; muscle shortens 
and rounds those features in which it is the principal tissue. 

In almost all of the typical faces of the ancient Greeks we 
find all of the signs of the dominance of the muscular system, or 
of the combination of the brain and muscular systems; and, as 
they were an art-loving race, we shall find that these physiognomies 
have all the signs of muscular supremacy, the most conspicuous 
features of which are the short upper lip and the curving or 
44 dramatic ” jaw. It is in the peculiarities of these two features 
alone that we can prove the dominance of muscle and the posses¬ 
sion of the imitative faculty. We do not imitate with our bones any 
more than we love or hate with our bones. Emotions of all sorts 
are the offspring of soft and variable tissues, and muscle and glands 
are the best adapted to the exercise of variable, shifting moods. 
Bone alone is competent to display the more solid and enduring 
traits. 

THE SECRETIVE UPPER LIP. 

The form which this peculiar feature assumes is in harmony 
with its purpose and interests. It is often pointed downward in 
the centre, and seems as if trying to overlap or close entirely the 
cleft of the mouth. In some countenances the whole red part of 
the upper lip is hidden from view when the mouth is shut, and 
forms with the lower lip only a horizontal cut or cleft. Some very 
secretive people expose a certain degree of the colored portion of 


THE SIGNS IN THE LIPS. 


821 


the upper lip. This is where Amativeness is well defined. Yet it 
may be mentioned, in passing, that extremely secretive characters 
rarely possess a large degree of Amativeness; neither do they pos¬ 
sess a very large emotional nature of any sort, and what little 
emotion is present in them is constantly suppressed 
or held in check, and thus depreciates through 
want of exercise. 

The secretive mouth should not be confounded 
with the meditative mouth. The profound thinker 
talks more than the secretive one, but, when he 
does speak, wisdom, good sense, and truth accom¬ 
pany his utterances. It is true, he does not show 
as great loquacity as the linguistic individual, yet 
can talk to the purpose and intelligently when he 
does converse. The upper lip of the most silent 
animals is similar in form to the secretive upper 
lip in the human family. The mouths of the several deer tribes, 
the giraffe, and some others are of this formation, and their upper 
lip projects slightly beyond the under lip. 

THE SELF-ESTIMATIVE UPPER LIP. 

Self-esteem is known by relative length of the entire upper lip, 
from the nostrils to the line of closure of the mouth. Dispropor¬ 
tionately short upper lips denote a want of Self-esteem, but always 

betoken a large share of Approbativeness 
and imitative ability of some sort. Exag¬ 
gerated length of the upper lip gives to 
the character egotism and extravagant 
ideas of one’s importance, and lends a 
ludicrous dignity to the character which is 
apt to unduly magnify its powers and 
importance. 

A normal share of Self-esteem is a 
fine possession, for it shows that the char¬ 
acter is independent, self-respecting, dignified, and quite opposed 
to lowness, meanness, vulgarity, and quite capable of holding the 
feelings under control. 

One with large Self-esteem may or may not have the sign for 
Firmness large, yet some physiognomists have made the mistake of 
placing the sign for Firmness in the length of the upper lip. It is 
true that long-continued persistency in any direction, whether in 
thought or in manual labor which requires great perseverance, will 
make its impress upon the upper lip. It tends to close the mouth 
firmly and gives a slight fullness to the central portion of the upper 



Fig. 177. 



Fig. 176. 

ROBESPIERRE. 

(The Secretive 
Upper Lip.) 





822 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


lip; but these are secondary signs, and are the result of the firm 
set of the lower jaw-bone which always characterizes those with 
bony chins, who have been very persevering. 

To keep a “stiff upper lip” is an oft-repeated caution to those 
who might be capable of breaking down from the position as¬ 
sumed. The complexity of the muscles about the mouth, lips, and 
jaws renders it impossible for any of the features to act with or 
impress their movements upon one set of muscles alone; hence, 
the co-operation of the muscles of the upper lip with those of the 
lower lip and lower jaw affects the expression of all these features 
in varying degrees, and thus stamps the result of their action upon 
all the features in close proximity. 

The locality of the sign for Self-esteem can be proven by ob¬ 
servation of those who exhibit a long upper lip, and that of Firm¬ 
ness can be also known by comparison of the behavior of those 
with a long chin with those who exhibit a short or receding chin. 

Self-esteem is a force which is a sort of will-power, inasmuch 
as it holds the individual to a certain consistent course of conduct, 
and this is of itself persistent , a secondary sort of firmness, and 
often mistaken for it by those unaccustomed to analyze closely 
the components of human character. 

Nearly all of the traits have several phases of action, and 
these must be comprehended by those who would give accurate 
delineations of character. 

For good examples of a normal or balanced degree of Self¬ 
esteem, examine the portraits of Thomas Jefferson, Charles 
Bradlaw, von Bulow, Horatio Seymour, Sir Rowland Hill, Flon. 
William M. Evarts, Lord Brougham, Zachary Taylor, Franklin 
Pierce, General Homingues, Horn Pedro of Brazil, Lord Ran¬ 
dolph Churchill, Hon. John Marshall, Fletcher Harper, and 
the Duchess of Marlborough. 

THE AMATIVE UPPER LIP. 

If the centre of the upper lip present an unusual degree of 
fullness, redness, and moisture, the sentiment of Amativeness is 
excessive. Where there is a good brain system in combination 
with this indication we may expect to find creative talent of some 
sort; either a talent for acting or painting, for poetry, or for some 
other form of art. An excessive development of the centre of the 
upper lip is to be found in the face of Ellen Terry, Nat Goodwin, 
Madame Modjeska, Oscar Wilde, Bernhardt, Annie Louise Carey, 
Eugenie, Pappenheim, Lucca, Albani, Trebelli; quite full in Mrs. 
A. D. T. Whitney, Elizabeth Stuart Phelps, T. B. Aldrich, Charles 
Egbert Craddock, and in the upper lip of the eminent painters 


THE SIGNS IN THE LIPS. 


823 


Raphael, Vandyck, and thousands of others well known to fame 
as original creative minds. All these have an excellent brain in 


combination. 

If the centre of the upper lip is excessively full and moist, the 
red portion seems loose and showing horizontal wrinkles, the inner 
side turns outward in laughing, and the 
animal phase of sex-love is dominant. This 
peculiarity is observed in the faces of 
coarse, low characters. It is not accom¬ 
panied by any large development of the 
brain system, but may co-exist with a large 
development of the muscles, and is hence 
found among horse-jockeys, low comic 
actors and singers, and other specimens of 
low-class, imitative characters. Imitation, it may be remarked, is a 
degree lower than creation. 



Fig. 178. 

HENRY WARD BEECHER. 
(Amative Upper Lip.) 


Where the upper lip exhibits an excessive development of 
the red portion and there is a corresponding lack of intellect or 
moral power, it becomes by this unbalanced condition a criminal 
feature , and those thus characterized pursue a licentious career and 
are among those who commit assaults upon helpless women and 
children, and who are guilty of sins against chastity and decency. 
They really constitute a morbid variety in this direction. The faces 
of many professional criminals disclose great disproportion between 
the size of the upper and lower lips, indicating small benevolence 
or sympathy and inordinate amativeness of the criminal type. 

There are many grades of power of this faculty, ranging all 
the way from undevelopment to talent and genius. The grade of 
quality of the subject should always he taken into account in sum¬ 
ming up the character; also the amount and quality of the brain 
system. It is by the faculties in combination with Amativeness 
that we decide as to its method of action and its power of control,— 
whether it be normal in action, or exaggerated to an immoral degree. 


THE NORMAL UPPER LIP. 

In all well-balanced characters the colored portion of the 

centre of the upper lip will be of a decided 
red or pink color, moderately full, moist, 
and firm, and in finely-organized subjects 
the texture of the skin will be very fine. 
These appearances indicate a normal degree 
of Amativeness and a normal development 
of the reproductive system, as well as a 
balanced degree of Love of Young. The form which a normal 



Fig. 179.—NORMAL UPPER 
IJP. 



824 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


sign for Amativeness assumes is a slight curve on the upper edge 
of the red portion of the lip and a rounding curve outwardly. 

An upper lip to be normal must in length present harmony 
of proportion; neither too long nor too short; neither too thick 
nor too thin at the sign for Amativeness. In short, it must present 
a well-balanced form and size, such as would appear harmonious 
to those having a good share of the faculty of Proportion. In a 
small, narrow face the width would, of course, be less than in a 
large, broad face,—in accordance with the laws of Proportion. 

THE MIRTHFUL UPPER LIP. 

The signs for Mirthfulness in the human face are so numerous 
that one may find them in every feature in the face except in the 

nose. This organ being pre-eminently the 
indicator of thought, we shall fail to find 
the signs for any of the softer emotions in 
its outlines. The nostrils, it is true, 
co-operate in the emotions of surprise, rage, 
revenge, jealousy, and also in mirthfulness 
to a degree, hut are not particularly dis¬ 
turbed by laughter, for the reason that this act opens the mouth, 
whereas all of the other emotions, except surprise, close the mouth, 
and thus doubly expand the nostrils. 

Mirthfulness in the upper lip is shown by an upward curving, 
adjoining and externally to the sign for Love of Young. It is 
properly the aid and ready assistant to that trait, and these two 
faculties are always seen in combination. When one is large, the 
other is always well defined. 

The sign for Mirthfulness in the upper lip sets a sign of 
beauty in the face. It also assists in giving an arch and piquant 
expression to the mouth in conversation and in laughter, and helps 
to form the third curve of the upper lip. The upper lip of the 
most noted comic actors and actresses disclose this sign and its 
accompanying expression, which expression is assisted by the signs 
of Mirthfulness in the eyes and other features, and all combined 
add a charm to the comicalities of such actresses as Lotta, Mrs. 
John Wood, Croizette, Aimee, Coquelin, and Nell Gwynne. 

It is also well marked in humorous writers. Observe the 
portraits of Hume, Voltaire, Madame de Stael, Oliver Wendell 
Holmes, Lucy Larcom, T. B. Aldrich, Phoebe Cary, S. S. Cox, 
Bret Harte, Col. Bobert G. Ingersoll. 

Among artists it is large,—Hogarth; “Cham,” the celebrated 
French caricaturist, and Thomas Nast. Observe, also, the physiog¬ 
nomies of Charles James Fox, Henry Ward Beecher, and Daniel 



THE VOICE. 


825 


Dougherty (orators), who are celebrated for humorous, witty 
language. 

Short upper lips are more mirthful than long ones, for a short 
upper lip pre-supposes an imitative character instead of a sedately 
individualized one, such as large Self-esteem creates. Most espe¬ 
cially is the short lip indicative of Mirthfulness if the lip shows 
signs of Love of Young and the cheeks indicate large Appro- 
bativeness, as is usually the case with deficient Self-esteem. 

All of the imitative classes of artists, actors, and many writers 
of humorous and witty works, exhibit a short upper lip somewhat 
curved in the centre. 

The Voice. 

The elements, features, and factors concerned in the produc¬ 
tion of the human voice and language are shown externally by 
the mouth, lips, nose, frontal sinus, cheeks, throat, chest, and 
abdomen. Internally the organs of speech are the diaphragm, the 
lungs, the larynx, the pharynx, the tongue, the soft palate or roof 
of the mouth, the nostrils, the frontal sinus, the walls of the 
cheeks, the teeth, and lips. 

The voice is related to the ear, and this feature indicates, by 
its shape, size, and quality, the capacity of the voice, and also re¬ 
veals the personal capacities of each individual in regard to his 
ability for speaking or singing. A full description of the ear will 
be given later in this chapter. 

Further analysis of the active voice is had in the analysis of 
the faculties of “Music” and “Language” in the preceding 
chapter. 

Knowledge of human character is derived mainly from three 
sources. The most important sources from whence we derive this 
knowledge are the face, the hand, and the voice; these three parts 
of the organism epitomize the entire personality, each in a differ¬ 
ent manner and in varying grades. The hand tells of some things 
which the face does not; it also corroborates what is seen in the 
countenance. The voice gives us a clue to character which the 
secretive individual thinks he hides. 

The intensity of emotion is best expressed by the voice; the 
poiver of action by the hand. The capacity for thought is shown 
by the face, but principally in the outlines of the nose and fore¬ 
head. Thus, each of these features must be examined in order to 
render a just delineation of character. There are other aids to the 
comprehension of character not so directly decisive as those above 
named, yet very useful as corroborative of other indications. 
Among these may be mentioned the movement in walking, the 


826 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

gestures, the habitual attitude, the set or position of the shoulders, 
the position of the feet, also the hand-writing and hand-shaking. 
Some of these indications are shown by forms concreted, as in the 
outlines of the shoulders, nose, and forehead; or they are modes 
of motion, and arise from the movements of features; concrete 
forms translated into abstract forms; thus revealing characteristics 
by motion. One law of form shows us that the motion made by 
a body through space will bear direct relation to the form of the 
body thus moved; hence the movement of an upright and square 
man in walking are just the opposite to that of an angular or of a 
sneakish person. 

Every movement whatsoever is indicative of the character, and 
can be comprehended by applying to it the basic laws of form. 

The voice being a mode of motion will now be analyzed. It 
is as vital a motion as are the movements of the hands or body, 
and gives expression to the interior states of mind and emotions 
through its relations to the muscular system, and to the sympathetic 
or ganglionic and nervous mechanism. 

Although the voice cannot be termed a “feature” in the sense 
that other physiognomic features are spoken of, yet as the mouth, 
lips, nose, and cheeks are all concerned in the production of vo- 
cality, and as the voice is one of the most important factors in the 
exposition of character, both mental and physiological, and as 
sound produces abstract forms, it would be a serious omission were 
I to ignore this most important department of human nature. 

The hand has been aptly termed the “second face.” The 
voice might, with equal justice, be termed the second person or 
the “double” of the material individual; for its tones, like the 
gestures of the hand, express almost every faculty of the mind. 
Were people sufficiently observant, and were the auditory appa¬ 
ratus of the majority of the civilized human family of normal 
power and construction , there would be no hindrance to the com¬ 
prehension by the masses of all the fine gradations of character 
which are expressed by the tones of the voice alone. 

Civilization produces so many disorders and imperfections of 
the vocal and auditory apparatus as to make perfect vocality quite 
as rare as perfect hearing or perfect sight; yet the average intel¬ 
ligence is probably equal to the grade of development of the sense- 
organs and mental powers as now developed. 

The voice reveals the dominant system or systems of the 
organism, and thus the observer can learn by the first sounds 
emitted to which class of mind the speaker belongs, and thus he can 
assign to each his own class of form. It unfolds also the inherited 
degree of intelligence, as well as the acquired or cultivated condi 


THE VOICE. 


827 


tion. By it one can learn the grade of temper , whether mild, 
amiable, cold, indifferent, sharp, high-strung, spiteful, revengeful, 
malicious, slow, or stupid. It also announces sexual states , and 
tells with certainty which part of the body one lives the most in , 
for the glutton has an entirely different voice from the sensualist, 
and both differ from the loving and affectionate voice of purity 
and moderation. Independence and servility, clearness of mind 
and confusion of ideas, nobility and lowness, energy and dullness, 
force and feebleness, courage and timidity, with all the varying 
degrees of each of these traits, are surely indicated by the voice. It 
needs only close observation and keen comparison to grade and 
classify each one of these several types. 

Lavater, the greatest of physiognomical observers, was so pro¬ 
foundly impressed with this idea that he tells us that 

If the student have a good ear he will certainly acquire the knowledge 
of temperament, character, and what class the forehead belongs to, by the 
voice. 


This observation is scientifically correct, for sound and form 
stand in the most intimate and direct relation to each other. 

I have shown in the description of the faculties of “ Language ” 
and “ Music,” Chapter II, the essential forms and shapes of the 
mouth, nose, and face, for the production of musical, conversational, 
and oratorical tones, but in order to go into the analysis of tone as 
a revelator of individual character the forms of the body must in a 
measure be understood, for the bodily shape has much to do with 
the quality of tone and vocality, aside from the construction of the 
vocal cords, larynx, soft palate, mouth, cheeks, etc. 

An individual in whom the thoracic system is dominant speaks 
with a clear, sonorous tone, and uses the expulsory muscles of the 
diaphragm in emitting sounds. Now, this tone is always accompa¬ 
nied by a receding forehead , for the dominance of the thorax 
creates sharply-defined outlines and causes the forehead to recede. 
There are other causes more occult and abstruse than this, but I 
have no space here to go into this department of physiognomy. 
Such is the fact, however, as shown by all those whose foreheads 
recede, provided they have a normal degree of health when the 
observation is made. 

The voices of those in whom the vegetative system is domi¬ 
nant speak in a peculiar throaty, thick tone, unless under the 
influence of anger, when they assume a shrill, senseless sort of 
sound; thus this voice tells us what sort of character we have to 
deal with. Even in the dark this voice would inform the listener 
who had studied this work that the forehead of this person was 


828 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


low, circular in outline, and inclined to the perpendicular in profile, 
and that he possessed all the traits and peculiarities belonging to 
the vegetative individual. 

The voices of those in whom the muscular system dominates 
are of two general kinds: those with round muscles speak in a 
rich, sonorous tone, and convey to us the form given in the descrip¬ 
tion of this system; those with the flat muscles develop a finer, 
softer tone, with less roundness, richness, and power. Where the 
muscular system is dominant, the forehead will be perpendicular 
in profile; whether it be square or round depends upon the sort of 
bone in combination. Where the brain system dominates, the voice 
is apt to be weak, yet decided, somewhat sharp, clear, and not en¬ 
ergetic, except under excitement, when it becomes sharp and shrill. 

As a rule, the clearer the voice, the clearer the mind; the 
sweeter the voice, the more affectionate its possessor. Sensitiveness 
is indicated by the voice, and exhibited by a rather mild and slow 
way of speaking. Some voices are “too sweet to be wholesome;” 
such voices are proofs of insincerity, deceit, or secretiveness. One 
of the most belligerent women I ever met had assumed a tone 
which was ludicrous in its softened affectation; her entire body and 
head as well were of the most pronounced bull-dog, fighting 
build. The most casual observer would have known that her 
voice and face did not correspond. 

Rough, harsh voices denote strong, harsh characters. Affected 
speech reveals the sly, shallow, or conceited character. Indeed, 
all affectations are assumed to cover defects. 

Rich, full , and rounded voices tell us that some form of art- 
talent is present, and that the social gifts are well developed. 

Lisping tones betray a want of good balanced judgment. 
Such tones are infantile in their nature, and if found beyond the 
age of childhood are to be placed in the category of relatively 
enfeebled mentality or morality. Lisping in an adult is usually 
accompanied with untruthfulness or weak judgment. 

My experience of inherited imperfections of the organs of 
speech leads me to the conclusion that they are indicative of mental 
or moral defects. Tongue-tied, lisping, stammering, hesitating 
speech certainly denotes enfeebled intellect or deficient moral 
power. In some instances, hesitation and unconscious repetition 
is exhibited by those who have received nervous shocks , and also 
by those enfeebled by age, and these cases are proof positive of the 
above assertion, for these classes have become enfeebled by age and 
accident. Where these same defects are congenital the accom¬ 
panying mental or moral defect will be apparent upon examination 
of the physiognomy. / 


THE VOICE. 


829 


It is a law of evolution, as well as of physiognomy, that when 
undeveloped, immature, or infantile features or indications are ex¬ 
hibited in the adult; the trait or faculty which is represented by 
such defective feature or function is in an undeveloped or infantoid 
state. No law can be sounder than this. No phenomena easier 
to demonstrate. The chief obstacle toward a recognition of the 
association of mental faculty with physical function is found in the 
existent belief in the minds of the majority that mind and body 
are two separate entities ; whereas, all research proves that they are 
a unity , and a very close and complex one, too,—so close and 
intimate that no one can tell where mind ends and the physical 
begins. If we are to ever realize the fact that form is the outward 
expression of interior states and shapes, we must certainly believe 
that congenitally-deformed or imperfect conditions of the mental 
mechanism which is associated with it, and of which it is the 
exponent, are revealed by departures from the normal standard of 
form. 

The voice is mainly exercised by the aid of the muscular, 
fibroid, and cartilaginous system, hence belongs to the motive 
system. The tongue is one of the chief organs of speech, and 
therefore part of the motive or muscular apparatus. The lips are 
instrumental in the production of tone. The line of the mouth is 
another great factor, and this is formed and shaped by the orbicu¬ 
laris oris , a circular muscle which extends around the mouth. The 
roof of the mouth, or soft palate, is an effective accessory to volume 
and clearness. It is partly cartilaginous and partly osseous. It is 
arched , and the higher and broader the arch the better is it adapted 
to produce sonorous tones. One of the chief differences between 
the mouth of the ape and orang-outang and that of man is found 
in the formation of the roof of the mouth. This peculiarity of 
structure has been noted by many observers, and the learned Dr. 
Cross writes of this appearance thus:— 

It is in virtue of this hollow in the roof of the mouth that man can 
mold off his thought into words, and it is from want of a sufficient hollow 
in the roof of the mouth that the ruder part of mankind and many idiots 
have deficient articulation. The inability of the orang-outang to speak does 
not arise from laryngeal defect, for he can drive the voice through the 
mouth, but from want of a sufficient concavity in the roof of the mouth, 
and from want of a sufficient brain. Thus, Nature did not endow her 
creatures with speech until they had acquired brains to think and coolness 
to arrange their thoughts. The more deep, ample, and regular this concavity, 
so that the tongue may have freedom to perform its innumerable and quick 
evolutions, the more distinct must be the speech, and the more cool, steady, 
and persevering must be the animal appetites.* 


* An Attempt to Establish Physiognomy on Scientific Principles, J. Cross, M.D., pp. 190,191. 


830 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


This quotation is pregnant with meaning, and shows that 
intellect and oral capacity stand in direct relationship with each 
other, and in this scientific truth we have the foundation for the 
claim I make that all congenital imperfections or defects of the 
mouth and lips are indicative of defective or enfeebled mentality or 
morality , and also that the basic laws of Form, when applied to the 
external forms of the mouth, lips, and cheeks, are indisputable 
indications of mental, moral, and physiological powers and weak¬ 
nesses, according to the appearances observed. The various defects 
in speech, such as lisping, hesitancy, tongue-tied, or thickness of 
expression, as if the mouth were full of saliva, are indications of 
defects and peculiarities which must certainly be associated with an 
intellect which partakes of these conditions, and that is, in corre¬ 
spondence and harmony with them. 

An eminent teacher of elocution, Prof. Alfred McLeod, who 
has exceptional opportunities for observing impediments in the 
speech of large numbers of children, has given us some most 
instructive ideas and statistics in regard to the imperfect articula¬ 
tion of school-children; his observations have led him to see the 
connection between mental deficiencies and defective speech. He 
observes:— 

When we come to consider the number of positions and motions of 
the vocal apparatus required in speech, and the exquisite delicacy of these 
operations, we cease to wonder at the prevalence of defective utterance. 
But when we learn how dependent speech is on mental processes , on mental 
associations and on volition, one rather wonders that impediments and 
defects are not more common.* 

Among the impediments to perfect articulation, he cites the 
following:— 

Defective hearing, or inability to “ catch ” the sound of certain 
letters. 

This defect is like that of color-blindness, where the subject 
is unable to distinguish more than two or three colors. Beyond 
these he can make no distinction. Many persons omit or drop 
certain letters and parts of words through inability of the hearing 
apparatus to perceive them. Others have the same habit through 
carelessness. Other impediments of speech arise from malforma¬ 
tion, among which Professor McLeod mentions the following: 
“Cleft palate, high palate, palate resting upon the tongue, hare-lip, 
teeth resting upon the tongue, double row of teeth in one jaw, 
enlarged tonsils, tumor on the base of the tongue, stammering, 
hesitation, repetition;” to which he might have added lisping and 

* The Voice, Alfred McLeod. 


THE VOICE. 


831 


tongue-tied articulation. This observer adds the highly-interesting 
information that the different percentage between the sexes is very 
great; the percentage of defective articulation of boys is 4.21, as 
compared to 1.17 in girls! This wide discrepancy of the relative 
power of the two sexes in regard to the perfection or development 
of the sense of hearing and speaking is matched hy the statistical 
knowledge which we have in regard to the relative ability of the 
two sexes to distinguish colors. The discrepancy existing between 
the male and female sexes is in this department very much greater 
and almost beyond belief. I have given the estimates in the part 
devoted to “Color,” and, taken in this connection, it would be 
interesting to learn .the reason why the sense organs of the male 
should be so much less developed and less perfect congenitally than 
the same faculties and sense organs in the female sex. 

To follow out this line of investigation and seek the results 
of the numerous observers in every field of research relating to 
the human faculties would fill a large volume; hence I have only 
space here to call attention to the fact that, however interesting 
all such information may be to the student of physiognomy, it must 
be sought for in the reports and statistical tables of teachers in the 
several schools, asylums, homes, etc., for the treatment of defect¬ 
ively-organized children and adults. 

Another most important field of inquiry is the construction 
and evolution of Language taken in connection with the evolution 
of the voice. Max Muller, Prof. William Whitney, and other 
philologists have written many important works upon these sub¬ 
jects; but here again want of space forbids my pursuing these 
channels, although they are properly a part of the physiognomical 
history of man. It is sufficient to say that the voice, as well as 
the language, of races has developed and perfected in the pro¬ 
portion as their physiology and anatomy have developed and per¬ 
fected. And this explains much in regard to the congenital 
defects of the voice and of language which afflict such large 
numbers of children. In many cases it is a real atavism or rever¬ 
sion to the condition of the vocal organs which are observed in 
those undeveloped races that have not yet arisen to the high 
grade attained by the most perfected human races. In some 
instances, as in hare-lip and split-lip, the imperfection arises from 
incompleteness of the formative process in prenatal life. The 
junction of the two edges of the upper lip which should have 
united at the centre remains open until after birth, when a slight 
surgical operation is required to effect a closure, and this condition 
creates a more or less defective articulation. The so-called “wolf’s 
jaw ” is caused by failure of the upper-jaw processes to adhere in 


832 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


the middle line, in the early stages of foetal life. This defect of 
structure leaves “an open passage from the mouth cavity directly 
into the nasal cavity” (Haeckel). Who can doubt that such 
serious defects of structure in so important an organ, or rather in 
two organs, the mouth and nose, should produce corresponding 
imperfections of the intellect or of moral sense'? The fact that 
this form of imperfection involves the speaking apparatus, and lies 
near the brain, and makes its impress upon the lace should be a 
signal proof to physiognomists of their effects upon the mental 
and moral status. I have reason to believe that congenital defects 
of the hand and feet are correlated with peculiarities of the temper 
or mental and moral states, but in a relatively less degree than 
where cerebral organs or facial features are involved. Byron was 
club-footed, caused, it is said, by his mother’s almost insane bursts 
of anger during his prenatal life. In this connection, speaking 
of the moral sense, Emerson remarks that “veracity derives from 
instinct and marks superiority in organization.”* 

If mind were a separate entity, then the acts of the body would 
not affect mental conditions, but as physiognomy teaches that the 
mind and body are a unity, intermingled and interblended in the 
most complex and subtle manner, so it is apparent that all bodily 
states affect the mental and moral powers, and vice versa , all mental 
states affect the bodily organs; hence it is that any facial appear¬ 
ance which is congenitally abnormal or defective points to abnormal 
or imperfect conditions of the particular faculty of which that im¬ 
perfect feature is representative. The organs of speech are indica¬ 
tive of both mental and moral powers, and these must therefore 
be enfeebled by defects of any part of the organs of voice, speech, 
and articulation. 

Every slight peculiarity of speech betrays some individual 
characteristic of the reflective faculty. Excessive softness betokens 
hypocrisy and is the natural companion of a too-smooth face. 

Very harsh voices belong to the rude and unfeeling. In this 
connection I may mention that I have observed a peculiarly harsh 
or coarse voice in those who were refined and intelligent, but who 
were foredoomed to bronchitis or consumption. In these cases a 
peculiar construction of the lungs and larynx produces the voice 
which I term the “consumptive voice.” I have noticed this in the 
voices of those who were apparently in normal health, yet who 
did not have any other symptom of their coming doom, and this 
was unknown to them. The voice was inherited along with the 
peculiar construction of lungs and larynx which produced it. 

As voices cannot be described accurately by the pen, it is 

* English Traits, R. W. Emerson, p. 120. 


THE VOICE. 


833 


impossible to give the reader an exact understanding of these 
differences. Now, if it is possible to read one trait of character 
in one instance by one- peculiarity of the voice, it is logical to 
infer that all mental states and grades can be also thus read by 
the tones of the voices. 

Many eminent observers have remarked the signification of 
tones. The following is to the point:— 

Words reveal the intellectual state. So we have the incisive and 
compact utterance of the clear thinker in contrast to the intellectual status 
of the wordy bankrupt. Voice reveals the sensitive state. None fail to 
appreciate the clear, honest voice of health and refinement, the mincing fop, 
the muddy vocality of vice. Inflections reveal the moral state. The posi¬ 
tive inflection of the man of conviction, the circumflex of a double dealer, 
the mechanical and nasal whine of the hypocrite are interpreted by all.* 

It is indisputable that all are spontaneously and unconsciously 
influenced by the tone, pitch, and quality of the voices of those 
with whom they enter into conversation, and they as unconsciously 
act upon the knowledge which those voices reveal to them of the 
mentality and general character of those with whom they converse. 
Some voices soothe, while others irritate; others still fairly exasper¬ 
ate one. Let a person with a rich voice, full of sympathy and 
intelligence, approach a company, and as soon as the tones of that 
voice are heard all are at once attentive, because its intonations 
announce the power of the individual to whom it belongs, and 
this intelligence is conveyed to the listeners in the most instan¬ 
taneous and subtle manner, although the speaker may have as yet 
only uttered the commonplaces of salutation. Such voices com¬ 
mand attention and respect wherever heard. Now, if intelligent, 
sympathetic voices involuntarily produce such decided effects upon 
those who hear them, is it not reasonable to suppose that voices 
of the opposite class convey an equal amount of intelligence as to 
their owner’s mental and moral calibre'? Let one with a sharp, 
thin, nasal twang, on a high-pitched key, endeavor to be heard, and 
there will be an immediate attempt of the company to retire to 
distant parts of the premises. Such voices cannot hold together 
any number of people for long, neither can such a voice produce 
other than a disagreeable impression upon the listeners, no matter 
how interesting the subject under consideration may be. 

Sound creates form as it moves through the air, and, in ac¬ 
cordance with the perfection of the instruments producing it, it 
will make an agreeable and intelligent or a disagreeable impres¬ 
sion upon the listener. Thus voice is shown to be a real and 
tangible part of the individuality, and so much a part of the 

* Vocal and Action Language, E. N. Kirby, p. 83. 

53 


834 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


physiognomy that it cannot be dispensed with in the delineation 
of character. I consider a fine conversational voice a great charm. 
It is more rare in America than a fine singing voice. There are 
several causes for this. In the first place Americans are relatively 
less muscular than the Europeans. They are also more nervous. 
Adding these two causes together, they produce the thin, high- 
pitched nasal tones which are so distinctly American. This 
national peculiarity could be in a great measure remedied by 
parents and teachers were they to give slight attention to the pitch 
of the voice in childhood, and thus place the child’s voice upon 
an agreeable key while it is yet unformed and easily modulated. 
The first days of the child in school should be devoted to teaching 
it how to breathe properly, and how to pitch its voice rightly in 
speaking and reading. No mere book-learning should take pre¬ 
cedence of these two most important matters. General develop¬ 
ment of the muscles and development of the lungs by breathing 
exercises, together with a properly-pitched voice, are studies of 
great importance to every child, for they conduce to health, long 
life, and certainly to beauty of form, attitude, speech, and phys¬ 
iognomical expression. Whatever aids normal exercise of the 
larynx, mouth, and lips assists beauty of facial expression. This 
can be easily proven by observing and comparing the dreadful 
contortions of the mouth and gasping for breath of an improperly- 
trained singer, with one who has had the best instruction. The 
latter exhibits lovely expressions of the mouth, and sends forth the 
loudest tones with ease and freedom. I have seen some faces, 
which in repose were very beautiful, completely distorted by the 
reckless or untrained movements of* the muscles in talking and 
laughing. This was the result of bad habits of speaking, and 
could have been easily remedied by practicing before a mirror, as 
do many fine actors and elocutionists. 

Unconscious imitation is often the cause of the ugly move¬ 
ments observed in some faces. Many children contract strabismus 
by playing with cross-eyed children. The unconscious imitations 
by children of all sorts of abnormal muscular movements observed 
in those about them teach us two important things. One is that 
children should not be permitted to play with those afflicted with 
cross-eyes, Saint Vitus’ dance, or jerking and twitching of the 
muscles, and trembling of the eye or eyelids, for in most cases 
they are imitated spontaneously , without special design on the part 
of the child. 

The second lesson to be derived from this marked aptness of 
the muscles for unconscious imitation teaches parents with what 
slight effort children can be trained to perform a variety of things 


THE VOICE. 


835 


tending to a knowledge of art and science, by the use of simple 
objects, such as are used in the kindergartens, without at all tax¬ 
ing the intellect. The" movements of the child’s hand in piano¬ 
playing are among the harmless methods of exercising the muscles 
without at all overtaxing the brain, and children may be taught 
this or the use of any other instrument, such as the sewing- 
machine, before being taught to read. 

Elocution is a tine study for young children, for the breathing 
exercises and light gymnastics practiced by the Delsarte system in 
particular not only develop the voice, but give grace and supple¬ 
ness to all the limbs. The effect of elocutionary exercises upon 
the intellect is wonderfully strengthening to the brain as well as 
to the body. Instead of giving a child boohs to study to improve 
its thinking powers, a course of lessons in elocution would attain 
that object with more certainty. When I am asked to prescribe 
treatment for a dull child I invariably order gymnastics and elocu¬ 
tionary exercises, and the same course may be pursued with good 
effect by the child whose precocity of intellect threatens early de¬ 
cline. It is to be understood, of course, that a judicious use of 
these hygienics must be made under charge of a competent teacher. 

The voice is capable of emitting sound independent of the 
organs of speech—the tongue, the lips, cheeks, and teeth; hence 
by this division of functions it must be apparent that the voice 
alone would indicate some traits distinct from those revealed by 
the articidate powers. This is really the case, and this analysis of 
powers shows how the voice is an indicator of vital, interior, moral, 
and physical conditions; while the organs of speech—the lips, 
tongue, teeth, etc., together with their manner of articulating— 
belong by pre-eminence to the mental powers, with a subdominance 
of the moral and physiological states. Man could use the voice 
were he deprived of the power of articulating words, and use it 
with great power too, if he sought to develop it by proper exer¬ 
cise. The voice proceeds from the lungs, sustained by the muscles 
of the diaphragm, and thus the tone of the voice reveals the inner 
man—his amount of vitality, his bodily structure; hence the 
amount of energy, clearness, or feebleness of mind and body. 
This is well demonstrated by comparison of the tones of the differ¬ 
ent races of civilized men with their bodily structure. The 
French speak more from the forward part of their mouth, with 
the teeth, tongue, and lips. The Italian speaks more from the 
middle of the mouth and the lips, while “ the Englishman speaks 
with his whole body. His elocution is stomachic, as the Ameri¬ 
can’s is labial.” * I think Emerson should have said that the 


A 


* English Traits, R. W. Emerson, p. 108. 


836 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


American’s is nasal, for in comparison with other nations we find 
that the majority of our countrymen and women pitch the voice so 
as to speak either in head tones or nasal tones; rarely do they use 
the chest tones. I am convinced the majority could develop fine 
chest tones were they trained to use them in childhood. The 
English are very muscular, and their lungs are relatively broad, 
and herein is the basis of a powerful and sonorous voice. In ac¬ 
cordance with this broad, muscular build, the larynx must also be 
large and strong, and thus we have the foundation for those rich 
and beautifully-modulated voices heard in the conversation of most 
English people. The Englishman’s voice reveals his sturdy, 
hearty, positive, sincere mind, as well as his compact, healthy, 
hardy body. The French speech is truly Celtic; unlike the Eng¬ 
lishmen, they use the least energetic manner of speaking, i.e ., with 
the forward part of the mouth, and the lips, and also nasal tones. 
This method is more indicative of surface feeling; it is not as 
interior , vital, and positive as that of the English. It is for this 
reason that the French supplement their language with such an 
infinity of gestures, and the effect of gestures is to call attention 
away from the body, hence speech which requires many gestures 
to assist its explanation is never as solid, positive, vital, and sin¬ 
cere as a language that contains in its essence all these qualities. 
Now, the language of a race belongs to and is in harmony with 
the grade of development to which the race has attained. And 
the English language, in its construction, is like the Anglo-Saxon 
races in their bodily build, and its peculiar grade of development 
harmonizes with their intellectual and moral status as well; and 
in a certain degree the language suits the mind and bodily com 
formation of the Anglo-American people, who should endeavor to 
harmonize more completely with the genius of the English tongue 
by cultivating the chest tones. 

The American method of using the voice is in harmony with 
their use of the language, for, unlike the English, they use the 
adjective portion most, whereas the English use more the Saxon 
part, or noun element; but the subtleties of this subject are, per¬ 
haps, too complex for a work intended for popular reading. The 
science of physiognomy has its occult and esoteric department, like 
all things in Nature , but this I have endeavored to hold in abeyance 
in writing this work, for that which is most interior, hidden, and 
abstruse would seem to many who do not think profoundly to be 
fanciful, superstitious, or the effect of mere impractical imagina¬ 
tion. I should wish never to have my ideas classified upon either 
of those bases, yet the fact remains that Nature has a secret arcana 
into which only those who have mastered her external phenomena 


THE MOUTH. 


837 


can hope to penetrate. The voice comes from the interior of the 
body, and is, therefore, one of the guides to its most interior mean¬ 
ings, and this is why it is so prolific and many-sided in its revela¬ 
tions of the most interior, vital, moral, and mental states. In the 
translation of these subtle tones, as in the recognition of all of 
Nature’s finer manifestations, the greatest degree of sensitiveness 
is required. Gross beings would fail entirely in comprehending 
them. 

Let the reader by all means study voices, compare tones with 
the shape of the forehead, the nose, mouth, lips, and ear. He will 
observe that the faces of all who emit powerful tones, either in 
speaking or singing, have the lower third of the face relatively long 
and the cheeks round and the lips full. The forehead, too, of * 
those who possess sonorous voices is different in shape from those 
whose voices are faint and low. The frontal sinus in all great 
speakers is large, thus giving the required size of this cavity for 
producing sonorous reverberations. In order to attain the greatest 
effects from any instrument the mechanism involved must be the 
most perfect; hence, in deciding upon one’s ability as a speaker we 
must have in consideration the form of the nose, forehead, chin , 
cheeks, and lips, and the line of closure of the mouth . The eyes 
assist in this quest, for where they are large and full the voice is 
more apt to be strong and rich, and the owner inclined to exces¬ 
sive and fluent use of the faculty of Language. 

The Mouth. 

THE LINE OF CLOSURE. 

The line of closure of the mouth is highly significant of char¬ 
acter, taken either in combination with the shape of the lips or 
without reference to them. The line of closure, like all of the 



Fig. 181.—NORMAL LINE. Fig. 182.— NORMAL MARGIN. 

features, has its foundation in the curve. This is its primitive 
form. A feature which is intended for so many purposes as is the 
mouth must have the ability to execute curves, to form a circle, 
when necessary; hence, it is a most flexible feature. Now, in the 


838 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


most perfected mouths we find that the line of closure describes 
straight, or nearly straight forms, for the mouth, like the larynx, 
“ must be able to construct every gradation of form from the line 
of fissure to the complete circle.” 

In the upper edge of the red portion of the upper lip, we 
find three well-defined curves (see Fig. 181, normal outline of 
margin), and in the lower edge of the colored portion of the lower 
lip there are generally in artistic mouths three slight curves or 
undulations (Fig. 182), and in the lower lip of profound thinkers 
this lower line is, as a rule, formed by a single curve extending from 
one corner of the mouth to the other. (See Figs. 186 and 187.) 

In analyzing a mouth there are certain indications which must 
■ be examined if we wish to gain an accurate knowledge of that de¬ 
partment of character which is represented by the mouth. Lava- 
ter has given several rules for this purpose, and I cannot do better 
than to translate and insert them. He remarks on this point:— 

Examine carefully in every mouth : 

(a) The two lips properly so-called, i.e., the upper lip and the lower 
lip separately; 

( b ) The line which is the result of their junction ; 

( c ) The centre of the upper lip ; 

(d ) The centre of the lower lip, each of these parts in particular; 

( e) The base of the middle line; 

if) Finally, the corners which terminate that line, and where they 
leave off at each side, and by which it is shaded off. Without these distinc¬ 
tions it is impossible either to draw a mouth well or to form a correct 
judgment of it.* 

What Lavater terms “the base of the middle line” is the 
scallop shape formed by the downward projection of the upper lip 
at the place where I have located signs for Love of Young; for this 
scallop-shaped line he had no name, as he gave no specific names 
for facial signs. 

In infancy the line of closure is more curved than in the adult 
stage. In the mouths of orators and in those of profound thinkers, 
the line of junction is usually straight, or nearly so. The curved 
form accords well with the soft flexibility of immaturity, and when 
the line of junction presents three slight curves or undulations in 
the adult stage we And that the artistic sense is the dominant one, 
and, as the artistic is not so highly a developed sense as the scien¬ 
tific, so in the most developed scientists and inventors the line of 
closure is the more nearly straight. These are subtle distinctions 
which will grow upon the discriminating observer, and will by 
continued observation prove (although the indications are minute) 


* L’Art de Connaitre les Homines par la Pliysiognomie, p. 190. 


THE MOUTH. 


839 


that the distinctions are great, and the signification in entire accord 
with the basic laws of Form. 

Infancy is the age of curves. We shall, therefore, find in the 
artistic classes (who are mot so highly developed as the scientific 
and mechanical classes) an abundance of curves in and about the 
mouth and lips. 


THE GRAMINIVOROUS MOUTH. 

The mouths and faces of those whose taste inclines more to a 
grain and fruit diet than to meat-eating are usually of the form ob¬ 
served in the grain-eating animals. Their mouths are small, with 
delicately-formed lips, relatively narrow lower jaw, and thin cheeks. 
The disposition of this class is peaceable, and their passions are not 
easily aroused. They are lacking in physical courage and expend 
all their energies upon useful industries. They are never leaders 
and commanders, but follow where others with more force lead the 
way. 

The sheep, the horse, the deer, and other grain-eating animals 
present the same facial form and similar mental and moral charac¬ 
teristics. 

THE SINGING MOUTH. 

The line of closure of the singing mouth is characterized 
generally by the straight form, with full, red, protrusive lips. 
Almost all singers possess a tolerably wide mouth. Rarely is it 
very small; some even being quite wide, as is the case with Madame 
Christine Nilsson, Frau Materna, Sofia Scalchi, Emma Thursby, 
Annie Louise Cary, Albani, Valleria, Geistinger, Madame Sainton- 
Dolby, Campanini, Gatty, Huntley, and 
others. One great point of difference 
between the singing mouth and the medi¬ 
tative mouth is that the latter discloses 
less of the red portion of the lips, which 
are not usually so full as the former. It 
is impossible to do justice to the singing 
mouth without at the same time giving a 
description of the accessory physiognom¬ 
ical signs, as the mouth alone forms 
only a portion of the mechanism concerned in the production of 
musical sounds. In order to exhibit any form of art the mechan¬ 
ism suited to the purpose must first be had in the bodily organiza¬ 
tion. Painters must possess flexible muscles and a fine endowment 
of color. Sculptors must have a good mechanical mind, along 
with artistic tastes and imagination. The actor must, like the 



Fig. 183. 

MISS EMMA THURSBY. 



840 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


singer, possess flexibility and an excessively emotional and sensi¬ 
tive organism. The singer, in order to produce volume, must have 
space —area—in the construction of the larger mouth, nose, cheeks, 
and frontal sinuses. 

The most decided facial signs of a singer are, then, a short, 
round, muscular nose, full cheeks, length of the face from the 
nostril to the point of the chin, length downward and forward of 
the chin, and height of the roof of the mouth. This formation 
gives the right construction for the production of loud, sonorous 
tones. 

The quality of the sound depends upon the quality of the 
muscles and cartilages of the vocal cords and larynx, and of the 
sensitiveness of the auditory nerves. The ears of all good singers 
are rounding, and exhibit width and depth of the cavity of the 
auricle or shell of the external ear, together “with a large pendent 
lobule.” For further descriptions see the faculty of “Music,” in 
Chapter II. 

THE ARTISTIC MOUTH. 

There are manifold forms and sizes found among artistic 
mouths; yet all without exception are conspicuously curved in both 
lips, and with a serpentine line of closure. As a rule, the lips 
are full and more or less protrusive, showing a bright-red color. 

As under the term “artistic” I include a great variety of 
callings which all demand the supremacy of muscle for their exer¬ 
cise, so it may be well to state that the above 
form of mouth with many variations can be 
found in the physiognomies of painters, poets, 
singers, athletes, actors, etc. Each of these 
classes of artists have, however, some slight 
differences which will be examined seriatim, 
yet all possess more or less of the domestic, 
sentimental, emotional, and sympathetic facul¬ 
ties, for these are the bases of their arts, and 
must have their signs in and about the mouth 
and lips. Of course, one expects to find individual peculiarities of 
structure in the singing mouth that are not essential to the poet 
or painter; yet all have many of the emotional traits in common. 

THE CONVERSATIONAL MOUTH. 

All good conversationists exhibit in the formation of the lips 
and mouth several signs in common. The line of closure is wide, 
or at least moderately so; straight, also, with full, red, moist lips, 
in which the colored part is quite distinct. These lips abound in 



Fig. 184. 

ROSA BONHEUR. 



THE MOUTH. 


841 


curves. Witty, mirthful talkers have the outer corners of the 
upper lip curved upward , while dimples play about the corners of 
the mouth and cheeks. Indeed, in some witty, mirthful faces I 
have observed slight dimples in various parts of the chin and 

cheeks while the subject was engaged in 
conversation of an amusing nature. Vol¬ 
taire, Sterne, and Samuel S. Cox are ex¬ 
cellent examples of this mouth. 

The following-named persons exhibit 
various forms of the conversational mouth: 
Horatio Seymour, Thomas Moore, Oscar 

jean jaqjjes rousseau. Wilde, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Henry D. 
(Conversational Mouth.) Xhoreau? gfc J ohn Lubbock, Harriet Mar- 

tineau, T. B. Macaulay, William E. Dodge, Count Andrassy, 
Franz Liszt, Lady Blessington, Bichard Porson, Buffon, Cuvier, 
Faraday, Johanna Baillie, Thomas Arnold, D.D., Ida Pfeiffer, 
Prof. Bichard Owen, and Harriet Beecher Stowe. 

There is a wide difference between conversation and mere talk¬ 
ing. Fluency is not conversation ; neither can loquacity be ranked as 
such. The mouths of vulgar, loquacious gabblers are exaggerated 
forms of the conversational mouth. Their lips are full, coarse, 
protrusive, and sensual-looking ; their chief lingual characteristics 
are fluency, coarseness, and absence of good sense. This class 
become horse-jockeys, bar-room oracles, patent-medicine venders, 
peripatetic “professors” of hair-dye and corn-plasters, and “cheap 
John” auctioneers. When they talk and harangue their audi¬ 
ences their lips are so loose and flabby and there is so much of 
them that it appears often as though part of their lips would 
escape. Their language is of the same quality and quantity as 
their lips—coarse and plenty of it. 

THE ORATORICAL MOUTH. 

If the mouths of all great orators are examined we shall find 
that they invariably show the line of closure to be straight, hori¬ 
zontal, and wide; the lips full, red, pro¬ 
trusive, and moist, with relative length 
from the nostrils to the point of the chin. 

This affords space for volume. 

To make a practical test of this fore¬ 
going statement examine the portraits of 
John C. Calhoun, Henry Clay, Starr King, 

John Adams, Charles James Fox, Patrick 
Henri, Comte de Mirabeau, Edmund Burke, Abby Kelley Foster, 
Mary Livermore, or any other eloquent speaker, and these signs in 



Fig. 186. 

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS. 




842 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


the mouth will be present, together with large, full eyes and a 
normal degree of color of the eyes, hair, and complexion. 

Almost all the great orators have possessed a great deal of 
color, and this, added to their mental powers, has assisted in creat¬ 
ing fervor and enthusiasm. A pallid orator and one with very 
light eyes has never appeared. 

One very marked peculiarity of the lower lip of orators is the 
large size of the sign of “Patriotism,” fullness just below the red 
portion of the lower lip and slightly toward the sides. 

The upper lip of the more profound orators—those who are 
engaged in the attempt to solve the problems of government and 
other weighty subjects—disclose very little of the colored portion 
of the upper lip. This peculiarity is seen in the physiognomy of 
Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, and Calhoun, but in the faces of the 
humorous, witty, dramatic, story-telling orators the lips show the 
entire red and are quite protrusive. Observe, for specimens of this 
kind, the mouths of Henry Ward Beeeher and Robert G. Ingersoll; 
the former was a grand comedian, and the latter very humorous 
and witty; Gough also was a fine actor. There are others of this 
stamp. Such I class among artistic mouths rather than among 
those who are profound logicians as well as able orators. 


THE MEDITATIVE MOUTH. 

All physiognomists who have described the mouths of thought¬ 
ful persons agree in their description. Lavater, the most accurate 
of physiognomical observers, tells us that 


A liglitly-closed mouth, the dividing line of which is straight, and in 
which the outer edges are not visible, is a certain indication of a studious 

mind. When the lips are closed gently and 
without an effort, and their outline is correct, 
J they indicate a thoughtful, firm, and judicious 
if character.* 



The mouths of thoughtful people as 
fig. i87 .—samuel Houston, they advance m life become more and more 

compressed, so that very little of the colored 
portion of the lips is seen. The red of the upper lip is almost 
entirely hidden. Profound thinkers live more interiorly than do 
artistic people, such as singers, poets, and painters; hence, the 
mouths of the former will be closed firmly and the red portion of 
the upper lip particularly will be nearly hidden. The artistic 
classes live more in the external ,—in the sensational part of their 
natures,—and they show the greater part of their lips; their eyes, 

* Translated from “ L’ Art de Connaitre les Hommes par la Pliysiognomie,” p. 192. 




THE MOUTH. 


843 


also, are larger, more alert; their lively movements and gestures 
and the poise of the head all show that they live mainly in the 
outside of themselves, instead of in the interior—the meditative 
part of their organism. 

The mouths, as well as the eyes and poise of the head, of 
deep, patient scientists, mechanics, philosophers, and inventors 
change greatly with advancing age; their lips, which in youth 
have been full and red and somewhat protrusive, change in after¬ 
life, so that the red portion is not nearly as visible; the eyes are 
lowered and thoughtful, and the head inclines slightly forward and 
to one side. All these changes have been wrought by concentrated 
and consecutive meditation, and as thought is interior action, so 
the eyes being the avenue through which sensations enter the mind 
and the mouth the mechanism by which thought is communicated 
orally, it is logical to infer that the signs of long-continued thought 
would stamp their impress upon these features. 

As the brain is the part of the mind where sensations are 
translated into consciousness, we shall find that this organ will in¬ 
cline forward, as this position favors reflection, in a manner, by 
shutting out passing sights; so we shall find this to be the cus¬ 
tomary attitude of many contemplative minds. See, for example, 
the portraits of Dr. Abernethy; James Watt, the inventor; 
Wollaston, eminent physicist; Sir Samuel Romilly, statesman; 
Sir Joseph Banks, discoverer; Captain Cook, navigator; John 
Smeaton, civil engineer and inventor; Samuel Johnson and Noah 
Webster, philologists; Samuel Wesley, divine. 

Benjamin Franklin’s mouth is the mouth of a thinker and 
talker combined; so also is that of Daniel Webster. The follow¬ 
ing-named persons present excellent specimens of the “ meditative ” 
mouth: John Dollond, inventor; Lord Mansfield, Chief Justice 
of England; James Bradley, astronomer; Edmund Halley, astron¬ 
omer; Lord Shaftesbury, philanthropist and statesman; Sir John 
Herschel, astronomer; Henri Milne Edwards, scientist; Vasco 
da Gama, discoverer; Professor Huxley, scientist; Matthew 
Vassar, successful manufacturer; Elliott C. Cowden, merchant; 
Daniel Webster, orator and profound reasoner; James B. Eads, 
engineer; Cyrus W. Field, electrician; Edwin D. Morgan, states¬ 
man; ex-President Thiers, and Admiral Napier. All the above- 
named persons were deep thinkers, and their eyes, mouth, and 
general facial expression corroborate this characteristic. 

THE COMMON-SENSE MOUTH. 

A mouth of medium size, with the line of closure straight and 
horizontal, and the lips showing considerable of the red portion, 


844 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSiOGNOM Y". 


and of medium fullness, gently closed, and of equal proportions, 
is certainly indicative of a well-balanced mind. Oliver Cromwell’s 
mouth is an excellent specimen of this type, and is the most beau¬ 
tiful feature in his face. Some characters 
possess a talent of common sense. All 
their acts appear to be well done, and the 
best that could be done under the circum¬ 
stances. This class of people are noted 
for the general excellence of all they 
undertake rather than for any special gift. 
Robert Morris, one of the signers of the 
Declaration of Independence, was one of 
this class, and his character shone pre¬ 
eminent in all his endeavors. His mouth discloses a well-balanced 
character. So also do those of Edward Everett, Gerritt Smith, 
Thomas B. Macaulay, Gold win Smith, Albert Barnes, Harriet 
Martineau, Lucretia Mott, and Matthew Vassar, who endowed 
Vassar College for women. 



THE ORDERLY MOUTH. 

This variety of the mouth is most met'with among scientists, 
mechanics, and those who are extremely orderly, precise, and 



Fig. 189.— (Wm. E. Gladstone.) Fig. 190.— (Michael Faraday.) 

TWO TYPES OF THE ORDERLY MOUTH. 


accurate; hence, the osseous will be one of the dominant systems. 
Lavater describes this mouth, and I cannot do better than to 
reproduce his description. He remarks thus:— 

A mouth firmly shut, the cleft of which runs in a straight line in which 
the margin of the lips does not appear, is certain indication of coolness, of 
the spirit of application, the friend of order, exactness, and neatness. 

THE ECONOMICAL MOUTH. 

This mouth presents many of the characteristics of the com¬ 
mon-sense mouth, for true economy is based on good judgment and 
a conscientious regard for the use of money, material, time, strength, 
health, friends, and opportunities. This mouth is wide, the semi¬ 
circle of the upper and lower jaw-bones both presenting an uncom- 




THE MOUTH. 


845 


mon width, together with well-developed lips and breadth of chin 
(sign for Conscientiousness). 

A talented degree of economy demands high faculties and a 
comprehensive intellect; and'une sign of breadth of mind is seen 
in breadth of the jaw-bones, or rather that portion of them which 
forms the semicircle or alveolar process, where the teeth are inserted 
in the jaw. Breadth of this semicircle indicates not only compre¬ 
hensiveness, but also larger conscientiousness than where the semi¬ 
circle is narrow and contracted, and the teeth overlapping each 
other for want of space to grow evenly in a normal manner. 

I hold that true economy is produced by a combination of 
Reason and Conscience, both large, and where the quality of the 
individual is fine in combination we find the best exhibition of this 
trait. 

Now, there are many grades of the saving faculty, from a 
talented degree of economy to a petty, paltry method of hoarding 
for the love of accumulation, which is exhibited by those whose 
mental outfit is quite limited, and who are incapable of giving on 
a large scale. Such beings are compensated by the faculty of 
saving by littles. In this class are many industrious, thrifty persons 
who are not misers, but who are yet constructed morally and 
mentally on a much smaller pattern than the true talented econo¬ 
mist. These characters are not usually possessed of fine tastes in 
art and literature; hence, their nature does not crave the materials 
and opportunities for the enjoyment of such tastes; therefore they 
have no inclination to expend time and money in this direction. 
Their want of intellectual capacity is shown by narrow jaws and a 
small mouth, and this same narrowness indicates that Conscientious¬ 
ness is not very large , nor very strong; hence, this class of indi¬ 
viduals will not be actuated by the highest motives in their endeav¬ 
ors to acquire, but will, like the rat and other rodents, accumulate 
by methods not always the most honorable, and in some cases 
petty stealing will be practiced, and also the hoarding up by littles 
what is thus accumulated. 

As before remarked, there are many grades of this faculty. 
Some of the narrow-mouthed economists will endeavor to acquire 
by depriving themselves of all bodily comforts, or what normally- 
constituted beings consider such; yet some very saving people seem 
not to have any need of what others deem actual necessities. It 
is, therefore, no sacrifice for them to do without these things. 
Then, too, their happiness is derived from small accumulations, and 
the knowledge that they are constantly adding to them. They do 
not seek the indulgence of such expensive luxuries as are involved 
in the enjoyment of music, literature, and hospitality, and in the 


846 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


exhibition of aesthetic tastes. The entire facial make-up of these 
small savers is in harmony with the mouth and jaws. The eyes 
are round, small, and bright, and the nose never very large. They 
resemble in looks and manners the squirrel, the ’coon, the opossum, 
the weasel, the ferret, and the fox. The lips are thin, and closed 
tightly. They are small, active, neat, and secretive, and always on 
the lookout for small chances to gain a little, and are great chatter¬ 
ers of small talk. The acquisitive or saving mouth has been well 
described by J. Stanley Grimes and quoted by me in the descrip¬ 
tion of the faculty of “ Acquisitiveness,” page 541. 

THE DESTRUCTIVE OR CARNIVOROUS MOUTH. 

This mouth is in direct contrast to the preceding one, for it 
depends upon physical capacity and power. It resembles the car¬ 
nivorous animals in size and form, and is indicative of force, cour¬ 
age, and strong passions of various sorts. It is wide, and the 

lower jaw and lip curve outwardly just over 
the lower canine teeth, producing the appear¬ 
ance observed in the mouth of the lion, the 
tiger, and other carnivorous beasts. As a rule, 
those who exhibit this form of mouth display 
a combative disposition, and seek to overcome 
their opponents by physical means. They 
also evince destructive tendencies of all kinds. 

I have observed this form of mouth in some persons of refined 
tastes, but their destructive proclivities were shown by carelessness in 
the use and handling of articles, ornaments, etc., and by destroying 
their clothing and furniture by abuse of them, by rough handling, 
and by lack of proper care, etc. 

The lips of the destructive mouth are very red; the tongue 
large, wide, and strong, and the taste for flesh-meat is most decided. 

CRIMINAL MOUTHS. 

The forms of the mouths of congenital criminals, as a rule, 
“ speak louder than words,” and announce their grade in the scale 
of morals. They are of many diverse shapes and sizes. In some 
the dividing line of the mouth is all aslcew , one side rising higher 
than the other, and in some cases one side will he found wider 
than the other, measuring from the centre of the nose. In others, 
the line of closure is similar to that observed in some batrachians, 
the toad, for example. In others it resembles the forms of several 
of the fish tribe. I have seen some individuals whose mouths 
resembled those of the cod, the trout, and the mackerel. Those 
human beings who possess the latter form of mouth are said to be 



Fig. 191. 

CHIEF GERONIMO. 


THE MOUTH. 


847 


possessed of an inherited appetite for intoxicants. My own ob¬ 
servations confirm this. Now, this habit is abnormal, and leads to 
every species of wickedness. This peculiar formation of the mouth 
shows that it is abnormal, for it is a reversion to a lower-type form, 
and reveals the peculiar characteristic of that form, viz., love of 
fluids, as well as a taste for intoxicating fluids. 

The curved shape of these several classes of mouths exhibit 
the action of the law of perversion , or the law of the skeio ; their 
obliquity and deviation from the straight and horizontal or normal 
form of the line of closure of the mouth betrays their departure 
from the strict line of rectitude. They not only indicate abnormal 
thirst, but, as this form is the form of a very low type in the scale 
of development, it denotes either relative stupidity, insensibility, 
or brutality. It is not a human form at all. Lavater has noted 
this mouth, and ascribes to it the qualities of theft, mendacity, and 
brutality. The more nearly the human mouth approaches in form 
that of any animal, the more the ac¬ 
companying characteristics of that 
species will be exhibited, and the 
lower in the scale of development the 
animal, the lower will be the moral 
status of the individual thus charac¬ 
terized. 

Some criminals exhibit their 
vicious propensities by great dispro¬ 
portion of the lips. In some cases 
the lower one is very full, coarse, 
and protrusive, setting far out beyond the upper one, which is thin 
and pale. In others, the under one is thin and flat, and the upper 
lip large, thick, and projecting. In the latter case there will be 
excessive sensuality, insensibility, and grossness in conversation, 
together with gluttonous tastes. 

Observation and comparison of a collection of notorious 
criminals will reveal the fact that the signs of criminality are to be 
found, first, in the motor or muscular apparatus of the face,—in 
the mouth, eyes, and in the soft parts of the cheeks; secondly, in 
the motive apparatus of the trunk, limbs, feet, etc. All these indi¬ 
cations are explained elsewhere in several places; hence I shall 
only allude to them here in order to show that it is upon the most 
flexible and malleable parts of the system that criminal, vicious, 

stupid, and brutal signs appear. 

One great lesson to be drawn from this is, that inasmuch as 
these signs appear in the most flexible muscles and softest tissues, 
the attempt to improve and elevate these victims of transmitted 



Fig. 192.—A SENSUAL MOUTH. 


848 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


faults is most encouraging, for the very elasticity of these parts 
proves that they are susceptible of modification , for where the 
movements of muscles are often repeated in the same direction 
they become permanent; then, too, there is a law of automatism 
of the muscles and a periodicity of motion of the nervous system 
through the action of which oft-recurring sensations and move¬ 
ments of these two classes of motor-powers create permanet con¬ 
ditions and forms. 

The signs of criminal disposition are treated of in the descrip¬ 
tion of the lips and eyes. The reader can refer to these for further 
instruction. 

That the principle of skewism, scalenism, or sinistrality was 
understood in its practical results , at least by Lavater, is shown by 
the following. He remarks:— 

Of him whose figure is oblique; whose mouth is oblique; whose walk 
is oblique; whose handwriting is oblique,—that is, in an unequal, irregular 
direction,—of him the manner of thinking, character, and conduct are 
oblique, inconsistent, partial, sophistic, false, sly, crafty, whimsical, contra¬ 
dictory, coldly-sneering, devoid of sensibility.* 


The Cheeks. 

GENERAL REMARKS. 

The cheeks of the human face are composed entirely of soft 
tissues, muscles, fibres, adipose material, nerves, vascular tissue, 
lymphatic glands, and an elastic skin, and by reason of their being 
composed entirely of the soft tissues of the body they are more 
susceptible to changes of their form than those features which 
depend upon bone or muscle exclusively for their outlines. 

As before stated, all facial signs of character are situated in 
the tissue or constituent from which the associated mental faculty 
or faculties derive their power. It is thus that Nature points us to 
the source or base of supply of each individual faculty. Now, the 
origin of all of the signs of character found in the lower cheeks is 
intestinal . Hospitality, Alimentiveness, or Digestion, Friendship, 
Approbativeness, and Mirthfulness are directly related to this 
system. No one can doubt this who has ever made observations 
upon the changes wrought in this feature by good digestion, by 
dyspepsia or consumption, or by the sudden falling away of’the 
cheeks through loss of appetite, or by a wasting disease. No 
animal possesses cheeks, properly so called. This part of the 
physiognomy is in them wanting. The development of character 


* Essays on Physiognomy, Lavater, p. 463. 


THE CHEEKS. 


849 


which I associate with this portion of this countenance is also in 
them measurably lacking. Animals do not exhibit in a refined 
manner those traits whose signs I have located in the cheeks, 
although they do possess the germs of all, and exhibit them in an 
animal-like manner in varying degrees. Instead of cheeks they have 
jowls or chops, and those who do not possess these are devoid 
entirely of any semblance of cheeks, and so we may truly say that 
the developed cheek is a purely human feature. Like all facial 
features, it observes an orderly progress in evolution and develop¬ 
ment, and in the perfectly-matured human being one’s grade in 
Sociality, Friendship, Hospitality, and Approbativeness is at once 
settled by reference to the cheeks. Very little is noted in regard 
to the significance of the cheeks in works of art, of anatomy, or of 
expression. This neglect is so wide-spread that when I came to 
this portion of my work I found scarcely any authority by which 
to emphasize my own deductions. It is true, anatomy tells us all 
about the muscles, fibres, vascular apparatus, etc., of the cheeks, 
but nothing about the forms which are developed by the action 
of the juices which arise from the collection of tissues composing 
these features. Poets and lovers have written the most upon 
“rosy cheeks,” “dimpled cheeks,” etc., but I cannot accept as 
correct the deductions of these rather unscientific and partial 
thinkers. Art has perhaps enlightened us the most as to the forms 
of the cheeks, yet nothing in art-writings instructs us as to their 
physiognomical significance, except in a vague and general 
manner. 

The cheeks in the human face are of great assistance both to 
mastication and language. The space gives -room for the tongue 
in comminuting the food into small fragments, while the same area 
enables the singer, orator, and linguist to produce greater volume. 
The cheeks of all great singers are particularly full and rounding; 
they are full naturally, for the body and face of a great singer are 
suited to the performance of vocality from birth,—afterward by 
cultivation the cheeks become more distended by the constant 
practice of loud tones; yet they are never soft or globose, for the 
life-long practice of loud tones develops the muscular fibres of the 
cheek, and although they are elastic, as is required for vocal utter¬ 
ance, yet there is a firm and tense quality of the tissues which is 
not present in the soft, fat, globose cheek, which has not felt the 
effect of vocal gymnastics. Let the reader examine the cl leeks of 
all great singers and speakers, and I dare affirm there will not be 
found one with hollow cheeks among them. See, for example, 
the physiognomies or portraits of Materna, Scalchi, Patti, Huntley, 
Neilson, Madame Sainton-Holby, Campanini, Robert G. Ingersoll, 

54 


850 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Spurgeon, Daniel Dougherty, and Wendell Phillips. Among 
pulpit orators the cheeks of all who are in health present a rounded 
contour. See the Rev. Drs. Field and Joseph Thompson, Bishops 
Elder, Keane, and Simpson, and Rabbi Samuel M. Isaacs. Indeed, 
one will fail to find thin or hollow cheeks in the countenance of 
any one whose profession leads to constant use of the voice in the 
production of loud tones , from the pulpit orator to the auctioneer, 
and peripatetic venders of all sorts. 

Animals are incapable of producing the sweet, melodious 
modulations which are characteristic of the human voice, for the 
reason that they lack the necessary mechanism, among which is 
that development of cheek observed in the human face; hence, the 
members of the animal kingdom bellow, howl, roar, whistle, mew, 
and growl, and the nearer a human voice approaches any of these 
sounds, the more defective is the speaking apparatus and the more 
the character partakes of some animal-like faculty. 

A use for rounded cheeks has here been noted; beauty always 
follows use as a matter of course; that is to say, physiognomical 
beauty, as is proven in the case of the rounded cheeks of orators 
and vocalists. How much superior in form are these to the hollow, 
sunken cheeks of the dyspeptic or consumptive; for, says Dr. Cross, 

Every organ is pliysiognomically good in proportion to its aptitude 
for performing its whole vital and animal functions.* 

The beauty of form and color observed in the cheeks of the 
most beautiful and healthful human beings proceeds from, firstly, 
inherited form and quality; secondly, from such condition of the 
intestinal system as will continue to supply the quantity and 
quality of blood and nutritive juices necessary to preserve the 
original form and color. When by reason of old age the cheeks 
shrivel and become sunken or wrinkled, these changes can be 
accounted for mainly upon the ground of a less vigorous appetite 
or enfeebled nutritive powers. All changes of this part of the 
countenance are directly traceable to the condition of this digestive 
function, hence we are justified in associating the signs of character 
observed in the cheeks with the intestinal system mainly. 

With these preliminary remarks I shall draw your attention 
to the two general divisions of the cheeks. 

THE TWO DIVISIONS OF THE CHEEKS. 

For the purpose of description and analysis the cheeks may 
be divided into two parts, the upper and the lower. The lower 
part, as we have seen, is almost entirely composed of soft tissues. 

* An Attempt to Establish Physiognomy on Scientific Principles, J. Cross, M.D., p. 3. 


THE CHEEKS. 


851 


At the same time it is somewhat modified in form by the shape of 
the lower jaw-bone, as well as by the structure of the alveolar 
process (the bone in which the tepth of the upper jaw are inserted), 
also by the size, form, and condition of the teeth. v 

The upper part of the cheek depends mainly 
upon the form of the underlying malar bones 
and the muscles of mastication. 

Let us examine, first, the several forms, 
colors, and appearances of the lower cheek, and 
afterward follow with a description of the upper 
portion. 

The several general forms of the lower 
cheek are eight in number; all others are modi¬ 
fications or combinations of some one or more of 
these general forms. These eight forms of the 
lower cheek may he classified as follows: The embryonic, the 
globose, or infantile; the gluttonous, or exaggerated; the oval, or 
art-form; the rectangular, or moral; the irregular, or criminal; the 
concave, or consumptive, and the dyspeptic. 



Fig. 193. 


THE EMBRYONIC CHEEK. 

In the early stages of prenatal life the human embryo has 
developed very little of that rounded appearance of the cheeks 
which characterizes the matured infant. At the second month of 
prenatal existence the human cheek is as devoid of development 
as that of the hog, which it somewhat resembles, and, as it reveals 
at this stage no appearance of a chin, the cheeks are very meagre 
indeed. (See Fig. 214.) 

Now, sickness often reduces the cheeks to such an enfeebled 
condition as to cause them to retrograde to an almost embryonic 
state. There are also some undeveloped races, notably the native 
New Zealander, whose cheeks approach the embryotic in form, or 
rather in lack of form, for in these races there are many who ex¬ 
hibit such a formless, shapeless, chaotic condition of the cheeks as 
would justify one in saying they had no cheeks, only a place where 
they might develop. All these appearances teach us that the 
more nearly any given cheek approaches the form of the embryo, 
the more lacking is the character in those traits of which the normal 
cheek stands representative. The more the lower cheek approaches 
an oval or rectangular form, the more is it indicative of normal 
powers in the direction of friendship, hospitality, agreeability, and 
health. 

In the earliest stages of embryonic life the intestinal system is 
not perfectly developed, and its sign in the face (the lower cheek) 



852 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


is also deficient in development. It will be discovered that facial 
features and physical functions advance pari passu , step by step, 
all along the line of progressive growth. It is precisely the same 
with the faculties and functions of the human organism. The devel¬ 
opment or non-development of facial features not only marks the 
progress of functional or physical growth, but it also discloses the 
grade of evolution of the mental and moral powers. How essen¬ 
tial, then, is it to the student of physiognomy that he should 
observe with the eye of accuracy all stages of growth, and all dis¬ 
eased and imperfect grades of facial development, in order the 
more thoroughly to comprehend the several grades of the most 
mature, healthy, and perfect forms. All imperfections of the human 
face register and reveal imperfections of some physical function, 
and consequently disclose moral or mental deficiencies. A thorough 
comprehension of the knowledge of progressive evolution of the 
body and face of the human embryo, taken in connection with 
scientific physiognomy, will point at once to the origin of the 
defect in the body and its corresponding facial undevelopment. 
Deficient development of facial features is shown mainly by con¬ 
cavities, while development, power, and perfection are disclosed by 
convex or full forms; hence, full, rounded cheeks disclose more 
power and stronger digestion than concave or hollow cheeks. A 
convex nose, if broad, is indicative of greater mentality and 
stronger constitution than a concave nose of the same width. 

Prominent cheek-bones announce greater strength and consti¬ 
tution than those which are flat. Rounded limbs are relatively 
stronger than flat ones, and thus by comparison of forms, and by 
application of the basic laws of Form in all stages of development, 
one may gain a wonderful amount of accurate physiognomic 
knowledge. 

THE GLOBOSE OR INFANTILE CHEEK. 

This form of cheek is observed in infants, vegetative beings, 
gluttons, and some idiots. The full, globular form is indicative of 
primitive growths. In infants it is normal, for here it represents 
the beginnings of development. In vegetative adults, it denotes a 
relatively immature condition of mind, for, as has been shown, the 
outline of the body denotes the form or condition of the mind, and 
primitive forms reveal relatively youthful states. 

Many idiots retain the globular form of the lower cheek 
throughout life, and the other parts of the body harmonize with 
this facial feature. The arms, legs, and hands of such subjects 
present a full, puffy appearance, and exhibit a characterless expres¬ 
sion, and one can readily see that there are no marked character- 


THE CHEEKS. 


853 


Istics accompanying their limbs and hands. Such a soft, fatty, 
boneless combination possesses no force, hence the mind is wanting 
in capacity to express ideas, and tliq body, of course, having a very 
weak guiding apparatus, can create nothing. 

The walk of this class reveals their immature mental condi¬ 
tion. The motions of the body in walking are irregular, and 
create a rolling or shuffling gait, lacking in precision in stepping 
and marching, thus indicating absence of the faculties of Time 
and Order. The arms and hands are relaxed, and “flap” about 
without any attempt to carry them in a normal or graceful manner. 



Fig. 194 —CHERUB, BY RAPHAEL. 


There are many degrees of feeble-minded persons who exhibit 
this formation, more or less modified by varying degrees of bone 
and muscle. The more bone, the more hard sense; the more 
muscle in combination, the greater the capacity for art-works. The 
vegetative system large, with a good share of muscle, is often 
accompanied with musical capacity and a good voice for singing, 
and, as singing does not require a high grade of mental power, we 
often observe these two systems dominant in those who excel in 
this department of music. 

THE GLUTTONOUS CHEEK. 

Great gluttons and gormands are often characterized by 
round, full cheeks, which sometimes hang down in soft folds upon 













854 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


the neck and breast. Representatives of the “Fat Men’s Clubs 
are good illustrations of the above. Those who eat voraciously 
without exercising sufficiently are prone to accumulate a large 
amount of soft, fatty tissue in all parts of the body; most especially 
does it develop about the mouth, lips, cheeks, and abdomen. Many 
large eaters work off the surplus fat, and thus maintain equilib- 



Fig. 195.—THE “DIAMOND FAT LADY.” 


rium of the several systems of functions, but in most cases increase 
of weight induces a disinclination to exertion, which assists the 
accumulation of the carbonaceous materials of which fat is com¬ 
posed; and as this accumulation goes on the subject becomes more 
inactive, more sleepy, and more obtuse mentally; the respiration is 
labored, the action of the heart and lungs impeded, and the visceral 
organs clogged by adipose matter, and thus the entire system takes 


THE CHEEKS. 


855 


on an abnormal condition, which often ends in dronsy, hypertrophy 
of the heart, enlarged liver, or other disorders. 

The gluttonous cheek in adults who possess normal mentality 
differs from the globose form oL the idiot or infant. Once seen 
and compared, they cannot he confounded. 

Alexander Dumas, the celebrated French novelist, is a good 
illustration of the gormand, while Daniel Lambert is the highest 
type of the glutton. The cheeks of Louis XIV of France and 
George III of England betray their gluttonous appetites. 

Many great drunkards develop gluttonous cheeks. In their 
case they are tinged with a dark-red or purplish hue, with red veins 
very prominent. Some are more gluttonous in drinking than in 
eating. This class exhibit very full, round cheeks, which are often 
of a yellowish-white, waxy or pasty-looking color. In these the 
facial sign for Bibativeness is most decided. 

OVAL OR ARTISTIC CHEEK. 

The oval form here, as elsewhere in the face and body, repre¬ 
sents the art side of Nature. Those who exhibit a pure oval- 



FlG. 196—LADY PITT. 


shaped face are possessed of esthetic tastes, and if educated accord¬ 
ingly will excel in some department of art, being better adapted 
to this than to mechanical pursuits. They are graceful in motion, 
and in the arrangement of flowers, drapery, clothing, etc., display 
a great deal of taste, and as far as possible surround themselves 
with beautiful objects, and seek artistic associations. Those with 






856 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


this form of cheek possess a taste for belles-lettres , such as poetry 
and fiction, and with a good brain system in combination will in¬ 
cline to metaphysics and speculative religions. The hands of these 
classes are handsome, and the bones and joints almost invisible, 
the finger-joints dimpled and tapering, and the nails oval. 

The portraits of Madame Recamier, Nell Gwynne, Mary 
Anderson, Patti, Sarah Siddons, Raphael Van Dyck, Landseer, 
and scores of painters, poets, actors, and artistic writers display 
the oval form of the cheek. Many oval-faced persons display 
beautiful dimples in the cheeks. 

THE RECTANGULAR OR CONSCIENTIOUS CHEEK. 

This form of cheek belongs to the square-boned individual, 
and denotes the capacity for science or mechanism, and shows the 
presence of large conscientiousness and firmness ; also the ability 

to comprehend hard, cubical, solid, concrete, 
common-sense ideas. 

This form of cheek has a subdominance 
of the oval, if the subject be in good health, 
for where digestion is perfect it always gives 
a certain degree of roundness or curvation 
to the soft tissues of this part of the face. 

ROGER SHERMAN. The limbs, hands, and fingers will agree in 

form with the cheek, and exhibit large, bony 
joints and a square form the entire length of the fingers, with 
square tips and nails. The cheeks of Washington, Lincoln, Glad¬ 
stone, Tyndall, Thomas Jefferson, von Bulow, John C. Calhoun, 
and Lucretia Mott are of the rectangular form, and their lives and 
works were “squared” by principles of right and justice. 

THE DIMPLED OR BEAUTIFUL CHEEK. 

Although the ancient Greek artists in their works ignored the 
dimple in both chin and cheek, it is highly significant of charactei 
wherever found. It is a custom of writers who are ignorant of 
the high physiognomic value of certain features to deny them 
any precise or physiognomic value or meaning. To illustrate this 
I quote the following from the work entitled “ Romantic Love and 
Personal Beauty.” Its author, Henry T. Fincke, observes thus:— 

One of the most essential conditions of beauty in a chin, if we may 
judge by the descriptions of novelists, is a dimple. Yet it is doubtful 
whether a dimple can ever be accepted as a special mark of beauty. Tem¬ 
porary dimples (for the production of which there seems to be a special 
muscle ) are interesting as a mode of transient emotional expression.* 

* Page 412. 



I 




THE CHEEKS. 


857 


’V; 

V0 $g&\: 


How very singular this writer should so lack the logical 
faculty as not to be able to see a great significance in a feature for 
which “there seems to be a special muscle” appropriated “for its 
expression ! ” One would think that muscle material was so plen¬ 
tiful that Nature in a random mood threw out muscles all over the 
human face without intending them for any permanent use and 
destitute of any meaning whatsoever. If this were the intention 
of Nature she chose a limited field for her exhibition and dis¬ 
played a wanton waste and ignorant prodigality. 

The several varieties of dimples are produced by distinct 
causes and have diverse origins and significations. The dimples 
of infancy, such as are observed in nearly all well-nourished babes, 
are caused by a soft, fatty deposition of adipose material in such 
quantities as to cause the skin to form the little dimpled appear¬ 
ances seen upon the breast, body, hands, wrists, and about the 
mouth. The class of dimples observed in the chin and cheeks of 
adults (who are not of the vegetative form) are caused by a pecu¬ 
liar formation of the muscles which 
holds down the muscles in these 
features, and thus makes a perma¬ 
nent impression there. Dimples 
depend for their form upon the 
form of the underlying bone, and 
also upon the peculiarity of the 
muscle itself. 

Can I ever sufficiently im¬ 
press upon the mind of the student 

of physiognomy that “to despise the minute in Nature is to de¬ 
spise the infinite 1” Every line, wrinkle, fold, and expression, no 
matter how minute or transitory, is pregnant with meaning. How 
much meaning, then, must there be in so large a facial feature as a 
dimple in the cheek, such as is very often observed in dramatic 
artists and in many greatly-gifted social characters, whose aflability 
and approbativeness are their strongest traits! 

Dimpled cheeks are seen to the best advantage while those 
who display them are engaged in the active duties of agreeable 
hospitality, pleasant conversation, and social entertainment. 

The dimple in the chin, although more permanent in its ex¬ 
pression than the dimples of Mirthfulness or Approbativeness, is 
so highly significant of character as to enable a scientific physi¬ 
ognomist to decipher one’s kindly and art-loving tastes and tend¬ 
encies by this feature alone, and not only may these two faculties 
be predicated upon the possession of this single dimple, but the 
entire body can be described by one look at this little “imprint of 



Fig. 198.—DIMPLED CHEEKS. 






858 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Cupid’s finger”; so, also, by this feature can the general shape of 
the face be known, for in this case it will be oval in the outline 
of the lower part, the eyebrows arched, the head round, the joints 
small, rounded, and supple, and their bones hidden by muscular 
development, the fingers inclining to taper, and the eyes large and 
prominent. All this and much more can be learned by the obser¬ 
vation of a single little dimple in the chin. 

Dissimilar-shaped dimples have diverse significations. A per¬ 
fectly round dimple, like the one in the chin of Schubert, the 
eminent composer, discloses the highest capacity for art. In his 
case this form is caused by a combination of round muscles with 
round bones, and this is the most favorable combination for play¬ 
ing upon musical instruments. He possessed also a creative brain 
system, and this peculiar combination of brain, bone, and muscle 
imparted sensitiveness to the nervous system, and creative power, 
as well as great flexibility of the motive apparatus,—all essential 
to the production of music. 

A dimple which presents a straight, cleft-like form has a sig¬ 
nification quite different from the perfectly round dimple. The 
perpendicular dimple or cleft is caused by a combination of square 
bones with round muscles, and also a combination of flat muscles 
with round bones. These combinations indicate more taste for art 
than executive ability for art-works, yet those thus characterized are 
capable of achieving a fine degree of proficiency in some depart¬ 
ment of art. 

Dimples of the face are never observed in infants prematurely 
born, nor in infants who are poor and lean; neither are they found 
in the physiognomies of congenital idiots. But in the mature, 
healthy, happy, rosy, well-nourished babe they are almost univers¬ 
ally present, and are found about the mouth, cheeks, hands, and 
body in several places, thus evidencing that they are the signs of 
the presence of comfort, happiness, and mirth. 

There are two classes of dimples in the cheeks, situated in 
two different localities, and these are, like the dimples in the 
chin, subdivided into two general sorts. The dimples near the 
corners of the mouth are some of the facial evidences of mirthful¬ 
ness, love of fun, good humor, and wit. These also are of two 
sorts, the round and the perpendicular. The round ones belong to 
those sportive characters who can create mirth in various ways. 
The cleft-like dimples are seen in the faces of those who appreciate 
and enjoy mirth, fun, wit, and humor, but who have relatively less 
ability to create it. In these mirth is not as spontaneous as in the 
former. Now, in all comic actors, writers, poets, painters, etc., the 
dimples near the corners of the mouth are very apparent, and if 


THE CHEEKS. 


859 


they are not so deep as to be seen when the face is in repose they 
become visible upon the slightest attempt at conversation and in 
smiling. 

The second class of dimples found in the cheeks is situated 
one or two inches outwardly from., the mirthful dimples. These 
dimples are of two forms, round and cleft-like, or they assume the 
form of perpendicular lines which are seen in smiling and laugh¬ 
ing. These dimples in their several forms indicate varying grades 
of Approbativeness. These dimples or lines are always found in 
the faces of artists, actors, and singers, and also in the physiogno¬ 
mies of those refined social characters who are gifted in the art of 
making delicate complimentary speeches, and who are also fond 
of receiving them in return. Surely a talent as creative as this 
requires a “ special muscle ” for its expression in the face; and this 
it has and retains , as any one may prove by comparing the cheek 
of a very approbative, agreeable lady with that of a morose, gruff, 
boorish fellow. The signification of dimples in the chin has been 
described at length in the analysis of that feature, hence unneces¬ 
sary here. 

In all my reading, research, and personal observation I have 
never learned that any savage race has exhibited either dimpled 
chins or cheeks. I have never observed in ethnological works a 
dimpled cheek or chin in the countenance of any individual among 
savage, barbarous, or undeveloped races. The engraving of the 
details of the face in all works is singularly neglected; and dimples 
may have appeared in some semi-civilized races, and not have been 
represented by the artist’s graver. Still, I do not believe that these 
characters are ever present in the savage, for the reason that Mirth¬ 
fulness is never well developed in them; therefore its facial signs— 
its wrinkles and dimples—are not exhibited in their physiognomies. 
It is logical to conclude that they have not reached such stage of 
refinement and of muscular evolution as would produce either this 
beautiful feature or its associated talent and signification. 

If the Greeks did not reproduce this facial sign in their grand 
works of art, it was, as Winkelmann states, for the reason that they 
wished, to approach as nearly as possible to their conception of the 
divine, and avoid as much as possible the imitation of any particu¬ 
lar human being. I suppose they regarded the dimple as a feature 
of lightness, mirth, and sociality, hence not sufficiently grand and 
awful for the expression of divine character. It is strange, how¬ 
ever, that they did not introduce the dimple in their ideals of Venus, 
Daphne, Cupid, and other light and joyous characters. 

Dimples of the cheek and chin are tokens of the affectional 
nature, and denote the active passions of amativeness and a desire 


860 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


to please and attract the admiration of others, hence they are sig¬ 
nificant of fine powers which tend to race-improvement. For my 
own part, I consider dimples among the most pleasing and beau¬ 
tiful features to be found in the face, highly expressive and signifi¬ 
cant of great beauties of both mind and talent. They are certainly 
indications of evolutionary elevation and refinement. 

♦ Dimples upon the hands and body will be treated of in their 
own connection. 

THE CONCAVE OR CONSUMPTIVE CHEEK. 

The physiognomical principle that hollows and depressions 
of the features denote weakness and lack of beauty, and that full 
or convex features indicate strength and beauty, is nowhere better 

illustrated than by a comparison of hollow 
cheeks with those which are full or rounding. 
Where the cheeks are extremely hollow, we 
may conclude that the process of digestion is 
very feebly performed, and this inability tends to 
both dyspepsia and consumption. Where the 
tendency is toward consumption the cheeks will 
not only be hollow, but the jaws and chin, as a 
rule, will be narrow and almost perpendicular instead of curving 
outwardly like the “dramatic jaw.” The nostrils will be narrow, 
and in some a pinched appearance of these features is observed. 

There are several methods used to remedy hollow cheeks 
other than by using plenty of good food. Dubbing them a few 
minutes every day round and round with the hands develops the 
muscular fibres of the cheek. Talking is a light gymnastic method 
of producing plumpness. Playing upon a wind instrument is still 
another method of filling out the cheeks and at the same time of 
strengthening the lungs. Singing and elocutionary exercises are 
pleasant methods of inducing a better shape of the cheek, but no 
remedy is as good as plenty of well-digested food and out-of-door 
exercise in the sun. This is a radical cure. Many persons have 
overcome a tendency to consumption by blowing upon a wind in¬ 
strument, and their cheeks have filled out finely from this exercise. 
The cheeks of all professional singers are round and tense; never 
soft, flabby, or shapeless. 

THE CONCAVE OR DYSPEPTIC CHEEK. 

One of the forms which denote weakness of the digestive 
function is shown by hollowness of the cheeks in the lower part, 
and sometimes in the upper part as well. Where this is congeni¬ 
tal it is almost impossible to remedy it, yet much may be done to 




THE CHEEKS. 


861 


strengthen and develop feeble powers of assimilation and nutrition 
by a judicious diet and by plenty of fresh air and rest. Food 
suited to the taste and that which digests easily is most essential 
in these cases. Change of climate is often one of the greatest in¬ 
centives to a precarious appetite and an enfeebled digestion. Those 
who live on the sea-coast should (if the lungs are tolerably large and 
sound) go to the mountains or to the hill-country; while, on the 
other hand, those who reside in the mountains or hills should seek 
the invigorating effects of the ocean breezes. 

Sponge-baths, quickly applied, are an efficient aid to the dys¬ 
peptic, but on no account should hollow-cheeked persons take a 
full bath unless there is a good red color in the cheeks and a vig¬ 
orous circulation. As a rule, hollow-cheeked people do not ex¬ 
hibit very deep color of 
the complexion. Very 
often they display a pal¬ 
lid, ashen, or sallow tint 
of the skin, and when 
the latter is present 
complications of the 
liver may be predicated. 

Those who from 
birth have hollow or flat 
cheeks are congenital 
and are con- 
ot as strong 
in the friendly, social, 
and hospitable traits as 
those whose cheeks are 
the reverse. In order to 
exhibit these traits in 
their highest power, 
there must be, first, a large supply of nutritive material,—good 
warm blood,—in order that strength shall be created to carry for¬ 
ward the active duties of friendship and hospitality; and, second, 
to enable one to “warm” toward others, else the desire to fraternize 
will be absent. Friendship and hospitality are the most active 
and spontaneous in those whose cheeks exhibit normal fullness, 
and where they are too full for a normal size and shape a 
gluttonous or selfish tendency is present. 

All exaggerations of normal form and size lead away from the 
true and proper function, and tend to grossness or coarseness. 
Deficient size and abnormal forms point to feeble action and weak¬ 
ness of function and reveal defective faculties. This statement is 


dyspeptics, 
sequently 1 



FIG. 200.— CONCAVE OR DYSPEPTIC CHEEK. 



862 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


verified by comparison of hollow-cheeked individuals with those 
who exhibit a normal development of the lower cheek, together 
with those who possess an exaggerated or gluttonous form of the 
features. 

There is no animal as gluttonous as the hog, and its body ex¬ 
hibits in its adult stage the same appearance as the human hog, 
who has crammed and stuffed until his skin is overlaid with deep 
wrinkles, and his eyes, like those of the hog, are scarcely discerni¬ 
ble on account of the rolls of fat which he has manufactured out 
of the good things which he did not share hospitably with others. 

There are other indications of weak digestion and dyspepsia, 
which will be noted in their proper connection. 

THE CRIMINAL CHEEK. 

Many congenital criminals exhibit a peculiar-shaped lower 
cheek, which is unlike any other form previously mentioned. It can¬ 
not be classed with the globose 
nor artistic, and certainly not 
with the rectangular or any 
true form. It is the result of 
the operation of the law of 
sinistrality, or the law of the 
skew. It is a chaotic, soft, 
flabby, and repulsive-looking 
cheek, without any marked 
outlines such as characterize 
all the other forms, and is 
always allied to other criminal 
features. 

The criminal cheek does 
not present the characteristics 
either of the infantile, globose, 
or gluttonous cheeks. It gives one the idea of a mass of soft, 
doughy substance, which has fallen into a chance or hap-hazard 
lorm, and has not been acted upon by any normal law of shaping; 
and this is really the case. To the keen physiognomist it reveals 
a long tale of broken laws, of neglect, of open defiance of moral 
and hygienic rules, and such a course would naturally produce 
ugliness, uncomeliness, and positively hideous forms, as well as 
absence of decided moral and mental tendencies. 

All soft tissues under the operation of normal law assume 
either the globose state of infancy or the oval form of the adult 
stage, and this regular action of normal law produces quite dif¬ 
ferent results in form from those created by the law of perversion or 



Fig. 201.—A CONVICTED THIEF. 






THE CHEEKS. 


863 


irregularity described in the chapter on “ The Basic Principles of 
Form.” 

All criminals are not characterized by this form of cheek, but 
a large number of them exhibit irregular or chaotic shape of this 
feature; yet, wherever it is observed, some other sinister feature or 
features will be found in company with it, and are thus additional 
evidence of the action of the law of sinistrality, or imperfect 
curvation. 

All deviations from normal types reveal departures from nor¬ 
mal action in the nutritive system; hence, all exaggerated forms, 
as well as those that are undeveloped or wanting in normal full¬ 
ness or roundness of outline, indicate defective methods of the 
assimilative processes. 

Those who exhibit criminal cheeks seldom possess a fine, 
healthy color in them, for a criminal state of mind goes with a de¬ 
fective body, and, as color is evolved mainly from the digestive pro¬ 
cess, so these unfortunate beings show by the absence of a bright, 
fresh color of the cheeks the abnormal operation of the digestive 
function. Very few, if any, congenital criminals exhibit a fine, 
bright, clear red-and-white color of the complexion. Some have 
thick, muddy-looking skins, or present a dull, leaden hue, or a 
waxy-looking skin, or one thick with pimples or blotches. 

It is true that some criminals exhibit oval and rectangular 
faces, but these, as a rule, are not congenital criminals, but have 
fallen into crime through some great temptation or under the 
influence of bad associations and bad examples. 


THE NORMAL UPPER CHEEK. 

The upper cheek is very greatly influenced in its form by the 
shape of the underlying malar bones. Prominent cheek-bones are 
in some cases a national type, as, for 
example, the Mongolians, the North 
American Indians, the Siamese, the 
Esquimaux, the Papuans, the Samoieds, 
the Calmucks, and others. Among 
European races the Hollanders, the 
Scotch, the Scandinavians, and Swiss 
exhibit several varieties of height and 
breadth of the malar bones, and in 
these races are almost universally high. 

Of what use in the animal 
economy are high and strong cheek¬ 
bones! This is always the first question to ask in regard to 
physiognomical appearances. Large and strong bones every- 



Fig. 202. 

NORMAL UPPER CHEEK. 



864 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


where, and in every animal organism, are found attached to strong 
and large muscles, hence their chief use is for motion or to pro¬ 
duce motive power. The larger the muscles, the greater power 
they can exert, and large size shows that they have been greatly 
exercised. Large bones are produced by the use of foods in which 
bone-making elements preponderate, and also by lime-water and 
sunlight. Large cheek-bones, hence, belong to those whose ances¬ 
tors have led an outdoor life, and who have lived on bone-making 
foods, such as grains, etc., and who have been accustomed to 
eating food which required an unusual degree of poiver in its 
mastication. The races in which this formation is most marked 
are those that live mainly out-of-doors, or the descendants of those 
that have thus lived. 

As evolution advanced man from a nomadic, arborean exist¬ 
ence to that of semi-civilization, his foods became of an entirely 
different nature from those formerly used. Instead of having to 
tear and grasp bones with his jaws, he has learned to soften his 
nutriment by cooking, and, as he began to cultivate grains and 
fruit, mastication became more and more easy; hence the muscles 
of the jaws and cheeks and the malar bones decreased in size and 
power, until now, in some subjects in civilized races, the jaws have 
become so small from the use of very soft-cooked food for ages as 
to cause them to be abnormally narrow, and the proper num¬ 
ber of teeth are unable to find room in the contracted jaw-bones. 
The cheek-bones, too, have grown smaller and smaller until their 
narrowness is one of the physiognomical signs of weakness and 
shortness of life. 

ABNORMAL FORM OF CHEEKS. 

Cheeks that are flat at the malar bones, and which present 
a perpendicular line where a curve should be, denote consumptive 

tendencies, as well as intestinal weakness, as 
shown by Fig. 203. 

The jaws are still used by savage tribes 
as a prehensile implement, and in civilization 
sailors and others often make use of the 
mouth in grasping knives and other imple¬ 
ments, when both hands are occupied. 
Occasionally a “woman with an iron jaw” 
appears in entertainments, and edifies her 
auditors with feats of skill in lifting chairs 
abnormal cheeks. a nd other heavy articles by means of her 

jaws alone. All this goes to show that 
decrease in the size of the cheek-bones, to a certain degree, is in 
the ratio of advancing civilization and refinement, and this is 



THE CHEEKS. 


865 


supplemented by a corresponding increase in beauty, according 
to both art and physiognomical standards, but beyond a certain 
decrease in size it denotes weakness. 

At any rate, the most beautiful of all the civilized races are 
found with such development of the bones and muscles of the 
cheeks as to serve in shaping the contour of the face into a beau¬ 
tiful oval, or such modification of the oval as contributes to a sym¬ 
metrical appearance of the face, as, for example, the rectangular. 
Symmetry also has its signification in this instance; it denotes 
comparative refinement as well as the proper strength for the use 
to which the improved form is put, viz., the grinding and crushing 
of cooked foods, and the emission of loud yet melodious sounds. 

High cheek-bones also have their physiognomical significance. 
In savage tribes they indicate brute force, ferocity, prehension, 
gross feeding powers, and 
combative propensities. In 
civilized beings all of these 
indications have toned down. 

Combativeness is softened 
to active self-defense , to de¬ 
fense of one’s family and 
friends, instead of aggressive 
warfare. No races are more 
clannish than the Holland¬ 
ers, Highlanders, and Scan¬ 
dinavians, and in these 
classes the high cheek-bone 
has this significance. One 
modification of the 
)ne stands for the 
sign of natural physician. This sign, and its accompanying heal¬ 
ing instinct, is large in the North American Indians. The modi¬ 
fications and refinements of this sign are very subtle, yet to the 
cultivated physiognomist and evolutionist they appear plain, 
simple, and natural. All of the great physicians of the world 
present a certain slight protuberance of the malar bone which 
cannot be mistaken in character after being once observed and 
located. Many natural healers exhibit this formation without the 
mental development of the former. Yet in these the cheek-bones 
are so formed as to show that the healing instinct and power are 
present. See, for example, the portraits of Drs. Rush, Conneau, 
Warren, Abernethy, Sir Astley Cooper, Hahnemann, Thompson, 
founder of the “Thompsonian” system; Priessnitz, founder of the 
“water-cure” system; and Dr. Tanner. 

65 


peculiar 
malar 1 



Fig. 204.—SAVAGE CHEEK-BONES. 
(An Indian Chief.) 







866 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Thus it is shown that what was in the savage a disposition to 
defend life and gain a living by brute force becomes, in its more 
cultivated aspect, self-defense, and, going higher still, it is refined 
into the desire and capacity for protecting life by remedial efforts. 
Such is the evolution of this one species of selfish force,—a won¬ 
derful lesson which Nature affords us, both in progress and evolu¬ 
tion, and in progressive physiognomy. 

In all good surgeons Force is one of the dominant traits. 
When this is allied to skill the ability is present for performing 
those great operations upon the human subject which, without a 
large degree of force, could not be successfully accomplished. 

One of the signs for Sanativeness is relative development of 
the malar bones. Width of the bony structure of the face at 
this point is one of the signs of longevity. 

Very high cheek-bones, in combination with coarse quality, 
are indicative of commonness and coarseness. The same develop¬ 
ment, with a finer quality, denotes self-defense, clannishness, 
natural capacity for nursing and healing by laying on of hands 
and manipulation. 

The natural physician has a smaller development of this 
bone than the former, and those who are flat at this part are never 
good nurses, and dislike exceedingly to undertake the care of the 
sick. 

Such, in -detail, is the significance of the malar bones in their 
several physiognomic aspects. 


The Nose. 

THE EVOLUTION OF THE NOSE. 

A comprehensive history of that greatest of facial features, 
the nose, would fill a large volume, but as the scope of this work 
precludes such amplification, I shall endeavor, within the limits 
allotted me, to give the reader such data as will enable him to 
have a fairly good idea of the immense significance of this almost 
sublime feature,—a feature far removed from an animal form, 
although serving an animal function in the human economy. 
This feature is of such vast physiognomic importance that Lavater, 
speaking of it, observes that 

A nose physiognomically good is of unspeakable weight in the balance 
of physiognomy. It can be outweighed by nothing whatever.* 

As the reader progresses in this chapter, I opine he will be 
quite in accord with the above opinion of this great observer, and 

* Essays on Physiognomy, Lavater, p. 472. 


THE NOSE. 


867 


will, I hope, imbibe some of my own enthusiasm in regard to this 
facial member, which is both organ and feature,—both highly 
mental and highly physiological in its form, function, and sig¬ 
nificance. As this part of the chapter will be very lengthy I shall 
at once proceed to a slight description of the evolution of the 
nose, as shown by Haeckel, and then quote some of the masterful 
analyses of Dr. Cross in support of my theories upon the mental 
significance of this regal feature. 

Fortunately for the advancement of scientific physiognomy, 
it is able in this era to draw upon the most advanced and com¬ 
prehensive methods of evolution, anatomy, physiology, and cog¬ 
nate sciences. These sciences not only aid in the analysis of 
human nature, but also verify my conclusions drawn from ob¬ 
servations of the form of the features, and the colors and qualities 
of the human face and body. Had these ideas been promulgated 
in the preceding century they might have been regarded only as 
tentative or empirical, but, like many other subjects of human re¬ 
search, they have appeared contemporaneously with other ad¬ 
vanced theories, and thus receive their support and verification. 

It is an axiom that the laws of all phenomena are correct if 
they agree with the operations of the phenomena, and are in har¬ 
mony with other established laivs , hence it is that I so often appeal 
to the writings of the best-known minds of this * age for that 
authority which might be denied my own rather positive theories; 
and, again, these extracts afford instruction in many sciences which 
could not be elaborated within the limits of this work. To the 
reader who desires a thorough knowledge of the features of the 
face, the following description of the evolution of the nose by Pro¬ 
fessor Haeckel will be most interesting. Its farther evolution 
(after birth) of the flat and snubbed noses of the savage and imma¬ 
ture classes will be considered under the head of the “Forms of 
the Nose”:— 

The history of the development of this sense-organ (the nose) is of 
high interest. Although the human nose, externally viewed, seems simple 
and single, yet in man, as in all higher vertebrates, it consists of two perfectly 
distinct halves of aright and left nasal cavity. These two partitions are 
entirely separated by a vertical partition, so that the passage into the right 
nasal cavity lies only through the right nostril, and into the left cavity only 
through the left nostril. Posteriorly, the two nasal cavities open separately 
through the two posterior nasal apertures into the head of the pharynx, so 
that the pharynx may be entered without touching the cavity of the mouth. 
This is the passage by which air is usually inhaled. The mouth being shut, 
it enters the pharynx and thence passes through the windpipe into the lungs. 
Both nasal cavities are separated from the mouth-cavity by the horizontal, 
bony palate-roof, to the back of which the soft palate and the uvula are 
attached like a hanging curtain. In the upper and hinder portion of both 


868 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


nasal cavities the olfactory nerve extends over the mucous membrane 
which lines these parts. This is the first pair of brain-nerves which issue 
from the skull-cavity through the sieve-bone. Its branches extend partly 
over the partition wall and partly over the inner walls of the nasal 
cavities, to which are attached the “ shells ” or spongy bones of the nose,— 
complex bony structures. These “ shells’’are much more further developed 
in many of the higher mammals than in man. In all mammals there are 
three of these “ shells ”in each of the two nasal cavities. The sensation of 
smell is produced by a current of air containing odoriferous matters passing 
over the mucous membrane of the cavities and there coming in contact with 
nerve-ends. 

The peculiar characters which distinguish the olfactory of mammals 
from that of lower vertebrates are represented in man. In all specific 
points the human nose exactly resembles that of the Catarhine apes, some 
of which indeed possess an entirely human external nose. (See Semnopithe- 
cus nascius.) The first rudiment of the olfactory organ in the human 
embryo does not, however, show any signs of the fine form of the future 
Catarhine nose. Indeed, it first appears in the same form which persists 
for life in fishes,—in the form of two simple pits or grooves in the skin of 
the upper surface of the head. In all fishes two of these mere blind nose- 
pits are found in the upper surface of the head. Sometimes they are situ¬ 
ated at the back near the eyes; sometimes near the snout; or, again, near 
the mouth-opening. They are lined by mucous membrane in folds, over 
which the end-branches of the olfactory nerves spread. Comparative 
anatomy thus still shows us simultaneously in the ascending series of the 
double-nostriled vertebrates, from fishes up to man, all the various stages 
of development of the nose, which the very highly-developed olfactory organ 
of the higher mammals has passed through successively in the different 
periods of its tribal history. The first rudiment of the organ of smell in 
the embryo of man, and in that of all the higher mammals, makes its appear¬ 
ance in the same entirely simple form which is retained throughout life by 
the nose of fishes. 

At a very early stage, and while no trace of the characteristic facial 
structure of man is yet visible, a pair of small grooves appear on the front 
of the head and before the primitive mouth-cavity. These were first dis¬ 
covered by Baer, and by him properly-enough named “olfactory grooves.” 

The external nose is not developed until long after all the essential 
internal parts of the olfactory organ have been formed. The first trace in 
the human embryo during the first month shows that originally there is no 
trace of the external nose. It afterward grows out of the anterior nasal 
portion of the primitive skull. The form of nose which is characteristic of 
man does not appear till a period far later. 

Much stress is usually laid on the shape of the external nose as a noble 
organ, occurring exclusively in man; but there are apes which have very 
human noses, as, for instance, the nosed-ape already mentioned. On the 
other hand, the external nose, the fine shape of which is so extremely 
important to the beauty of the facial structure, possesses in certain inferior 
races of man a shape anything but beautiful * 

The preceding account of the evolution of the nose shows us 
that it first appears in the human embryo as two simple pits. 
This rudimentary stage and appearance has its counterpart in the 
faces of some individuals of the undeveloped races, whose pictured 

* The Evolution of Man, Ernst Haeckel, vol. ii, p. 240 et seq. 


THE NOSE. 


869 


representations by Lavater and by writers on ethnology show their 
noses to be little more than two round holes in the plane of the 
face where the nostrils are usually situated. These classes of 
noses indicate animal characteristics almost entirely devoid of any¬ 
thing of a mental cast. Now, from this low form of the nose up 
to the most perfect nose of the scientist or philosopher are many 
intermediate forms, each increasing in size; each indicating higher 
grades of mentality; thus proving that the basic law of physiog¬ 
nomy, viz., that “the size of the nose controlled by quality is the 
measure of power,” is in harmony with Nature’s manifestations, 
and that the flat nose of the negro and the snub-nose of many 
Caucasians are indices of comparative undevelopment of other 
parts of the body and mind. 

The prominent part which the nose plays in speech and in 
vocalization must be borne in mind. The savage tribes have a 
language which lacks resonance and richness. Their vocabulary 
is extremely limited, being confined to a few hundred words at 
most, and totally incapable of the melodious vocalization of the 
more advanced races. Not only are they incapable of compre¬ 
hending ideas involved in the language which the highest races 
use, but they are also physiologically defective in the structure of 
the throat and nose, and in all the parts involved in fine vocality. 
Mind and function develop together, and when they are on a low 
grade, both mentally and physiologically, their noses and mouths 
disclose their low mental as well as low linguistic status. The 
variations in lingual capacity are far less marked among indi¬ 
viduals of the civilized races, yet between the ornate and fluent 
language used by a Webster or a Clay to the limited vocabulary 
used by a commonplace or feeble-minded youth there are many 
gradations. 

There are many variations of structure of the labial, laryngeal, 
and nasal organs. The more developed these organs, the more 
comprehensive and fluent the language. 

These structures in infants being unperfected, prevent the 
perfect enunciation which characterizes their later efforts, while 
the same organs in the feeble-minded and idiotic are very far from 
the normal standard in form and size. In these classes imperfect 
curvation , not only of cellular tissue but of the organs as a whole , 
is apparent; hence, the manifold defects in speech that are 
observed in asylums for these unfortunate creatures prove a 
valuable lesson to the physiognomist. 

The nose and mouth of these two classes would disclose these 
differences in grade without referring at all to the brain or form 
of the head, 


870 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


The development of the human nose from childhood to the 
adult stage is most instructive. In infancy it has the form which 
is characteristic of those races that never arrive at a highly 
developed stage. Later, as the mind becomes active and the larynx 
and the bones of the nose and head are developed and perfected, 
the nose rises and at about the age of puberty assumes the size 
and form that it permanently exhibits. This lesson in nasal 
development in connection with mental development is witnessed 
in the progress of every individual from birth to adult life, and yet 
it seems to have failed in impressing upon observers any very 
important physiognomic lesson. So true it is that what is common 
and habitual to man impresses him the least. Were each one of 
us to look upon a human face for the first time in our lives, after 
arriving at manhood, we should regard it as the most singular 
object which we had ever beheld, and immediately commence an 
investigation of it; but, as it is the most common and familiar 
object we behold, by a strange inconsistency, less is known of its 
real significance than that of any other object with which we are 
familiar. 

As the nose and nostrils develop in size, the lungs become 
larger, and as respiration on a large scale gives the power for 
active movements, so we shall find that it also energizes the mind. 
Dr. Cross analyzes this function as follows:— 

As the nose is the proper entrance into the respiratory organ, and as 
the energy is proportioned to the respiration, so the size of the nostrils 
must stand indicative of the whole energy of the animal. By the nostrils 
are to be understood not merely the two external orifices, but also the two 
nasal passages in their whole extent. Although the nose is less complicated 
in structure, in function, and in physiognomical expression than the mouth, 
3^et, as breadth is more nearly connected with life than food, and as the 
chest is situated above the body and the nose above the mouth, so the nasal 
organ must indicate qualities of a stronger and more dignified nature than 
animal appetites and passions,—indicates, indeed, that very energy which it 
is the great business of the passions to rouse into action. The nose may 
be said to occupy all the upper jaw above the roof of the mouth or the floor 
of the nostrils. Above, it is separated from the brain by the cribriform 
plate of the ethmoid bone and by the clinoid processes, or sella turcica of 
the sphenoid bone. On either side it is bounded by the orbits and by the 
cheek-bones; below it rests upon the roof of the mouth. Thus the nose forms 
a long, arched vault, broad below, narrow above, the two anterior extremi¬ 
ties of which look into the atmosphere ; the posterior into the gullet. The 
nasal cavity also extends on each side into the maxillary caves, upward 
into all the spongy bones and frontal sinuses, and backward into the cellu¬ 
lar structure of the sella turcica. Thus the nasal cavity is extended and 
enlarged, in every possible direction, and has actually by its encroachments 
hollowed out and undermined the whole fabric of the upper face. Thus 
the two openings, mouth and nose } ivhich lead into the two great vital organs 
occupy nearly the whole face. * 


THE NOSE. 


871 


In making a study of the evolution or development of the 
nose, we are first led to examine the noses of animals, among 
which the elephant takes first rank in nasal structure, as his pro¬ 
boscis is not only nose but hand, and capable of many diverse 
intelligent acts. Its length and flexibility are qualities which ex¬ 
cite our attention, for it is the most unique feature presented by 
any animal. Compare the mind of the elephant with the size or 
length of his proboscis (for thus does its size show forth), and we 
shall find that its intelligence, reason, and intellect are in direct 
relation with this feature. No other animal possesses his sagacity, 
his foresight, his carefulness, for length of nose is indicative of all 
these qualities ; most particularly of Cautiousness, as shown in the 
long noses of the Hebrew race, the most provident, far-sighted, 
and cautious of all races. 

The horse and some species of dogs come next in rank in the 
size of nose, shown mainly by length. Some dogs are short-nosed, 
and these are not so intelligent as those with a longer one; they 
are less careful, also. Several of the ape tribes have long noses, 
but their physiognomic value is neutralized by the close approxi¬ 
mation of the eyes to the nose, which in man or beast denotes 
relatively less breadth of mind and less intelligence than where 
the width is greater, as in the dog, horse, and elephant. And so 
we might continue the analysis of the nose as related to animal 
intellect indefinitely, but we must pass on and note the absence of 
development of all infantile noses. Without exception they are 
all flat in the centre, and resemble the forms which many immature 
persons exhibit throughout life. 

Among the undeveloped, rude, barbarous, and savage races 
that retain a relatively undeveloped form of nose are the following, 
viz.: The Mongolian, the native Australian, the Negro, the Cal- 
muck, the Malay, the Polynesian, and the Esquimau. Unde¬ 
veloped noses, depressed in the centre, with nostrils spreading out 
low and flat are found among the undeveloped, immature, and 
poorly-organized of the Caucasian races, also in infants and many 
feeble-minded persons, and idiots, and other comparatively defective 
human beings. 

A thorough investigation of the faces of all the previously- 
named classes will show that the nose advances in the ratio of 
intelligence, and that a finely-formed nose is not only indicative of 
improved functional powers, viz., those of scent and of resonance 
of the voice, but it is the best facial indication of intellect , showing 
not only the kind or sort of mentality, but also the degree of force 
or power which will be exhibited. 

AH of the several aspects of the nose will be treated seriatim, 


872 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


commencing with its physiology and its three divisions, followed by 
the physiological and mental signs which Nature has placed upon 
it, and which I have been so fortunate as to discover. 

Before entering upon the analysis of this grand facial feature, 
I deem it necessary to define my use of descriptive terms, inas¬ 
much as there seems to be a woeful absence of precision in the 
application of these terms, and also great confusion of ideas in 
regard to the comprehension of the forms of the facial features. 
The majority of people are apparently more unobservant of the 
forms of the human face, its lines and features , than of any other 
objects; while they are able to discuss intelligently a picture, or 
describe a gown or hat, with the utmost accuracy, I have been 
amazed at the utter ignorance displayed by otherwise intelligent 
people as to the precise form, color, and texture of faces and 
features which they daily observe. I am also surprised at the lack 
of precise terminology used in attempted descriptions of the several 
parts of the features. To clear up this confusion I subjoin the 
following definitions, hoping that their application may assist in 
the comprehension of my analyses and delineations of the nose:— 


The under part of the nose I term, 

The two openings at the base, 

The outer and lower sides at the nostrils, . 
The extreme point,. 

The top of the nose from the root to the 
tip, . . . . . . . 

The partition between the nostrils, 

The fine hairs inside the nostrils, . 

The highest part of the back of the nose, 
The sides of the nose above the wings, . 
The point of junction with the forehead, 


The base. 

The nostrils. 

The wings, or alae. 
The tip or lobe. 

The back or dorsum. 
The septum. 

The cilia or vibrissae. 
The bridge. 

The sides. 

The root. 


With these definitions of the several areas of the nose, my 
analyses and descriptions can be fully understood. 


THE PHYSIOLOGY OF THE NOSE. 

In accordance with the method pursued throughout this work, 
I shall discuss, first, the physiological aspect of the nose; afterward, 
its mental significance. 

The physiological uses of the nose are many and varied. It 
is used primarily for 

(a) Breathing, inhaling, and exhaling. 

(b) Scenting, to protect the lungs and stomach from noxious gases, 
foods, and drinks. 

( c) Warming the air to protect the sensitive lungs. 

( d ) Carrying the blood to the brain rapidly, and in large quantities. 

( e ) Assisting the general circulation of the blood. 


THE NOSE. 


873 


(/) Assisting the voice in producing sonorous tones. 

( g) Energizing bodily movements. 

(h) Filtering the air by its passing through the cilia, thus excluding 
dust, etc. 

The larger the nose and its accessories, the more powerfully 
will all of these functions be manifested, provided fine quality be 
present. 

The deeper the inhalation, the stronger will be the mental 
manifestation; that is to say, the better the breathing capacity in a 
given individual, the better able will that individual be to manifest 
his mental power. It will not make him more mental, nor give 
his brain a higher quality than was his birthright, but it will 
enable him to make more useful that which he already has; it will 
increase his mental powers in the direction of activity. 

Large, high, and broad noses exhibit more nearly the sense 
of scent than narrow and high, or depressed noses. In the animal 
kingdom this is well illustrated by comparison of the greyhound 
with the bull-dog and blood-hound. The former has little, if any, 
sense of scent, while the latter displays an intense carnivorous 
phase of the scenting function. 

A long and broad nose will warm the air which enters the 
lungs more than a flat or thin nose, for the reason that the air 
passes over a greater surface before reaching the sensitive lungs. 
Thus does a long nose better protect the body (physiologically) 
than a short or narrow one. Later, we shall find that the longer 
the nose the more watchful, guarded, and careful is the individual 
(mentally). The noses of the majority of consumptives are either 
high and very thin, with very narrow nostrils, or very short, and 
depressed at the centre. 

Deep breathing (through the nose) assists the general circu¬ 
lation, and a large nose and nostrils reveal this power, for the rate 
of the motion of the blood stands in direct relation with the size 
of the nose, lungs, and heart. 

The f unctional action of the brain is also strengthened by the 
impulse given to the volume of blood sent to that organ by power¬ 
ful and deep inspirations. 

The voice is most especially affected by the size and form of 
the nose and nostrils and the accessory organs the frontal sinuses. 
The size and form of the nose, together with the development of 
the sinuses, contribute to produce sonorous tones. 

Energetic movements of the body depend mainly upon the 
amount of air inhaled. Those who possess large lungs and heart 
are the most rapid and continuous in motion. The race-horse is a 
good example of this structure; the various deer tribes, also, whose 


874 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


thoracic development is relatively greater than the muscular system. 
The mind is also clear and active, and the sensations intensely keen, 
with this development. 

Large lungs, associated with small or medium-sized brain, 
afford the best combination for rapid locomotion and mental ac¬ 
tivity. A large brain with average or small lungs indicates slow 
movements. The brain seems by its co-operation with the lungs 
to be the controller of bodily movements. It may be considered 
as an organ of co-ordination, for it certainly by its relative size 
affects the movements of the limbs. A large front brain, unless 
associated with a large nose, nostrils, and large lungs, is a sign of 
either great stupidity or excessive slowness of thought and move¬ 
ment. The ancient writers, from Aristotle down, are all agreed 
upon the idea that a great forehead indicates great dullness. They 
did not apparently relate the lungs to the brain as I do. Had 
they done so they would have given a more enlightened view of 
the size of the forehead. Daniel Webster had a forehead of noble 
proportion, but his chest-cavity and digestive powers were equally 
great; hence his ability. 

The preceding are the purely functional or physiological uses 
of the nose and its accessory organs. When we arrive at the con¬ 
sideration of the mental significance of the nose we shall find that 
it has many more mental meanings than physical offices. 

The intimate relation of the brain—the principal mental 
organ—will then become apparent, for the respiratory system, the 
nose, and the intellect advance pari passu in development from 
the ape to the man. 

Observation of those races that have remained fixed and sta¬ 
tionary in their uridevelopment for thousands of years (as the 
negro, for example,) shows that their noses have retained the same 
form that their ancestors then bore. The sculptured remains of 
Egyptian and other schools of art, as discovered by archaeologists, 
prove this to be the case. All of which goes to show that the 
development of intellect and the nose stand in direct relationship 
and rise and fall together. 

Doubtless the width of the nose at its root in the negro af¬ 
fords such expansion of the olfactory ganglia as creates in him 
powerful scenting capacity. Yet I doubt that his scent is as sus¬ 
ceptible to delicate odors as one less wide but of higher quality. 
The width of the root of the nose, of the back, and of the nos¬ 
trils all denote more power of those functions and faculties which 
they respectively represent than if these parts are narrow. Breadth 
always indicates vigor or power, and narrowness denotes weakness, 
unless the quality is sufficiently high to offset mere size or quantity. 


THE NOSE. 


875 


Thus, breadth of the nostrils always announces large, capacious 
lungs, on the principle of homogeneity. Nature makes every part 
to match every other part, and wherever there is a large thoracic 
cavity the nostrils are large in order to assist the ingress and 
egress of the large volume of air required to fill the lungs. Large 
nostrils presuppose a powerful heart, for the heart stands in direct 
and intimate relationship with the lungs, and if the latter are large 
the heart must be correspondingly vigorous to assist the process of 
circulation. Thus, we have in the nose the signs for the lungs 
and heart. 

The part performed by the liver in the process of clarifying 
the blood is no less important to mental manifestation than it is to 
physical purity and soundness. The liver is a “clearing-house” 
for the blood; it is in this organ that the purification of the blood 
takes place; hence, this organ must be on the most intimate terms 
with the lungs and heart, as all three are equally interested in the 
circulation of the blood. The relative position of each of these 
organs in the body is such as to favor their associated efforts. 
Their signs in the face are also in such contiguity as to point to 
the intimacy of their action. The sign for the liver is the down¬ 
ward development of the septum of the nose; its situation is between 
the two nostrils, which are the signs of the lungs. All three of 
these organs contribute by their power and development to create 
the necessary nourishment for powerful cerebral action; hence, the 
more vigorous these three organs collectively, the greater the ability 
of the brain to think clearly and profoundly. The liver by its 
vigor assists directly to clear the blood, and when thus purified it 
is sent directly to the brain. It is thus shown how directly the 
brain is dependent upon the action of the liver for ability to think 
clearly. Thus, we see that those who exhibit the sign of an active 
liver in the septum of the nose exhibit also the faculty of analyz¬ 
ing—of clear thinking. It does not follow that they also think 
profoundly —that is seen by other signs; but they will be able to 
analyze clearly whatever they are attracted to by the combination 
of their other faculties. 

I cannot now name any person eminent as a logical thinker 
in whose face or portrait the sign for analysis—for an active liver 
—is absent. 

The sign for one other grand function is found in the nose. 
At the bridge the sign for the stomach is found. If the nose be 
broad and high at this point the stomach is congenitally vigorous, 
but where the nose is very flat, or thin and high at this part, the 
stomach-digestion is relatively weaker. In order that the brain, 
as well as the body, may be vigorous, it is essential that the 


876 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


stomach be strong and normal in all its operations, in order to be 
able to prepare the aliment received into it for the next stage of 
digestion, viz., that performed by the intestinal tract. Where 
both these divisions of the digestive system are vigorous, perfect 
assimilation of all the food received is accomplished, and a large 
supply of that nourishing fluid, the blood, is created, and thus the 
entire system, the brain not only, but the nerves, the bones, the 
muscles, and all other tissues of the human economy are supplied 
with the nutriment essential to the manifestation of strength of 
body and mind. Where the digestion is perfect, the liver active, 
the breathing apparatus sound, and the circulatory system har¬ 
monizes with the digestion, we may reasonably expect a mani¬ 
festation of great strength of body or great mental vigor, or both 
combined. 

All of the above-named organs, viz., the lungs, the heart, the 
liver and stomach, are closely related in the process of creating, 
distributing, and cleansing the blood. Mental power and vigor 
depend upon the quantity and quality of blood furnished to the 
brain, and this last statement reveals how and why the nose be¬ 
comes the indicator of both mental faculties and physiological 
functions. 

It is thus shown that in order to have perfect intellects we 
must seek to have perfect bodies, composed of organs that are 
normal in size and activity. The most powerful mental characters 
in the world’s history have been men of large physical powers, 
and these men, without exception , have exhibited large noses. 
Mental force demands fuel, and this fuel is manufactured in the 
stomach, heart, liver, and lungs. These together form a great 
“steam box,” or driving power, for that mighty engine—the 
human mind. 

The intestinal system has representation in the nose, through 
the sign for Acquisitiveness; also by the color of this feature, for 
as color is evolved from the glands and exhibited by the arteries 
and veins, so the color of the nose denotes the health-conditions 
of the blood. The fullness of the sides of the nose, just above 
the wings (see the sign for Acquisitiveness) denotes both intestinal 
and muscular vigor. Weakness in these functions is shown by 
concavities or a pinched appearance at this place, as is often seen 
in the noses of congenital consumptives. Thus is the physiological 
mapping of the nose completed. Its mental chart is yet more 
wonderful, for as every tissue of the body is comprised in the nose, 
viz., bone, nerve, ganglia, muscle, cartilage, skin, blood-vessels, 
arteries, mucous membrane, glands, and cilia, so also do the signs 
of the mental faculties which are situated upon the nose find their 


THE NOSE. 


877 


representation in these several tissues. The more forceful traits, 
such as Executiveness, are shown by bone development; the softer 
and more yielding, as Constmctiveness, Imagination, Imitation, 
etc., are exhibited by the muscular or fibroid development. Thus 
is another link added to the marvelously complex chain of both 
revelation and evidence, which are piled like Ossa upon Pelion, in 
order that the proofs shall appeal to many sides of our intelligence, 
and that they may be remarked by many diverse explorers. 

THE ANATOMICAL FORMATION OF THE NOSE. 

The consistency of the nose is dependent upon the kind of 
tissue that enters most largely into its structure. Bone, muscle, 
and cartilage, together with veins, glands, and nerves, are the 

main constituents. 

* 

The size as well as the shape of the nasal bones varies, yet 
the number is the same in all civilized races at least. 

TABLE OF ELEMENTS TO BE CONSIDERED IN RELATION TO THE NOSE. 

In order to make anything like a systematic analysis and de¬ 
scription of the nose, the following conditions and details should 
be examined, as well as the evolution, the physiology, the anatomy, 
and the signs of intellect which Nature has placed in the nose :— 

(a) The three general forms : The concave or negative, the straight or 

passive, the convex or positive. 

( b ) The three general sizes : Small, medium, large. 

(c) The three widths: Narrow, medium, wide. 

( d ) The three general heights : Flat, medium, high. 

( e ) The three general lengths : Short, medium, long. 

(/) The three general forms of the nostrils : Narrow, oblong, round. 

( g ) The three positions of the nose relative to the plane of the face : Hori¬ 

zontal, upward, downward. 

( h ) The characteristics of these three positions : Noble, aspiring, ignoble. 

(i) The three stages of development of the septum : Downward, even with 

the lower edge of the nostrils, above the nostrils. 

( j) The three general widths of the septum : Narrow, medium, wide. 

(k) The three forms of the lobe or tip : Pointed, rounded, angular or bevel- 

edged. 

( l ) The three horizontal divisions : Artistic and literary, executive, self- 

willed. 

(m) The three principal constituents : Cartilage, muscle, bone. 

(n) The three grades of consistency : Soft, flexible, hard. 

(o) The four physical functions, the signs of which are situated in the nose: 

Breathing, circulation, digestion, motion. 

( p) The six organ systems, the signs of which are found in the nose: The 

lungs, the liver, the heart, the stomach, the muscular and the 
osseous systems. 


878 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


The evolution and physiology of the nose will also be dis¬ 
cussed, and an exhaustive analysis of forms will be made. What¬ 
ever may be here omitted in regard to this most wonderful feature 
of the face must be learned from the living subject. 

GENERAL REMARKS. 

We can very easily facilitate the analysis of the nose by sub¬ 
dividing it into three parts—lower, middle, and upper; for as the 
nose is a most developed and significant feature, so is it complex 
in its multiform meanings. It is true that it is not as complex in 
its mechanism as the eye or ear, but there are reasons which pre¬ 
clude the necessity for such complexity. In the first place, it is 
an external organ, mainly; yet it has accessory organs that are 
hidden from sight. External features never exhibit the same com¬ 
plexity as internal ones, for they have arisen out of that occult 
stage, leaving the intricate machinery hidden, and stand forth 

simplified, yet significant of many things. 
This is the case with the external part of the 
ear, while the more complex and intricate 
mechanism, which renders it so susceptible to 
the subtleties of sound, is buried deep be¬ 
neath its bony encasement. The external 
shell or auricle reveals the most hidden mean-. 
ings as to the capacity of both sound and 
hearing. At the same time it discloses many 
characteristics, which will be discussed later 
under their own proper headings. 

The olfactory nerve, which is devoted to 
the perception of scents and odors, sends 
forth its branches and filaments to the nose, at the root of which 
lies the olfactory bulb. From this bulb arise filaments, which are 
distributed to the nose and nostrils in a very liberal manner. It 
is this elaborate and affluent nervous distribution upon the inner 
walls of the nostril, and upon its surface, that gives to the devel¬ 
oped nose of the highly-bred Caucasian its grade as a first-class 
representative of the intellect. 

The subtleties of nervous mechanism, and of nervous ramifi¬ 
cation, together with high quality, are the causes which conduce 
to a high grade of development of an organ or feature; hence it 
is logical to infer that the ramifications of the olfactory nerve in 
the brain, and throughout the whole extent of the nose, would be 
more diffused in the higher-organized being than in the brain and 
nose of the immature, defective, or barbarous classes. Reference 
to the inner mechanism of the olfactory nerve, both within the 


Executive 



Constructive. 


Artistic gp- 
and 

Literary 


Fig. 205. 




THE NOSE. 


879 


brain and within the external nose, will show that it has high 
duties to perform, and it is by the physiological analysis of the 
mechanism of a feature, added to its external shape and observa¬ 
tion of its use and purpose, that we arrive at a just and compre¬ 
hensive knowledge of its rank and importance in the human 
economy. 

Added to this is the fact that scenting is one of the more primi¬ 
tive functions—for as inhalation of the atmospheric air is the first 
act of life, so the sense of scent acts in unison with it, and scents 
the air even before it reaches the lungs. I have shown that all 
primitive functions are the most important, and exert a controlling 
influence upon the individual; hence the olfactory apparatus must 
take rank as among the very highest in the human economy. 
And the nose, viewed from 
every stand-point, is the 
most important feature of 
the face, and is significant 
of more functions and fac¬ 
ulties than any other feature. 

The nervous mechan¬ 
ism of the developed Cau¬ 
casian nose must be much 
more elaborate in its rami¬ 
fication than that of imma¬ 
ture beings; for nerve 
elaboration and sensitiveness 
are two of the most impor¬ 
tant factors in the develop¬ 
ment of a finely-formed and 
finely-organized nose; hence 
I use as an illustration the 
so-called Greek nose, this 
form describing the mean between the most powerful nose, the 
executive, and the flat nose—the feeblest ol noses. 

Language utterly fails to adequately describe the full sig¬ 
nificance of the nose; yet science makes the attempt , for no other 
department of knowledge could do even this with any hope of 

success. 

• The lowest part of the nose exhibits the signs for the lungs 
by the two apertures—the nostrils. These are also the principal 
signs for Pneumativeness. 

The sign for the liver is shown by development of the septum. 

The sign for the intestines is fullness of the sides above the 

wings. 



Fig. 206.—LOCATION IN THE NOSE OF THE 
SIGNS OF THE VISCERAL ORGANS. 


880 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


The sign for the heart is shown by the size of the nostrils 
and the color of the skin. 

The sign for the muscular development is shown by general 
f ullness and roundness of the entire feature. 

The sign for the nervous system is shown by general develop¬ 
ment of the lobe or tip of the nose, and by the quality of the texture 
of the slrin-covering. 

The sign for the bony system is shown by height , width , and 
solidity of the upper part, and relative length, for the dominance 
of the muscular system shortens and the dominance of the osseous 
system lengthens the nose. 

The sign for the stomach is shown by height and width at 
the bridge, and width or fullness of the sides just below it. 

The root of the nose, if full , broad, as well as high, and 
nearly on a level with the forehead at its junction, is a corrobora¬ 
tive sign of the muscular system. 

These are the physiological aspects of the nose and the situa¬ 
tion of the physiological signs. 

The wonderful harmony existing between the human mind 
and body finds its most convincing witness in the signs in the nose, 
from the fact that all signs are situated in and exhibited by the 
particular tissue upon which the associated faculty depends for its 
ability to manifest its power. The sign for Executiveness, for ex¬ 
ample, is exhibited by the hones of the bridge of the nose, and 
this faculty depends upon a fine development of bone to manifest 
itself. ' 

The sign for Acquisitiveness is found in muscular and adipose 
tissues, and this faculty relies upon the development of these two 
systems for ability to act in a talented manner, and thus of each 
sign in the face, as well as in the nose. Every sign will exhibit 
itself in its own appropriate tissue. These are examples of the 
beautiful harmony of Nature, as well as of the far-reaching dis¬ 
coveries of this system of physiognomy, for, although these har¬ 
monious proofs have existed since man came into existence, no 
system has hitherto brought forward all of these subtle links of 
the complex chain of evidence of the relations of mind, body, and 
face. 


LOWER DIVISION. 

Mental Signs : Artistic and Literary. 

The signs of most of the artistic faculties, as well as of several 
of the literary and constructive traits, are situated in the Icnvest 
division of the nose. Some of the faculties employed in the 


THE NOSE. 


881 


investigation of science are also located in this part. The greater 
the width of the lobe and depth oi the septum, the better developed 
are the artistic and literary faculties, or that portion of them which 

depends upon nervous sensitiveness and muscular action for their 
expression. 

Hope is an enterprising faculty and is required to sustain the 
efforts of the artist, poet, writer, mechanic, and painter. It irra¬ 
diates with a golden effulgence the ambitions of the struggling 



This table of numbered names refers to the numbers upon the above outline. 
There are several which are omitted from this list, for the reason that they have 
several facial and bodily signs or are general,—Color, for example. Those which are 
omitted are described in their own proper order: these are Color, Sanativeness, 
Force, Time, Order. 


1. Conscientiousness. 

2. Firmness. 

3. Economy. 

4. Love of Home (centre). 

5. Patriotism (side). 

6. Benevolence. 

7. Bibativeness. 

8. Alimentiveness. 

9. Amativeness. 

10. Love of Young. 

11. Mirthfulness. 

12. Approbativeness. 

13. Friendship. 

14. Hospitality. 

15. Pneumativeness. 


16. Self-esteem. 

17. Modesty. 

18. Resistance. 

19. Secretiveness. 

20. Cautiousness. 

21. Hope. 

22. Analysis. 

23. Mental Imitation. 

24. Sublimity. 

25. Ideality. 

26. Human Nature. 

27. Acquisitiveness. 

28. Constructiveness. 

29. Veneration. 

30. Executiveness. 

56 


31. Self-will. 

32. Credenciveness. 

33. Prescience. 

34. Form. 

35. Size. 

36. Observation. 

37. Memory of Events. 

38. Locality. 

39. Weight. 

40. Language. 

41. Music. 

42. Calculation. 

43. Causality. 

44. Comparison. 

45. Intuition. 





882 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


aspirant for fame, and gives to every leaden cloud a golden lining. 
It is a necessary component of all aspiring characters, and enables 
the starving inventor and the destitute genius to bravely and 
cheerfully work out the grand conceptions by which they hope to 
immortalize themselves. The sign for this bright star of character 
is found upon the septum of the nose, just where it joins the upper 
lip. (See No. 15, Fig. 2Q7.) The next sign in the septum, Analy¬ 
sis, just forward of the latter, is indicated by the width of the 
septum as well as by its downward projection. (See No. 22, Fig. 
207.) The office of this mental faculty is to separate the component 
parts of an idea or object, and judge of its constituents and related 
uses. It is as useful to the poet as to the scientist. The philolo¬ 
gist requires its powers, as well as the writer, actor, and painter. 
The inventor, mechanic, composer, and orator rely upon it, also, 
for correct knowledge of the various substances and elements with 
which they deal; hence, all well-endowed artistic, literary, scien¬ 
tific, musical, and mechanical minds disclose the sign of Analysis 
in varying degrees. 

The third sign upon the septum is Mental Imitation (No. 
23, Fig. 207). Tliis sign is situated just forward of and adjoining 
the sign of Analysis, and includes the under part of the lobe or tip 
of the nose, which projects downward where this trait is well 
developed. This faculty is required by all classes of people who 
pursue avocations that involve mental discriminations. 

The fourth sign (No. 25, Fig. 207) in this division of the nose 
I term Ideality—Taste—Imagination, for it manifests these several 
aspects of what is clearly a single faculty. The skilled physiog¬ 
nomist will be able to discern which of these phases presents itself. 
This trait, like its companions upon the septum, is needed not only 
by artists, but also by scientists and inventors. The latter classes 
have made many brilliant discoveries by the assistance which this 
faculty has afforded. It is shown by width and height of the lobe 
of the nose. A flat and broad lobe, like that of the negro, would 
indicate neither taste nor imagination. Such flattened forms 
denote the purely animal indications of the nose, and the tip is like 

that of many animals—broad and fiat. 

%> 

The sign for Sublimity is so closely associated with that of 
Ideality as to require close observation upon the part of the begin¬ 
ner in order to distinguish them and to give each its due. All 
noses which exhibit large Sublimity, as a rule, have a large 
development of Ideality. These two traits are the attributes of 
high development, and characters in which these faculties are 
largely represented are uncommon characters, for very common¬ 
place persons, devoid of the four last-mentioned mental traits, dis- 


THE NOSE. 


883 


close noses comparatively undeveloped at the tip, which in them 
is usually sharp-pointed or deficient in septal development, or else 
gross and bulbous,—the exaggeration which is always a proof of 
abnormal development, and which argues coarseness or gross 
living; and this bulbous form shows, by its swollen veins and 
purplish hue either degrading or abnormal habits of its owner, 
or else inherited inflammatory tendencies. Looked at from every 
stand-point, it is unnatural or abnormal. 

Another grand trait which has its sign in the development of 
the lobe of the nose is Human Nature (No. 26, Fig. 207). This 
is known by height of the nose above the plane of the cheeks, and 
shows by a projecting forward, as if the nose were intent upon 
exploration of objects not easily reached. Width and height 
combined would give more power to this faculty. A sharp, high, 
and thin point would manifest only commonplace curiosity in 
regard to Human Nature,—would like to know more of the every¬ 
day doings, habits, and affairs of people than of their scientific, 
physiological, and hygienic conditions. The latter would be the 
subjects of inquiry of those exhibiting the broad and high nose. 
Breadth of any feature or of any part of it always discloses more 
power of the trait it represents than where it is narrow. Now, all 
great artists, such as actors, painters, writers of fiction, poets, etc., 
require the best sense of Human Nature. Accordingly, we find 
in their noses the point standing high out from the plane of the 
face. Scientists, too,—those who treat of ethnology, physiology, 
anatomy, and hygiene,—exhibit fine development of this sign. It is 
necessary for the salesman and superintendent, the executive 
officer, the detective, and teacher, and this peculiarity of the nose 
is found well defined in all of these classes who greatly excel in 
their vocations. 

All who have to deal with large numbers of the human 
family, as well as with the animal races, need this trait, and if 
successful will exhibit it. It brings them en rapport with all 
animate nature. 

One other most useful as well as ornamental member of this 
galaxy of stars—and one often relied upon by all the others in 
this group—is Constructiveness (No. 28, Fig. 207). This sign is 
close to the sign of Ideality, and all first-class poets, painters, 
writers, mechanics, and scientists exhibit a large share of this 
faculty. Its sign is fullness at the sides of the nose, just above 
the wings. It is muscular development aided by sensitive nerves 
that makes this fine faculty most effective. The noses of all good 
or great mechanicians are quite full just at this place; so, also, are 
the noses of writers of fiction, history, plays, and sermons, for all 



884 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


classes of constructive mentality require its assistance in the 
arrangement of tlieir several works. The more of this faculty they 
possess, the more ingenious and original will be the machine, 
statue, play, poem, or plot which is brought forth. 

The associated group of signs in this division of the nose 
announces the presence of distinguished company. Let us see 
who are these noble visitors who delight, evidently, in “high 
society.” First we observe “Miss Starry Hope,” with all her 
illusive smiles; next, the Grand Analyzer, who does not disdain 
to pick a sonnet to pieces nor to look cynically upon a Yoltairean 
witticism, nor to kindly criticize the fine colors of a picture hang¬ 
ing upon the wall of the “ salon; ” neither is he averse to the dis¬ 
cussion of the principles of Sound and Light; nor would he shrink 
from the task of reviewing the works of Racine, Newton, or Byron, 
and would undertake the task of writing an elaborate criticism 
upon the acting of Rachel or Ristori. So versatile is this gentle¬ 
man’s genius that, “like the atmosphere, it touches everything.” 
For close companion he has Mental Imitation. This associate is 
needed, for he also attempts to not only imitate but to improve 
upon all the mental powers exhibited by all about him, and thus 
often succeeds in going beyond them all. This is his office—up¬ 
ward progress. 

Sublimity, a close companion of the last, is a grand character 
which does not stop short in his investigation of the stars and 
comets, but he pulls them to pieces, and analyzes the nebulae out 
of which they are made. The more vast and magnificent an object 
or theory, the better is this grand companion pleased. The sculp¬ 
tor, painter, poet, and actor often call upon him for aid. 

Then comes the lovely maid, Imagination, or Ideality, with 
all her subtle witcheries to enchant and enthrall all of the before- 
mentioned grand old gentlemen. Will she succeed] Yes, every 
time. Not only will she ensnare the proud and refined of earth, 
but she reckons among her captives the Indian in the forest 
amid his whispering deities; the negro on the sands of Africa, who 
sees his angry god or avenging spirit in the lightning’s flash and 
thunder’s roll, and the rustic lover, awakened by the mystic spell 
of love’s imaginings, looks upon his first beloved as a goddess. So 
potent is the influence of this mighty yet gentle maid that she may 
bid her subjects see gold in every leaden sky, and, behold! the 
gold is there. The transformations which this wonderful power 
creates defies even Father Time himself, for she puts new hearts 
into old bodies, but I am afraid she can scarcely perform that other 
miracle so much desired,—the placing of old heads upon young 
shoulders. 



THE NOSE. 


§85 


In this company, so distinguished, so “ thoroughbred,” and so 
exclusive (that they keep always by themselves in the lower third 
of the nose) we have a remarkable group of signs which are highly 
developed in the noses of the finest artistic and scientific characters 
only. And this group thus shaped is proof conclusive that the 
evolution of the nose at this part has reached its acme, for when 
it becomes exaggerated in form, as in the “bulbous” nose of the 
drunkard or vulgarian, it is indicative of traits just the opposite of 
these, so highly refined. All further evolution of this part of the 
nose will be in the direction of increased fineness or quality , 
not in size. 

Not the least insignificant in this group of gentlefolks is Ac¬ 
quisitiveness (Fig. 207). Now, were all the rest of this notable 
company destitute of materials with which to build and decorate 
their fine-art objects, we should have neither picture, poem, statue, 
or temple, nor would the ingenious architect and mechanic be 
able to build bridges, houses, or any other useful edifice; so kind 
Nature aids by giving to these muscular companions the assist¬ 
ance of Acquisitiveness. This gives the desire to collect money, 
materials, and food. Thus supplied, all goes well with the noble 
ladies and gentlemen, for they must have resources, and so Nature 
gives to nearly all artistic people the love of acquisition. One likes 
best to gain money , another fame and applause, another strives to 
collect old books, pictures, statues, pottery, while others are satis¬ 
fied with second-hand rubbish. Each has his “ fad ” to strive for. 
It is well when Acquisitiveness does not degenerate into a vice, as 
has been observed in the characters of some of the “ old masters ” 
of art, who resorted to dishonest practices by passing off their 
pupils’ pictures as their own work in order to gratify an abnormal 
development of acquisition. Some even become inveterate game¬ 
sters with the hope of gaining gold rapidly. 

In a balanced degree this is a most useful trait, and conduces 
to future comfort by urging its possessor to renewed struggles for 
money and materials. Every human being has need of its power, 
and its sign is placed most significantly right among the mechani¬ 
cal, artistic, scientific, and literary signs, thus showing that all 
these works require its aid. 

The whole mechanism of the face in regard to the placing of 
the signs for faculties I regard as the most ingenious, the most 
wonderful, and most sublime piece of divine art, science, and 
mechanism in the whole range of universal construction. No 
mere words can express my feelings upon this point. The more I 
contemplate this fact, the greater is my wonder and admiration. 
Would that I could excite something of this feeling in my readers! 


886 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


MIDDLE DIVISION. 

Mental Signs : Constructive. 

Above the preceding interesting group of signs Nature places 
those which are required to more fully carry forward and conserve 
the works wrought out by those lower down. Without the ability 
to respect and control one’s self, one’s works, and also to control 
others and their works, man’s usefulness in art, science, and 
mechanism would be unavailing. Accordingly, we find the signs 
for the faculties of Veneration and Executiveness adjoining and 
lying above the literary and artistic group, yet sufficiently near not 
only to make the nose beautiful in form, but also near enough to 
assist the character by self-control, and assist it to submit to law. 
A great architect must be possessed of a resolute will, able not only 
to control himself, but also able to dominate hundreds of others 
who may be in his employ, or whom he may have to sustain or 
oppose. In this case, Executiveness, Veneration, and Self-will 
must be present in a talented degree. The executive force mani¬ 
fested by such characters as Brunei, Vauban, De Lesseps, Roeb- 
ling, and Stephenson, is, in itself, a great talent , aside from their 
constructive ingenuity, which is of the first order. So, too, the in¬ 
domitable will of Farragut showed in his naval career as a talent 
which “ backed up ” his other great and splendid traits, and ena¬ 
bled him to make them all effective. Genius and talent must 
have the assistance of forcible, energetic qualities to sustain them. 

The sign for Veneration (No. 29, Fig. 207) is large in the nose 
of Michael Angelo and other great artists. So, also, are Executive¬ 
ness and Self-will (same figure). Veneration is found in varying 
degrees in male and female noses, and is shown by a slight upward 
curve just below the bridge of the nose. Its office is to aid the 
character in its efforts to respect and submit to law, order, pro¬ 
priety, God, old age, and all persons, places, and things entitled to 
respect. The concave and pug-nosed classes, not possessing any 
of this faculty, cannot show it in their actions, and are, therefore, 
unable to control themselves properly, and totally unable to con¬ 
trol and command others except by bullying or by force. Their 
lack of Veneration is shown by their impudent behavior. Those 
who have the faculties of Veneration and Executiveness large are 
able to command and control themselves as well as others, through 
being permeated with the principles of submission and command, 
for he who can best understand law is best able to enforce its pro¬ 
visions as well as to obey its commands. Executing law is, in 
reality, obedience to laws that have been made for the guidance of 
the executive officer, as, for example, our President is the servant 


THE NOSE. 


887 


of the sovereign people, and must obey the laws by which he was 
placed in office. He obeys and commands also. 

The post of honor in the nose belongs of right to Executive¬ 
ness, the commander and conqueror, and this faculty, when ex¬ 
hibited in a large degree, rises high in a curved form at the highest 
point of the back of the nose. So true is it that the arched form 
represents power, for in this form of the nose Executiveness finds 
its highest illustration in the noses of the most aggressive com¬ 
manders of ancient and modern times. As Veneration gives no¬ 
bility and high-mindedness to the character, so Executiveness goes 
farther and compels others to come up to the law, and thus, whether 
they wish or not, they are compelled to defer to the laws of the 
place and country in which they reside, or pay the penalty. 

In this middle division, then, we find a company of stern 
companions, of great use to those other friends in the lower division 
and of great use to the character every way, and of the greatest 
importance to the community as well. There are comparatively 
few great leaders. Were it not for the few natural superintend¬ 
ents, overseers, commanders, etc., humanity would resemble a 
flock of sheep without a leader. By a wise ordering of provi¬ 
dence great leaders have appeared just when a great cause re¬ 
quired their aid. Martin Luther, Washington, Elizabeth Cady 
Stanton, and other leaders came forward when the mental and 
moral status of the masses were sufficiently advanced to recognize 
the value of their services. All these characters possessed large 
Veneration and Executiveness, hence they were able to be the law 
makers for thousands who now rise up and call them blessed. 

UPPER DIVISION. 

Mental Signs : Executive. 

The upper division is situated above the sign for Constructive¬ 
ness, and fills out the nose between the eyes with muscular tissue, 
and creates the sign for Self-will. It causes a fullness at this place, 
and the greater the fullness the more powerful is the will. It can 
be readily distinguished from bone. If it exceed a certain degree 
of fullness, and assume a perfectly straight outline of the nose 
where it joins the forehead, it is in a sense an abnormal develop¬ 
ment of the faculty, and selfish will is the result, instead of Self- 
will, balanced by reason and justice. This sign is composed entirely 
of muscle , hence its propriety as a sign for pure will. 

All departures from the normal standards of form in any 
feature, whether those appearances be more exaggerated or less 
than the normal size and form, are to be regarded as abnormal in 


888 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


action unless rectified , moderated , or balanced by some other 
feature. Now, Lavater tells us that “ the nose, to be physiognomi- 
cally good or great, must exhibit some gentle inflexions or un¬ 
dulations,” particularly in the descent from the forehead to the 
nose, and where Self-will is too greatly developed to be normal no 
undulation appears at this place; hence, the perfectly-straight out¬ 
line here is not according to the normal or highest standard. 

Extremely selfish will is an indication of stupidity; hence, 
where the descent from the forehead to the nose is described by a 
right line without any inflexion whatever, it is indicative not only 
of selfish will, but of stupidity to a certain degree. The very fact 
that selfishness is dominant is the proof of an obtuse mind. A 
selfish policy is ever a short-sighted one , and a comprehensively- 
benevolent mind will plan on so large a scale as to gain more in 
the end than he who looks only for present petty gratifications. 

The perfectly-straight line should occur but three times 
(normally) in the face, viz., in the nose below the brows, in the 
upper lip, and in the mouth, which should be straight and hori¬ 
zontal. In regard to the so-called Greek profile, Winkelman 
observes:— 

The nearer the approach to the perpendicular, the less is there char¬ 
acteristic of the wise and graceful. 

Noses greatly depressed or very thin and narrow between the 
eyes exhibit very little pure will, and the owners of such noses 
are relatively deficient in muscle all over the body , but may have 
great Firmness, which is a sort of compensation; hence, an observer 
remarking this small portion of the face alone could be able to 
describe the form of the head, eyes, eyebrows, neck, limbs, body, 
hands, and feet, as well as the dominant traits and voice. Of 
course he would have to understand the principles of scientific 
physiognomy to enable him to do this. 

The sign for Self-will stands alone , yet connects two remark¬ 
able groups. The executive and the practical signs are here 
grouped, the one below and the other above the local sign for 
Executiveness. Both groups need the aid of an intelligent and 
balanced will to make their labors of the highest efficiency, and it 
seems to be the plan of Nature to always closely associate in the 
body those organs and functions which require mutual aid of each 
other. To make this interior plan harmonize with the exterior, 
the signs of these several functions and faculties are observed 
always in such contiguity as to facilitate the task of locating them , 
and of deciding upon their power or weakness. 

With these remarks, the description of the three divisions of 


THE NOSE. 


889 


the nose is completed. Taken in consideration with what has 
preceded it, and with what will follow upon the subject of this 
organ, the reader will, I opine, have a rather exalted regard for 
that most noble, most human feature—the nose. 

The nose is the great central feature around which all the 
other features revolve, so to speak. It is the sun of the facial 
system, and reveals at the first glance the most interior conditions 
of both mind and body; it gives us the most positive, direct, and 
incontrovertible knowledge of the interior man, and instantane¬ 
ously reveals a man’s capacity for thought and action. 

The main part of the nose is osseous, and the soft or cartilagi¬ 
nous parts take their form from the nasal bones in a measure. 
Bone and flexible muscles constitute the principal constituents of 
the nasal organ. The skin, the blood-vessels, the nerves, and 
coloring pigment assist in its expression. 

The nose is more indicative of character than any other 
feature, or, I might say with more accuracy, it reveals more charac¬ 
teristics, both mental and physiological, than any other facial 
feature or pair of features. The nose is the facial indicator of the 
collective mind. The form of the nose announces the direction or 
dominant tastes, proclivities, and powers of the individual, while 
its size reveals the degree of power and energy which will be 
applied. We have previously noted what the mouth, chin, lips, 
and cheeks disclose, but neither of these features, taken singly, 
give as much information concerning mental traits and physiological 
functions as this great central feature. The mouth instructs us 
in regard to the digestive capacity, and the mouth and lips inform 
us as to the affectional or emotioned nature , but the nose exhibits 
the signs for several physiological functions, and also points out the 
dominant mentality, together with the degree of energy which will 
be manifested in the exhibition of mind. 

The eyes may appear to poets and lovers to be the “ mirror of 
the soul,” and the forehead may seem to phrenologists to be the 
“dome of thought;” but when the aforesaid “dome” is covered 
by a hat, or thick head of hair, and the “mirror” closed by sleep, 
injury, or death, the scientific reader of character is not hindered 
in his task of reading the human mind and body by all of these 
obstacles. If he once get a glance at the noble outline of the nose 
and nostrils he can render a just verdict, and no art of dissimula¬ 
tion, no muscular trick or affectation, can here avail; for the 
fair proportions of the nose cannot be made to assist in any conceal¬ 
ment of the mental powers. This feature thus stands the positive 
indicator of the most interior recesses of the human mind and 
body. I do not claim that it reveals any knowledge of the “soul,” 



890 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


for my work deals mainly with a material mind in a physical body. 
I therefore leave to those more learned on the subject of soul-power 
the task of describing its locality and appearances. I should like 
to be able to do this, but as I lack the ability I will not profess 
what I cannot perform. The study of the human body and mind 
is surely a noble pursuit , and worthy the best efforts of the most 
capable and benevolent of the race. Generations of students will 
not suffice to reveal all that there is to be known upon the subject, 
for human nature is progressing under the inexorable law of evolu¬ 
tion, and its interpreters must advance with this upward movement, 
and, like the astronomers, each generation must add its quota of 
knowledge to he added to and built upon by those who follow. 

A comparison of the noses, first, of infants and immature 
adults, such as idiots, the feeble-minded, and dwarfs, with those of 
the most normal and developed adults, leads us to the conclusion 
that one basic principle of scientific physiognomy is correct, viz., 
that “the size of the nose, controlled by quality, is the measure 
of mental and physical power,” and a comparison of all of these 
classes with savage and undeveloped races proves another basic law, 
viz., “the shape or form of the nose indicates the kind or direction 
of mental power.” With these two principles as a guide to the 
analysis of the nose I will commence the description of the 
morphology of this grand organ, for it is both organ and feature 
combined. 

The general and universal laws of form may he applied to the 
analysis of the nose. The several combinations of these forms 
will reveal individual characteristics. It is thus that individual 
noses are constructed, yet each one can be assigned to a particular 
class. When we reflect that there are in the world no two noses 
precisely alike , it is evident that nothing less than the application 
of basic principles of form would be adequate to discover their 
meanings. Notwithstanding the immense number of diverse noses 
that have been and are now in the world, no two could have been 
exactly alike, for the circumstances which mold one human 
being never surround another, and it is the minute circumstances 
which, aggregated, affect the organism of man. Even twins, who 
usually resemble each other greatly, could not be exactly alike. 

Let me, by way of premise, observe that the basic laws of 
Form control and expound most emphatically the meanings of the 
nose, and the student is asked to apply these laws to the several 
forms of the nose and carry them to their logical conclusions. 

The horizontal line of the nostril (Fig. 208) is the most 
perfected type of outline for this part of the nose; hence, is the 
normal standard of form for this line. It betokens noble charac¬ 
teristics. 


THE NOSE. 


891 


The upward outline of the nostrils (Fig. 209) is relatively 
less perfect and mature, and discloses infantoid, inquisitive, and 
hopeful tendencies. 



Fig. 208.—Horizontal. Fig. 209.—Upward. Fig. 210.—Downward. 

THE THREE GENERAL OUTLINES OF THE NOSTRILS. 


The downward line of the nostril (Fig. 210) indicates a melan¬ 
choly, groveling, or malicious character. Any departure from 
a normal form, either upward or downward, in any feature, 
signifies a departure from the highest or most perfect method of 
action. These three classes of forms of nose will be treated at 
length in the pages which follow. 


THE FORM OR OUTLINE OF THE NOSE. 


Seen in profile the nose presents three basilar or general 
forms. All others are modifications or compounds of these 
primitive forms. In the outline of the nose and nostrils nearly 
all of the basic elements of Form are found, and when applied 
reveal characteristics in harmony with those laws. These three 
basilar forms of the nose are as follow: the concave or negative, 



Fig. 211.—Concave. 



Fig. 212.—Straight. 



Fig. 213.—Convex. 


THE THREE BASILAR FORMS OF THE NOSE. 


Fig. 211; the straight or passive, Fig. 212; the convex or positive, 
Fig. 213. 

The concave or rudimental nose is observed in all infants, in 
many immature beings, such as the commonplace, the feeble¬ 
minded, and idiots, and among many undeveloped races, as, for 
example, the Russian peasants, the Tartar, the Esquimau, the 
Hottentot, the Malay, the native Australian, and the Ethiopian, 


892 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


THE CONCAVE OR IMMATURE NOSE OF THE ADULT. 

NEGATIVE CHARACTER. 

There are several forms of the concave nose observed in 
adults. One presents a concavity from the root of the nose to the 
end, where two apertures appear facing the observer, as is seen in 
the noses of animals. As the arched form, wherever observed, 
denotes power and energy, health and beauty, so the opposite 
form—the concave—ever indicates the opposite qualities. Let it 
be understood that the concavity of the nose, where the depres¬ 
sion is found at the part termed the “bridge,” or at the place that 
is usually highest in well-developed noses, is generally observed 
in combination with a very short, muscular, turned-up sharp tip. 
Where this is the case we have the most immature and the least 
developed of adult noses. Such noses do not indicate ability for 
command, nor even for much self-control. The energy of this 
class is mainly expended in opposition—in fractious, unreasonable 
conflicts, whenever its owner is willing to put forth any great 
amount of energy. It is this quarrelsome trait that has earned 
for this species of nose the term “pug-nose;” hence “pugnacity,” 
the verb expressive of a quarrelsome disposition, harmonizes with 
this shaped feature. 

There are many shades and grades of character represented 
by the nose which exhibits a marked depression at its centre. Its 
significance ranges all the way from simple dullness or feebleness 
of intellect, through lack of executiveness and self-control, to 
passive, patient, or inert, inoffensive behavior, without forceful, 
aggressive proclivities. 

The tip of the nose must, in each individual case, be taken 
into account in reading character, as well as the concavity of the 
back of the nose. Some concave noses turn up bluntly, while 
others are inclined to be pointed; others still stand out from the 
plane of the face, and are indicative neither of rudeness nor of 
pertness. The latter class are seen in the faces of many excellent 
artistic minds, quite skillful in painting and music, yet not greatly 
executive, or with only very limited powers of command and self- 
control. This class are inclined to be matter-of-fact and plain 
spoken, are apt, when under the influence of anger, to be blunt, 
brusque, and thoughtless in speech, and are afterward sorry for 
the same. Of this short, concave nose Lavater remarks:— 

I have seen the purest, most capable, and noblest persons with small 
noses and hollow in profile, but their worth most consisted in suffering, 
listening, learning, and enjoying the beautiful influences of imagination; 
provided , the other parts of the form were well organized.* 

* Essays on Physiognomy, Lavater, p. 391. 


THE NOSE. 


893 


Noses that are depressed at the root or point of junction with 
the forehead are not to be classed with the concave nose, if the 
rest of this feature rises ivell above the plane of the face. This 
peculiar depression signifies relative absence of will-power, and 
also want of muscle. From this concavity alone one is justified 
in saying that the entire body of the subject is relatively deficient 
in muscle. Concavity of any part of the nose indicates feeble¬ 
ness of the faculty of which that part stands representative. If 
the tip of the nose is depressed or rises only slightly above the 
plane of the face, the breathing powers are relatively feeble, and 
the knowledge of Human Nature and of other faculties is very 
limited. This is also one indication of short life, owing to the 
small size of the lungs. If the centre of the nose is concave, the 
character is lacking in energy and executiveness , and also in 
nobility, high-mindedness. The depression at this point would 
denote a very weak stomach, and this is one sign of short life. 
Thus it is shown that the application of the laws of Form applied 
to concave outlines reveals the conditions of feebleness and ab¬ 
sence of true beauty. As a rule, noses that are depressed in the 
centre, so that they scarcely rise above the plane of the face, do 
not rise very high above any portion thereof, and the point or 
blunt end, where the nostrils are situated, is also not high, but 
where the central concavity is only partial we often find average 
length and height of the end. In this case the tastes seem to run 
in the direction of singing, or some other form of art. Although 
a high, broad nose is essential to the production of the most 
sonorous tones and of volume in singing and in oratory, I cannot 
recollect the face of any eminent singer or speaker whose nose is 
greatly depressed in the centre, for the nose and frontal sinuses 
are properly a part of the organs of speech, and are developed in 
proportion as the voice is powerful and the enunciation perfect. 
The nose of Henry Ward Beecher was short in proportion to his 
other features, but was high • its entire length and very broad. 
The noses of many, if not most, great singers are very short, 
round, and muscular, the bones scarcely perceptible. These noses 
are also soft and flexible. This is essential to the movements of 
the nostrils , which in singing are very frequent. 

The pug-nose of the Caucasian races is quite different from 
the concave noses of undeveloped tribes. The Tartar is said, by 
travelers, to have no nose at all, but “he breathes through holes 
in the face.” All of the races whose noses are of this type have 
scarcely any elevation at the tip of the nose, and one can look 
directly into the interior of this organ from a front view. Among 
Caucasians, notably in the Celtic races, do we observe several 


894 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


modified forms of this peculiarity. It indicates lowness, brutality, 
animal passions, such as jealousy, spite, malice, vindictiveness, etc. 
These will all be figured and described in their order later. 

Any departure from the normal standard of this form of the 
nostril is highly significant, and shows that the subject is more 
animal than mental, for when the nose retrogrades to the mere 
function of breathing, the less is it expressive of mental energy. 

The concave or negative nose is par excellence the nose of 
childhood. In infants this form is normal, but when observed in 
adults it is always significative of relative mental immaturity. It 
is just the opposite of the convex nose, which is positive, forcible, 
and executive in character, the law of the arch here revealing the 
strongest capacities of mind. There are many varieties of the 
concave nose. The principal ones will now be figured and de¬ 
scribed. They are as follow: the embryotic, the infantoid, the 
immature, the idiotic, the snub, the pug, the retroussee , and the 
singing nose. 

The concave noses of all classes are principally cartilaginous 
or muscular. The straight nose is composed of nearly equal 
quantities of bone and muscle, the muscle slightly predominating; 
while the convex or positive nose shows more of bone than of 
any other elemental tissue. 


EMBRYOTIC TYPE. 

In following the order of the progressive development of the 
nose, it is proper that we examine this feature in its embryotic 
state; thence follow the course of its rise and progress through its 

several higher phases, as it rises up 
through the immature, the infantoid, and 
the artistic to the highest forms—the 
executive and scientific. 

In the early stages of the embryon 
the nose is, as shown by evolution, 
merely two small pits or minute holes. 
Later, the nose resembles a short, thick, 
blunt, pug shape, which bears no resem¬ 
blance to the pretty little nose of infancy, 
but does resemble more nearly the imma¬ 
ture noses of some of the undeveloped 
races and peoples occasionally met in 
civilized races. Not until the full term of prenatal life is com¬ 
pleted does the nose assume that peculiar infantoid form observed 
at birth. The above figure shows the nose of the embryon at 
about the sixth week of prenatal existence. 



Fig. 214.—embryotic nose 
(A fter Haeckel.) 




the nose. 


895 


All of the forms of the nose within the concave class present 
one oi the forms of the embryotic nose,—that is, shortness,—or 
one ol the forms ol the infantoid nose, viz., a depressed ridge or 
an upturned tip, and it is the presence of these peculiarities of 
structure that decides their relationship to the concave class. 

INFANTOID TYPE. 

(See Fig. 194, page 853.) 

The noses of most infants present a concave form from the 
root to the point; others are concave or depressed only in the 
centre of the back of the nose. As age advances the depression 
becomes less marked, and as ossification of the bones ensues the 
back of the nose rises and assumes either a straight form or one 
in which there are several gentle inflections, or else one pronounced 
prominence, as seen in those noses which exhibit the sign for 
Executiveness large. 

The noses of all newborn infants of all races present almost 
similar forms, but the infants of the most developed of the Cau¬ 
casian race take on a more developed form quite early, generally 
at about one year old, while the offspring of the immature races 
retain a more or less concave shape throughout life. The noses of 
children do not assume their just and permanent proportions until 
the age of puberty or a little later, when perfect ossification of the 
bones takes place. Neither the bones of the nose nor the char¬ 
acter has developed greatly until this process is completed. 

The concave form is thus shown to be Nature's method of re¬ 
vealing undeveloped, immature, feeble, or non-mental conditions. 
This law will apply to all of those features whose normal form is 
full or rounded. Hollow cheeks, for example, betoken weak di¬ 
gestive powers; hollow forehead, poor reflective faculties; con¬ 
cavities of the sides of the nose above the wings, lack of Con¬ 
structiveness ; and so we may apply the law of the concave form 
indefinitely and never find it fail. 

Observation of the progressive evolution of the nose of a child 
from birth to manhood is a most interesting physiognomic study. 
The changes observed in the forehead are perhaps the next most 
interesting and remarkable; the mouth and eyes less so, for the 
reason that they change least. The nose and forehead, being the 
features which are more indicative of mental power than the other 
features, naturally change with the progressive development of the 
intellect. They are also more purely human in their contour than 
the other features, if we except the chin ; for, although this feature 
in its perfection is also purely human , we find that the lion has a 
fairly good rudimentary chin, and this feature approaches more 


896 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


nearly the shape of the human chin than does the nose of the 
Tartar or low Ethiopian that of the perfected nose of the Caucasian. 

In the form of the nose of infancy there is nothing that is re¬ 
pulsive or ugly, as is the case with the noses of the lower classes 
of Russia, Tartary, China, and Africa. There is a congruity and 
harmony in the features of the infant which suit the immature 
nasal organ, but this is not the case with those adults who exhibit 
immature concave noses, for in their case the pretty infantile form 
is lacking, and a certain resemblance to embryotic forms is present. 
Again, their other features exhibit an adult form, hence the incon¬ 
gruity existing between the adult features and the immature nose 
makes the discrepancy between them seem very great. 

Infancy is the gristly age, and all parts of the body and mind 
are plastic and yielding, and this flexibility is due to the immaturity 
of the tissues primarily. 


IDIOTIC TYPE. 

Many idiots and feeble-minded beings retain through life the 
infantoid form of nose, and they remain mentally in an immature, 
undeveloped condition. And this form of nose is, in their case, 

only one of the many signs of mental feeble¬ 
ness. The walk and movements of the body, 
hands, feet, and head participate in the general 
degradation of mind. The walk of a partial 
idiot is characteristic, and his lack of mental 
equipoise is disclosed by his physical inability to 
walk and balance himself in a normal manner. 
There are many idiotic and feeble-minded beings 
who have become such by accident during pre¬ 
natal life. Many of this class exhibit a normal¬ 
shaped nose, while others who have become 
feeble-minded after birth, through disease in 
infancy, present quite a well-formed nasal organ. Such a variety 
of causes contribute to produce idiocy which do not tend to pro¬ 
duce the concave nose that it cannot be said rightly to be a 
characteristic type of idiocy unless it should be merely rudi¬ 
mentary, lying level with the cheeks, and with but slight 
apertures for nostrils. Then its form indicates the utter absence 
of all mental perception. Arrested development of the embryo 
would be almost certain to produce this form; so, also, is it likely 
to appear in the countenances of offspring born of parents suffer¬ 
ing from consumption and other depleting disorders. In examin¬ 
ing the statistics of homes for the feeble-minded and idiotic I 
learned that large numbers of the inmates were the offspring of 



Fig. 215. 

IDIOTIC NOSE AND 
FOREHEAD. 


THE NOSE. 


897 


consumptive parents, while another large proportion were the 
progeny of mothers who had suffered great domestic misery while 
pregnant. In one case physical defects and feebleness caused 
idiocy; in the other, mental anguish produced it. 

Some idiots exhibit very large noses. In those cases the form 
of the nose shows absence of intellect. In this state it is a huge 
physical organ. The celebrated “ Aztec children,” so called, who 
were really partial idiots, had very large noses,—so large that they 
formed the larger part of their faces, but were placed at such an 
angle with the face that their abnormal character was at once ap¬ 
parent. I have observed among idiots many large noses, but in 
some instances these subjects became idiotic by accident or disease 
after having been born normal. Yet those who are characterized 
by an uncommonly large nasal organ exhibit their lack of intelli¬ 
gence either by the peculiarities of its form or by the position it 
assumes in relation to the other features. These noses are exag¬ 
gerations of the normal size, and all exaggerations betoken abnor¬ 
mal conditions. They are really caricatures of Nature . 

SNUB TYPE. 

The snub-nose, with its numerous varieties, is to he classed 
with the concave nose, inasmuch as it expresses relative immaturity, 
although of a higher grade than the primitive or infantoid type. 
The back of this nose may be straight and moderately long, yet 
have a blunt end turned for¬ 
ward or outward to the beholder, 
and presenting an interior view 
of the nostrils. There are sev¬ 
eral varieties of the snub-nose 
that may be analyzed. The 
flattened snub-nose exhibits 
quite different characteristics 
from the snub-nose that is not 
flattened at the centre of the 
back. Lavater remarked these 
differences, for he observes that 

A hundred flat snub-noses may 
be met with in men of great prudence, 
discretion, and ability of various Fig. 216.-snub-nose. (After Lavater.) 

kinds, but when the nose is very . 

small and has an inappropriate upper lip, or when it exceeds a. certain degree 
of flatness, no other feature or lineament of the countenance can rectify it.* 

* Essays on Physiognomy, J. C. Lavater, p. 475. 

67 




898 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


A snub-nose that is not depressed at the bridge, and that 
has average width its entire length, is indicative of more energy 
and intelligence than the flat snub-nose; yet this form is inclined 
to be despotic. No two snub-noses are alike, but each presents 
individual differences to which the character responds, yet the gen¬ 
eral laws of form apply to them as stated, and these laws show all 
classes of the snub-nose to be relatively undeveloped ; not by any 
means idiotic,—far from it,—but revealing much less executive 
power and less logical ability than noses that are high, broad, and 
long , for length is a most important factor in the development of 
the nose. Very short, thick noses, no matter how high, do not re¬ 
veal great logical powers, for muscle is their dominant tissue, and 
for logic and reason we must have a certain amount of solid tissue, 
and the dominance of the bony system tends to lengthen the nose, 
while muscle tends to shorten and widen this feature. 

A snub-nose, with small and narrow nostrils, is the indication 
of feeble physical as well as of didl mental powers. If the nos¬ 
trils are large and round with the snub-nose, there is more vigor 
of mind and body than with the former. 

PUG TYPE. 

This form of nose has many diverse meanings, depending 
upon the shape of the upper part in each case for their full signifi¬ 
cance. Then, too, the interpretation of character is in consonance 
with the peculiarities of the form, whether it be a rounded blunt 



Fig. 217.—PUG-NOSE. Fig. 218.-BLUNT PUG-NOSE. 

pug or a sharpened narrow pug. In regard to its meanings, it in¬ 
dicates lowness, coarseness, or commonplace mentality. If it be 
relatively sharp the character is more acute and the subject quicker 
in his perceptions than where a blunt pug is exhibited, yet all of 
this class of noses have the same general meaning in absence of 
reasoning power, pugnacity, irritability, quarrelsomeness, and op¬ 
position. With the blunt pug a coarse, brusque temper is asso¬ 
ciated, and its possessor speaks in a short, blunt, and sometimes 



THE NOSE. 


899 


brutal manner, while the sharp pug accompanies a sharp, fretful, 
scolding, contrary disposition. 

Many ot the principal pugilists of the world exhibit one or 
the other of these formations. Heenan, the great (!) American 
prize-fighter, has the blunt pug-nose, while Tom Sayers, the 
English champion, shows a decidedly sharp pug. For example of 
the several styles of the pug-nose, examine the portraits of Dan. 
Collins, Tom King, and James Mace, all prize-fighters of renown. 
These two forms ot the pug are common among the Irish peasantry, 
and are probably the result of years of impoverishment and absence 
of all educational and refining influences, together with want of 
proper food and homes. That this is the cause of this moral and 
mental degradation is proven by the fact that the higher and more 
comfortable classes of that race exhibit more finely-shaped noses. 
The pug-nose classes of Irish and of other races are quarrelsome 
and low-minded. 

Nearly all pug-noses are more or less concave in their outline. 
The lower the concavity, the lower the character, morally and men¬ 
tally, and the weaker the stomach. This form shows an entire 
absence of Veneration and Executiveness,—both elevating traits. 

The pug-nose is never found associated with the highest moral 
and intellectual character. Thus, form alone becomes the indicator 
of grade as well as of faculty. 

The sharp pug must not be confounded with the nose termed 
by the French retroussee. This is quite another form, and betokens 
quite different traits. 

The blunt pug is quite common among the lower classes of 
England, and the characteristics of this people correspond to this 
form of nose. The sharp-pointed pug-nose is more commonly seen 
in the physiognomies of the French, Irish, and other Celtic races. 
I have observed many excellent artists of various departments of 
art with the pug-nose, the upper part of which was of an average 
height. Yet these noses could not properly be classed with the 
straight or convex nose. They are the highest variety of the con¬ 
cave noses, yet are rarely accompanied with a high grade of abstract 
reasoning poicer. The sort of analytic power such noses reveal is 
the sort applicable to art subjects and objects, and not the kind 
necessary to abstract ideas. 

RETROUSSEE TYPE. 

The French word retroussee means literally “ turned-up,” but, 
as this word or any other in our language fails to describe the 
precise form of this class of noses, I have no other choice but to 
apply this term, as do the French, to a variety of the concave nose, 


900 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


which is indicative of more refinement, wit, and brightness than 
any others within the concave class. I place it in this class be¬ 
cause those who possess it exhibit the inquisitiveness, vivacity, and 
abandon of childhood, along with a spice of arch coquetry which 
is not at all infantile. 

In deciding as to which class a nose belongs, we must have in 
consideration the form of the tip, and the form of this part assists 
us to readily classify each special one under consideration. 

All noses that are in any way “tip-tilted” must be assigned 
to the concave class, as the main characteristic and configuration 
of the outline will, upon close scrutiny, show them to be of the 
infantoid order; the turned-up tip being the evidence of the class 
to which Nature has assigned them. 

The net retroussee is frequently observed presenting a 
certain degree of depression of the ridge. The depression varies 

from a decided scoop to a slight deflexion of the 
back of the nose, terminating in an upward 
curve at the tip. It is met with in many interesting 
characters. 

It is quite commonly observed among French 
women particularly, although w r e find it in the 
countenances of numbers of people among all the 
civilized races. 

The characteristics accompanying it are 
shown by a quickness of perception and impulsive 
curiosity, especially in regard to Human Nature. 
This combination gives to its possessors an apt 
comprehension of motives and a facility at repartee, which in a 
refined woman is quite charming, piquant, cunning, witty, and 
altogether fascinating. With those of less refinement the wit 
degenerates into pertness, sauce, and impertinence. The curiosity 
takes on a vulgar phase, and although those in this class may be 
very entertaining in their own circle, they are far from being 
agreeable to persons of cultivated tastes. A retroussee nose, with 
a fine quality of skin and hair, indicates high quality, while coarse 
hair and thick skins would denote relatively less fineness. The 
sharpness of the slightly turned-up point indicates penetration and 
curiosity, and if the tip of the nose stands high above the plane 
of the face, a fine development of the faculty of Human Nature 
is present. 

Sharpness of any feature denotes keenness of the trait of 
which that feature is representative; for, as often observed in these 
pages, forms convey their own meaning if their natural significance 
is understood. Now the lobe or tip of the nose, when well de- 



Fig. 219. 
THE NEZ RE- 
TROUSS^E. 

(Ellen Terry.) 


THE NOSE. 


901 


veloped, denotes high powers; if it is broad, the faculties there 
represented are powerful and permanent; if sharp, they are more 
acute and not so permanent as the former; hence sharp-pointed 
noses denote more acute powers, but less stable ones. It is this 
capacity for rapid change of subject which gives such novelty to 
the conversation of the owners of the nez retroussee. Many comic 
actresses exhibit this nose, and are noted for their droll, arch, and 
mirth-provoking manner and speech upon the stage. Aimee had 
one variety of this type. The physiognomies of Lotta and Nell 
Gwynne present two varieties, and many others on the mimic stage 
prove that this form is allied to the sharp, witty, penetrating 
faculty. Voltaire had a sharp-pointed nose, though not turned up, 
and his wit was caustic, mirthful, and penetrating to that degree 
that he held the superstitious theologians of Europe at bay for 
over fifty years by means of his pungent pen and voice. 

The nez retroussee is never found associated with very de¬ 
cidedly strong intellects, but belongs rather to the more volatile, 
artistic, and amusing class of minds. Solid minds have solid 
noses, composed of firm material; hence a bony nose announces a 
firm, substantial character, while the soft, gristly, cartilaginous 
nose tells us of art, motion, emotion, variety, changeability, etc. 


SINGING TYPE. 

The true singing nose, or the form best adapted to this art, is 
a modification of the concave, although it is not always concave; 
yet it belongs more to the undeveloped class mentally than to any 
other, hence I must consider it as belonging to 
this form in a comprehensive arrangement of 
the nose. A short, round nose, either straight 
in its outline or very slightly concave, is 
found in the countenance of many excellent 
and powerful singers. This is so general as 
to be almost without exception, and warrants 
us in applying the term “musical nose” to this 
form. It cannot be termed a snub-nose prop¬ 
erly, but may in some cases be called a pug- 
nose, owing to the shortness, slight concavity, 

and width of the tip. Examine, for example, (Annie Louise Carey.) 
the noses of Hans von Billow, Annie Louise 
Carey, Emma Abbott, Minnie Hauck, Sir Arthur Sullivan, and 
Sofia Scalchi, and the idea of this form will be comprehended. 
It may be set down as a rule that all powerful singers have rela¬ 
tively short noses. It could not be otherwise and give the area re¬ 
quired for producing sonorous tones, for the lower third of the face 













902 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


must have the space for this purpose; hence many first-class singers 
have a large endowment of the vegetative system, and it is this 
system largely developed , with the muscular system dominant , which 
gives the length and width of the lower part of the face so necessary 
to produce powerful tones. The uncommon length of the faces of 
singers from the tip of the nose to the point of the chin gives 
height to the roof of the mouth and fills out the cheeks; thus 
they have the two dimensions so essential to volume, viz., height 
and width of the mouth-cavity. 

Another essential factor in producing softness and mellowness 
of tone is a sufficiency of the softer tissues, and these cannot be 
produced where the bony system is dominant. Bony individuals 
cannot bring forth as melodious and sympathetic tones as can those 
who combine the muscular with the vegatative system. Madame 
Parepa Rosa was a notable example of this combination. There 
are many other eminent singers who approach her form very 
nearly. 

The muscular system must be one of the most developed 
systems of the body, in order to create a rich, mellow, and strong 
voice, and as the dominance of this system shortens the nose , so 
shortness of the nose becomes one of the signs of a musical en¬ 
dowment. Where the osseous system dominates , the bones of the 
nose are longer than with the preceding, and hence there is less 
room below the nose for producing powerful tones and less rich¬ 
ness of quality, owing to the non-resonant nature of bone. 
Muscle alone has the quality of resonance and elasticity. Bone 
assists reverberation, as in the sinuses, and in the ear the petrous 
bone, as well as the three small bones, the incus, the stapes, and 
malleus, assist the reception of sound in a manner which will be 
elaborated when the ear is analyzed. I believe the reader will 
have no trouble to confirm all of this analysis by reference to the 
physiognomies of any number of good singers taken at random. 

A purely singing nose does not express great mental powers, 
for those exhibiting large reasoning faculties must have the stable 
assistance of bone; yet many singers show average intellectual and 
some commercial ability, while many remain in a comparatively 
childish state of mind. Their mission is vocal , not mental , and 
the good singer is able to make thousands of people happy who 
can think well but who are not so constituted as to be able to 
entertain with their voices, as do the world-renowned song-birds. 
Singers, as a rule, are like children in their gayety and joyous dis¬ 
positions. They are also easily pleased and as easily affronted. 
They are fond of pets and ornamental attire and surroundings. 
They possess domestic tastes, although often compelled by the 


THE NOSE. 


903 


exigencies of their profession to wander far from home; but they 
always carry their pet animals along, and so set up a home with 
them at every hotel where they may chance to stop. 

STRAIGHT CLASS—PASSIVE CHARACTER. 

General Observations .—The straight nose is characterized by 
a perfectly straight outline of the back its entire length, from the 
root to the tip. It presents no undulations except at its junction 
with the forehead. It differs slightly from the so-called Greek 
nose; the latter descends in a perfectly straight line from the fore¬ 
head to the tip of the nose, without the slightest incurvation at the 
root, and this very minute modification at this place denotes very 
great differences in character. The straight nose indicates refine¬ 
ment, sense of fitness and propriety, aesthetic tastes, art-capacities, 
and a certain degree of sensuousness. If the nose be long and 



Fig. 221.—GREEK NOSE. Fig. 222.—STRAIGHT NOSE. 

broad, as well as straight, the mind inclines to philosophy, as well 
as to polite literature, the belles-lettres , and the art side of litera¬ 
ture, such as poetry, essays, etc. Those with this combination are 
politic, polite, and inclined to voluptuousness and the enjoyment 
of the senses. The characters of those with the straight nose, 
then, will exhibit some one or more of the following tastes and 
proclivities: Amativeness, refinement, good taste, aestheticism, love 
of poetry and fine literature. They are usually mathematical, and 
with a good brain in combination are fond of philosophy. 

If the nose be relatively short and thick, as well as straight, 
the tendencies are toward art or ornamental work, such as em¬ 
broidery, lace-making, etc. This form of nose is constructive 
mainly. I have seen it in the physiognomies of some excellent 
housekeepers who exhibited great taste in house-decoration and in 
the ornamentation of clothing, as well as in the tasteful arrangement 
of table-equipage and the furniture. It is not so inclined to high art. 




904 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


literature, and philosophy as the long and straight nose. The latter 
finds representation in the countenances of David Hume, Sir W. 
Herschel, Lavoisier, D’Alembert, Napoleon, Milton, Byron, Mrs. 
Hemans, Murillo, Voltaire, Sarah Bernhardt, Mdlle. Rachel, 
Madame Modjeska, Adelaide Neilson, Raphael, Louisa Alcott, 
T. B. Aldrich, and Bjorn Bjornson. A small, short, and narrow 
straight nose denotes much less power than a long , broad , and 
straight nose. 

The straight nose does not display the forcible, aggressive 
character which is exhibited by the convex nose, yet it is indicative 
of a great degree of Self-ioill , and those with this nose possess 
power for pushing forward any work which their taste prompts 
them to undertake. 

Nearly all the members of the celebrated Beecher family pos¬ 
sess the straight outline on the back of the nose, and they are 
broad as well, and this accounts for the energy with which they 
pushed their ideas and projects to success. Catherine Beecher, in 
one of her books, wrote that “ if circumstances were against us we 
must create circumstances.” Now, this might be possible to one 
with strong self-will, but it is not so easy for the negative character 
to compass. She made the mistake so common to human beings, 
of thinking that others can work with their individual wills. 

Many singers exhibit straight noses, and some composers also. 
Among these may be mentioned Franz Abt, Robert Heller, Bee¬ 
thoven, Handel, Virginia Gabriel, Minnie Hauck, Scalchi, Emma 
Abbott, Son tag, Grisi, Persiani, and Gerster. The noses of the 
above-named singers are short, while those of the composers are 
relatively long. 

In order to understand the significance of the straight nosG 
one must take into consideration its length, width, and size. No 
matter how small the nose, if the outline describe a straight line 
there will be a taste for ornamentation and a certain degree of re¬ 
finement, if nothing more. If it be long and broad the intellect 
is on a larger scale, and will exhibit literary, philosophical, 
mathematical, or architectural powers. Some noses reveal the 
presence of many of these talents, while others denote only one or 
two of them. 

The straight line, as a basic element of Form, finds normal 
representation in the human face in two features, viz., in the mouth 
and in the so-called Greek nose, and in all of these features the 
muscular formation is the cause of this peculiarity of form; and 
as the straight line, wheresoever found, is indicative of truth or 
normalcy, so we may infer that the nose which presents a straight 
outline its entire length, from the root to the tip, is in a certain 


TIIE NOSE. 


905 


sense the indicator of one form of truth, viz., the art side of truth, 
as illustrated in architecture, numbers, and the power to produce 
perfect curvation. All noses that present a straight outline upon 
the back denote artistic or aesthetic tastes and capacities. The 
forms of other parts of the nose and the quality of the subject must 
decide which phase of art is indicated, and the power or rank which 
he holds in the realm of art. Now, all classes of noses may be 
straight,—that is to say, set squarely in the centre of the face with¬ 
out turning either to one side or the other,—but at the same time 
all are not straight in their outline, hence cannot be classed with 
the straight or Greek nose. So, also, the Greek nose may be long, 
short, or medium. In each of these classes it combines with its art- 
nature the quality attributed to each of these lengths. A very long 
and straight nose will show more conservatism and foresight than 
either the medium or short nose with the same outline. 

The title of “Greek” is given to the straight nose for the 
reason that this is the form almost universally observed in the 
classic works of the great Greek artists. It is seen in their grand 
statues, bas-relievi, medals, bronzes, coins, etc. On this point Lava- 
ter, quoting Winkelmann, writes thus:— 

The forehead and nose of the Greek gods and goddesses form almost a 
straight line. The heads of famous women on Greek coins have similar pro¬ 
files, where the fancy might not be irfdulged in ideal beauties. Hence, we 
may conjecture that this form w T as as common to the ancient Greeks as the 
flat nose to the Calmuck or the small eye to the Chinese. The large eyes 
of Grecian heads support this theory. If only one such countenance, how¬ 
ever, had presented itself to the genius of art, it would have been sufficient 
for its propagation and continuance. This is less our concern than the 
significance of such a form. The nearer the approach to the perpendicular, 
the less is there characteristic of the wise or graceful; the higher the char¬ 
acter of worth and greatness, the more obliquely the lines retreat; the more 
straight and perpendicular the forehead is, the more does the upper part of 
the forehead approach a right angle, from which wisdom and beauty will fly 
with equally rapid steps. In the usual copies of those ancient lines of 
beauty I generally find the expression of meanness, and, if I dare say so, of 
vague insipidity ; I repeat—in the copies.* 

The full and straight nose, which, in classic figures, represents 
grandeur, can be made to represent meanness and insipidity by a 
slight diminution of the fullness. 

The causes which impelled the almost universal use of this out¬ 
line by the Greek artists are founded in the very nature of their 
own forms and minds , and are as cogent as they are instinctive. 
It is a law of human nature that each individual is best able to 
reproduce in his own works the principles and forms which are 
most strongly represented within his own organism,—within his 

* Lavater’s Essays, p. 312. 


906 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

mind as well as within his body. Now, the ancient Greeks were 
a muscular race, and, as I have shown throughout these pages, the 
muscular system is founded on curves and elasticity (the qualities 
essential to art-work); and, as the straight nose is one of the signs 
of muscular supremacy, therefore the straight outline of nose must 
have been quite common among them, and it is thus the repre¬ 
sentative of art-capacities. They had, then, a double reason for 
reproducing it in their works of art. They used it instinctively 
and irresistibly as an unconscious outworking of their own forms , 
and they imitated the forms of their greatest artists, philosophers, 
architects, and mathematicians in their attempts to illustrate the 
grandeur of the human physiognomy as exhibited in the faces of 
their most talented men and women. 

The normal outline of the straight nose describes a slight 
incurvation at its junction with the forehead, for, says Lavater, 

Without a slight undulation at the root no nose can be physiognomi- 
cally good or great . 

Now, this particular form of straight nose is observed in profiles 
of many of the ancient Greeks, as figured on coins and bas-relievi, 
while some are of other diverse forms, proving that a great variety 
of nasal forms existed among them, as is the case in all highly- 
developed races. The perfectly-straight line observed in the de¬ 
scent from the forehead to the nose, as seen in their ideal statues 
portraying heroes, gods, and goddesses, is an exaggeration of their 
own most customary form of this part of the physiognomy,—an 
unconscious attempt to create divine grandeur by exaggerating 
human greatness. Now, as I have shown that all exaggerated 
forms denote abnormal or unbalanced tendencies, so we shall find 
that those persons who exhibit this particular form of nose also 
exhibit, unbridled will , and this argues great stupidity , for he who 
uses his selfish will excessively does so because he lacks intelli¬ 
gence, benevolence , or reason ; hence he is wanting in one or more 
of these faculties, and the presence of the straight line in other 
than its normal place announces at the first glance the absence 
of good sense and the presence of blind, selfish will. 

The significations of form, it is thus shown, are very involved 
and very subtle, one signification involving another, and this a 
third, and this a fourth, and so on and on, until we reach the basic 
principles of the form in question, when the signification of the 
form thus analyzed is revealed in accordance with the supreme and 
unchangeable law of Form, which comes up to us through all of 
Nature’s work, from the microscopic cell to the revolving planet. 

An examination of the physiognomies of the Apollo Belvidere, 


i 


TIIE NOSE. 


907 


by an unknown sculptor, the Olympian Jupiter, the Minerva 
of Phidias, the Laocoon of Agisander, and the numerous statues 
of Venus by Greek artists, shows the descent of the nose from the 
forehead in an uninterrupted straight line. The reasons for thus 
portraying grand and divine character by an exaggeration is 
variously accounted for by different writers. Those who take the 
art-view merely, without knowledge of the true scientific interior 
meaning of this outline at this part of the physiognomy, of course 
commend it; but Lavater and one or two others criticize it from 
the physiognomical stand-point, hence they do not favor it as an 
expounder of fine character. Lavater says that “Nature in all 
her works abhors straight lines.” Now, Lavater, having never 
arisen to a scientific knowledge of the basic principles of Form, 
makes this assertion without explanation—in a dogmatic manner. 
This assertion is true only when applied to features and members 
whose normal form is other than straight; as, for example, if the 
line of descent of the nose from the forehead be perfectly straight 
it is an abnormal development and reveals undeveloped or ill- 
balanced characteristics, as previously shown. The normal form 
of the line of closure of the mouth is characterized by a straight 
and horizontal line; any other form of this feature is not normal. 
This straightness of this line proceeds from the muscular develop¬ 
ment of the mouth, which should be so shaped as to draw equally 
in all directions , and when relaxed cause perfect straightness of 
the line or fissure. The straight outline of the nose always an¬ 
nounces the dominance of the muscular system—or at least that it 
is one of the signs of a good development of that system. So, 
also, the perpendicular forehead tells the same story. All these 
straight lines, it is true, must have straight hones underneath the 
muscles in order to produce that perpendicularity of the forehead 
and nose, and this is why I said in the beginning of this analysis 
that the straight nose represented the art side of truth . With 
this formation of the nose and forehead a curved lower jaw-bone is 
always found combined. This is most decidedly apparent in the 
Greek physiognomies, as well as in the countenances of many 
modern poets, actors, and dramatic writers. It is this form of jaw 
to which I have given the name of the “dramatic jaw.” It is ob¬ 
served in the physiognomies of many talented persons, and all who 
exhibit it possess either talent or taste for dramatic representation 
either in poetry, fiction, upon the stage, or in real life. Given a 
straight outline of the nose, and the dramatic, artistic, philosophic, 
mathematical, creative, or constructive capacities of the character 
are at once revealed in varying degrees, from a slight taste for 
these arts up to great genius. 


908 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


The dominance of the muscular system always produces large, 
convex eyes, and this denotes linguistic power. Language was one 
of the greatest talents exhibited by the Greeks, and the fame of 
their orators has come down to modern times undimmed by the 
lapse of ages. 

Although straightness of the muscular system, as represented 
by the straight nose, discloses the art side of truth, yet it is not so 
indicative of the highest integrity as that perfect straightness of 
the bones which is exhibited in that subject in whom the osseous 
system predominates. The flexibility of the muscles argues easy 
change of position not only, but easy and facile movements of the 
limbs, and where muscle dominates it creates an inclination to 
change opinions often—to shift and turn; hence, philosophy, 
policy, and suavity are especial attributes of those with the muscu¬ 
lar as one of the supreme systems; therefore, the most consistent, 
steadfast, reliable conduct cannot be expected of this class of minds. 
Says Jehb:— 

The Greek idea of human perfection was a wise mind in a beautiful 
body ; good counsel joined to noble action. Noble action is pre-eminently 
represented by Sylla, good counsel by Odysseus. Odysseus is brave, but 
he is especially the man of subtle intellect and ready resource. It was a 
grave fault of the Greeks that they cared too little whether that quickness 
of wit which they so much admired was or was not honest. It is not strange 
that the noble Homeric conception of Odysseus should have been lowered 
by later Greek poets, who, dwelling chiefly on his subtlety and sensitiveness, 
made him an unscrupulous knave, reckless of everything except personal 
gain.* 

It is thus shown by the greatest literary work of the Greeks 
that their idea of morality was dominated by their sense of wisdom 
and beauty. 

The Greeks, having been more marked in the development of 
muscle and brain than any other race, afford us a grand field for 
the analysis and knowledge of what sort of character this combi¬ 
nation produces. The best test of character is its outcome or 
results. Now, the works of the ancient Greeks have come down 
to us in the form of philosophy, mathematics, logic, language, 
oratory, the drama, sculpture, architecture, and fine literature. 

Their chief types of poetry are the epic, lyric, and dramatic, while 
the chief types of prose are the historical, philosophical, and oratorical.! 

This whole class of knowledge indicates the creative energy 
of a race in whom the muscular and brain systems are regnant, 
and the ascendency of these systems produces long, broad, high, 
and straight noses, as seen in the physiognomies of many of our 

* Greek Literature, R. C. Webb, M.A., p. 25. f Jebb. 


THE NOSE. 


909 


modern philosophers, poets, artists, and architects, as well as in 
the models of the same classes of people among the ancient 
Greeks. The Greeks, like all muscular people, exhibited the play 
of the softer emotions of love and sensuousness, as well as the 
stronger emotions of rage, cruelty, and revenge. Their gods were 
a reflex of their own minds magnified, for they represented them 
not only as colossal in size, but portrayed their loves and hates 
upon a grand scale. Greek mythology reveals this reflected char¬ 
acter in all its descriptions of the imaginary gods, goddesses, fates, 
fairies, and demons with which it abounds. Now, the free play 
of the emotions is not conducive to morality; they require an elas¬ 
tic material for their exhibition. Morality, on the other hand, 
must have a more stable material to represent it; so, also, must it 
have a calm, reasonable condition of mind to conserve it, and the 
highest reason and morality are found best exhibited by those in 
whom the bone and brain systems are supreme; hence it is that 
the Greek idea of morality was not so high as that which obtains 
in those races which evolution has brought up to a higher state 
of structure. I do not mean to state that muscular people are not 
moral; simply they are not so “rigidly righteous” as those with 
more hard material in their organisms. Emotional religions best 
suit and hold them to moral law. 

As philosophy (questioning) precedes the discovery of laws, 
so it was necessary in the evolution of the world’s progress that 
philosophy should precede science. The present age ushers in the 
dawn of the scientific age—the era wherein the discovery and 
demonstration of natural, positive law is made. For this purpose 
another class of beings are required; not so beautiful, curvilinear, 
creative, imaginative, emotional, and artistic as the Greeks, but 
possessed of more solidity, morality, conscientiousness, and square¬ 
ness than they; hence, we find in this age that the supremacy of 
the bone and brain systems gives the sort of forms essential to the 
discovery and comprehension of positive law , for natural law is 
founded in truth, justice, and equilibrium. Were it not so the 
world could not revolve and life could not continue. Examine 
the personality and physiognomies of the majority of modern emi¬ 
nent scientists and mechanicians, and we shall find the osseous 
and brain the supreme systems. The result of this combination 
is observed in the numerous and wonderful inventions, and in the 
discovery and application of natural laws and forces to the world’s 
needs and for its progressive evolution. This change is shown in 
the human physiognomy by a different shape of the nose, for scien¬ 
tific noses differ not only in the form but in the material compos¬ 
ing them. They exhibit much less muscle and relatively more 


910 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


bone —less beauty according to art-standards, but more solidity, in¬ 
tegrity, and morality. This class of noses will next demand our 
attention, for the transition from muscle to bone is the physiologi¬ 
cal order of development, and it should be our endeavor to always 
follow Nature’s footsteps in our methods of investigation. 

POETIC TYPE. 

One of the most beautiful types of the straight nose may be 
justly termed the poetic, inasmuch as it is the distinguishing out¬ 
line of the noses of many of the most eminent poets of all ages 
and all nationalities. In them it denotes that the muscular is one 
of the dominant systems, and in combination with a sensitive brain 
system it affords the requisite mechanism for poetic expression. It 
is often observed that many of the straight-nosed poets possess a 
soft, rounded, and dimpled chin, also a curved “dramatic jaw ”— 
all indications of the presence of a fine degree of round muscle, 
the highest factor in linguistic and emotional expression. No mere 
brain, even of the highest quality, unaccompanied with fine 
muscle, could create the wonderful poetry of Byron, Shelley, 
Dante, or Rosetti. Let the reader examine the noses of Shakes¬ 
peare, Tasso, Chaucer, Tennyson, Burns, Pope, Corneille, Cowper, 
Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Akenside, Dryden, and other poets, 
and he will become convinced that the straight outline of nose is 
one of the salient hieroglyphs of a poet’s physiognomy. The 
student should not overlook the large eye and arched brow charac¬ 
teristic of most poets. These all announce the muscular as one 
of the dominant systems so necessary to this dramatic and emotional 
class of beings. Let it be remarked also that all of these noses 
are long, relatively high, wide, and well developed at the tip, 
where the signs for Analysis, Mental Imitation, Ideality, and Sub¬ 
limity are situated; also that Constructiveness fills out the sides, 
and thus shows that the principle of mechanism, so necessary to 
creative thought as well as to material creation, is present in all 
great original and inventive minds. 

ARTISTIC TYPE. 

So many eminent artists of all ages and of all races have 
exhibited the straight outline of the nose that we are perfectly 
justified in placing them in this class of noses. How could it be 
otherwise, when we consider the nature of muscle and all that 
inheres in its potentiality'? Art is founded on curves, so is muscle; 
hence the peculiar adaptation of the latter to the former. I use 
the term art in this description to designate painters more particu¬ 
larly, although in its most comprehensive sense it includes many 



THE NOSE. 


911 


who use muscle as the basis of their art-works. Great painters 
must possess a fine quality of nerve and brain. They must be 
keenly alive to all external sensation, as well as highly susceptible 
to internal promptings, to vivid imagination, and to sublime emo¬ 
tions, and a color-sense that thrills and permeates the entire being. 
Such beings carry the signs of all these lofty traits in the nose, as 
well as in the eye and other parts of their physiognomies. No 
observant person can overlook them. The intelligent and pene¬ 
trating glance of an Angelo, a Giotto, a Fra Angelico, or a Raphael, 
could not fail ol arresting the attention of the observer. Their 
portraits, which have come down to us from the ages, reveal a 
glance at once bold, original, penetrating, observant, and sensuous 
—all concomitants of an artistic mind. 

To come down to more modern times, and look upon the 
living countenances of a Dore, a Vernet, a Munkacsy, a De 
Neuville, a De Haas, or a Greatorex, we shall find that they are 
characterized not only by the 
straight outline of nose, but 
also give evidence of aesthetic 
taste and creative power in 
the eye, upper lip, and lower 
jaw, as well. In all great or 
even good countenances there 
is stamped Nature’s unmis¬ 
takable record of power. It 
is only necessary for us to 
know how these very remark¬ 
able evidences are shaped, and 
where situated, for children, even, to be able to point them out. 

The length of artistic noses varies considerably. The most 
original, the grandest of all, such as those exhibited by Michael 
Angelo, Rubens, Titian, and Raphael, and other great creators , are 
very long, as well as high, broad, and straight. The creative 
artist in any branch of art must have a broadly-expansive mind, 
hence we find in this class large and long noses. Copyists—those 
who are excellent painters without great original genius—exhibit 
noses relatively short; some are of the “pug” order,—short, round, 
thick, and constructive, somewhat like the “singing” nose; but 
where there is true greatness , originality , or genius , the nose 
by its size and form announces this fact, and the eye by its bright¬ 
ness, and the skin by its fineness, and the muscle by its devel¬ 
opment and flexibility, all combined, corroborate and accentuate 
the high significance of the nose. The utmost accuracy in paint¬ 
ing is required in that class who depict the human countenance 



Fig. 223.—ARTISTIC NOSE. (Murillo.) 






912 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


from the living subject. One might say with truth that this is 
certainly the highest, as it is the most difficult, branch of the 
art. It certainly is the most abused, for good portraits are 
scarce indeed. In this department of art imagination is not so 
essential, but a keen eye, large Form and Size, Human Nature, 
accurate observation, tine color-sense, Analysis, and Conscientious¬ 
ness are needed to give fidelity and thoroughness to the work; a 
fine mingling of the artistic elements of character being required 
in this department of art. 

Many parts of the organism present corroborative signs of 
the artistic capacity. The wrists will be round and flexible; the 
bones hidden by muscle; the fingers inclined to taper, and the 
joints not conspicuous; the forehead rounding at the temples; the 
eyes large and full; the face inclined to the oval form; the body 
and limbs round and muscular; the instep arched; and the feet 
relatively short, broad, and thick. 


LITERARY TYPE. 


Among the various departments of art as exhibited by straight- 
nosed people are very many literary characters to be found. The 
class of literary taste and talent displayed by this formation is 



Fig. 224.—(Dickens.) 

TWO FORMS OF 


Fig. 225.—(Ouida.) 
THE LITERARY NOSE. 


mainly dramatic, fictitious, poetic, and classic. These various types 
are exhibited in varying degrees of power in accordance with other 
indications observed in the subject. 

In order to discern the peculiar class of literature for which 
one is best adapted, the entire form and size of the nose must be 
analyzed, as well as the eyes, the jaws, and other features. With 
the dramatic jaw in combination the mind will be turned to dramatic 
representation, as we see in Byron, Milton, Racine, Corneille, and 
Joanna Bailey. If classic tastes are present, the nose and other 
features will present forms similar to those of Addison, for example. 




THE NOSE. 


913 


Fiction being always more or less dramatic in its nature, finds 
representation in many diverse types of nose, yet nearly all coming 
under the head of the straight nose, or some one of its many 
modifications. Examine, among the highly dramatic, the following 
among modern writers: Charles Dickens, William Black, Miss 
Thackeray, George MacDonald, Thomas Hardy, Walter Besant, 
Mrs. Trollope, and Wilkie Collins. Among writers of the modern 
classics the noses of Madame de Stael, Thomas Babington Ma¬ 
caulay, William Ellery Channing, Buskin, and Carlyle disclose 
the talent and taste for fine literature, which is well illustrated in 
their works. 

The poetic nose has been amplified elsewhere. The nose of 
each of the above-mentioned persons may be classed with the 
“ straight” class, yet are of different lengths, size, and development 
about the bridge, sides, and tip; and all disclose varying degrees 
of Constructiveness, Imagination, Sublimity, Analysis, and Mental 
Imitation,—all essential faculties to the litterateur . 

critic’s type. 

In this illustration the nose represents, at its point particu¬ 
larly, the nose of a natural critic. It is divided at the point 
by an almost invisible cleft. The minds of those who exhibit such 




Fig. 226.—CRITIC’S NOSE. Fig. 227.—PHILOSOPHIC NOSE. 

(Ivan Tourguenieff.) (Lord Eedon.) 

a nose are critical, keen, and penetrating; they will manifest ability 
to criticize intelligently all subjects which their combination of 
traits are best adapted to comprehend. 

PHILOSOPHIC TYPE. 

The purely philosophic nose, when talented, is distinguished 
by such combination of bone and muscle as to give height, length, 
fullness, or a rounded form to the outlines, and with a dominance 
of the muscular tissue over the osseous. Such noses belong to 
the artistic class, for philosophy is an art, not a science, and its 

58 









914 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


I 


best exponents are artists in thought and expression, and most 
largely developed upon the art side of their natures. Their 
writings, when tried by the rigor of scientific law and exactitude, 
often fail; such was the case with the theories of many of the 
ancient Greek philosophers, such, for example, as those of Xeno¬ 
phanes, Zeno, Heraclitus, Empedocles, and others of that era. 
That their philosophy was only an art and not founded on a scien¬ 
tific basis it is only necessary to mention the fact that none of 
their theories are now in use; they have not succeeded in holding 
a place in modern thought. If their philosophies had been based 
upon demonstrable fact and natural law , they would be now emi¬ 
nently influential. A good thinker has remarked that “a law 
once demonstrated is good for all time,” and laws which are 
demonstrated by the operations of Nature will outlast all the 
vicissitudes and mutations of time. 

Now, great philosophers are endowed with a capacity for 
reasoning, yet, as the muscular system usually dominates the 
osseous, it is not essential to them that they have truths to reason 
upon; it is with them a species of mental gymnastics, and they are 
ready to reason upon any premise if it happen to strike their 
fancy—for fancy and imagination play a great part in pure meta¬ 
physics; accordingly, we find in the philosophic nose the straight 
outline, and this gives the art side of truth and an ornate style of 
elaborating a subject. 

Philosophic noses bear a strong resemblance to poetic noses 
and a certain type of the painter’s nose, and in essence the philo¬ 
sophic mind partakes of both these natures and often exhibits an 
imaginative, speculative style that borders on the romantic, and 
which cannot be always proven by the facts of Nature. The busts 
of Plato reveal a first-class philosophic nose. 

In modern times we find this form showing forth in the 
physiognomies of divines, lawyers, poets, and others of the artistic 
classes. The nose of Robert G. Ingersoll, Henry Ward Beecher, 
of Whittier, the poet, of Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin 
presents four phases of this type. The nose of Beecher and Inger¬ 
soll resemble each other somewhat, while Franklin’s nose is on a 
broader scale than either, and this peculiarity was shown in his 
writings—by their greater breadth and comprehensiveness. Frank¬ 
lin’s nose illustrates the scientific side of art by its larger bones. 
Thomas Jefferson’s nose is more bony, and this denotes integrity, 
hence the justness of his conclusions and the morality and integrity 
of his life. David Ilume’s nose is a first-class specimen of the 
philosophic nose, and more beautiful in its outlines and proportions 
than any above named. Voltaire also presented a beautiful 


THE NOSE. 


915 


philosophic nose in his youth, but which in old age assumed a 
hooked appearanc, owing probably to the loss of his teeth. 

The philosophic nose, when compared with the scientific nose, 
is, as a rule, somewhat shorter, rounder, and with less bone. Some 
philosophic noses illustrate by their form the artistic phase of 
philosophy, and are speculative rather than accurate; while others 
exhibit the scientific aspect of philosophy, and reason from facts 
and laws rather than from assumptions. Some philosophers are 
profound like Franklin, others skim the surface like Voltaire; and 
all this is to be learned by reference to the nose alone. These 
differences are plainly discernible in the peculiarities of the nose, 
while they receive modifying influences from other elements in 
combination, such as color, quality, social development, etc. 

In order that the reader may form a correct idea of the rela¬ 
tive value of philosophy and science, I insert the following from 
the grand work of Lewes:— 

Philosophy has been ever in movement, bnt the movement has been 
circular; and this fact is thrown into stronger relief by contrast with the 
linear progress of science. Instead of perpetually finding itself after years 
of gigantic endeavor returned to the precise point from which it started, 
science finds itself year by year, and almost day by day, advancing step by 
step, each accumulation of power adding to the momentum of its progress; 
each evolution, like the evolutions of organic development, bringing with it 
a new functional superiority, which in its turn becomes the agent of higher 
developments. Not a fact is discovered but has its bearing on the whole 
body of doctrine; not a mechanical improvement in the construction of 
instruments but opens fresh sources of discovery. Onward and forever 
onward, mightier and forever mightier rolls this wondrous tide of discovery, 
and “ the thoughts of men are widened by the process of the suns.” While 
the first principles of philosophy are to this day as much a matter of dispute 
as they were two thousand years ago, the first principles of science are 
securely established.* 

DRAMATIC TYPE. 

Many of the most distinguished actors and actresses are 
characterized by a straight outline of the nose or 
some one of its modifications, and, as acting is a 
literary as well as a dramatic faculty, we should 
naturally expect to find the nose of some of the 
best exponents of the mimetic art thus shaped. 

A few, like Madame Ristori, disclose a convex 
outline of the back of the nose, and thus serve to 
illustrate the tragic power within; yet many of 
the most eminent may he classed with the straight¬ 
nosed artists, for this is the general tendency of 
the outline-form of their nasal feature. Examine, for examples, 

* Biographical History of Philosophy, G. H. Lewes, pp. 11,12. 



Fig. 228. 

DRAMATIC NOSE. 
(Henry Irving.) 



916 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


the noses of the following named: Adelaide Neilson, Edwin Booth, 
Frederick Lemaitre, Mdlle. Barretta, M. Coquelin, Ellen Terry, 
Joe Jefferson, Jane Hading, Mary Anderson, Fannie Davenport, 
and Miss Calhoun. There are many others in this class, but 
space forbids mention of them. 

A large class of comic actors and actresses present a modifica¬ 
tion of the concave nose. The retroussee finds its illustration 
among many of this class. Their phase of acting does not need 
as much intellect and intelligence as is required to depict grand 
characters such as are enacted by the above-mentioned class of 
creative dramatists. A lighter, more vivacious and mirthful talent 
is necessary for the portrayal of comic character; hence we see in 
the nose of Mdlle. Aimee, Mdlle. Croizette, Mrs. John Wood, Lotta, 
Lydia Thompson, Mabel Santley, and Pauline Markham, and 
others of this class, a tendency to concavity, as shown by the “tip- 
tilted ” appearance of the lower extremity of the nose. Those with 
this form of nose are arch, vivacious, piquant, mirthful, hopeful, 
approbative, and with a keen sense of human nature and love of 
young,—all essential factors in comic acting. They bear the same 
relation to the dramatic art that mere singers do to the art of com¬ 
position, and the noses of these two classes expound and reveal 
the grade of mentality possessed by each . Other features, of course, 
corroborate the presence of the dramatic instinct, talent, or genius. 
The eyes as well as nose are indicative of dramatic power. They 
must be large, full, and well colored to express linguistic and 
emotional capacities. The lower jaw, too, is seen to be well curved 
in many good tragic artists, whether actors, poets, or writers,— 
another proof of creative or original powers. The chin of many 
actors is dimpled, the brows arched, and the face oval or inclined 
to that form. Indeed, every part of the physiognomy of actors, 
as well as every part of the body, announces capacity for imitation 
and expression. The fingers are flexible, muscular, and tapering; 
the body round and lithe; the movements easy and graceful; and 
the emotional nature dominant. They are easily excited to 
laughter or tears, to jealousy and quarreling, and are as easily 
restored to calmness by most trivial circumstances. How could 
they be otherwise when they are called upon in the course of an 
evening to impersonate several diverse characters, all of the lightest 
calibre] 

In this class of minds the muscular is a dominant system, and 
this is the system that assists motion and emotion; hence, emi¬ 
nently well adapted to imitation and frequent change of feelings. 
In the higher class of dramatic artists the nose is high at the sign 
for Self-will, for this trait is most essential to those who must con- 


THE NOSE. 


917 


quer their own individuality sufficiently to put another entirely 
different character in the place of their own. Then, too, it re¬ 
quires a tremendous amount of Self-will to sustain an alien char¬ 
acter through five long acts, as many of them do in the course of 
an evening while delineating the plays of Shakespeare, Racine, 
and other grand playwrights. Let the reader make a comparison 
of several of the most eminent of the creative class of actors with 
some of the most talented of the imitative or comic class, and he 
will find a very great difference in the form of the noses of these 
two classes. 



Fig. 229. 

CONSTRUCTIVE NOSE. 
(E. B. Bigelow, Inventor.) 


CONSTRUCTIVE TYPE. 

All noses that are included in the artistic class present more 
or less Constructiveness in their outlines. This trait is essential to 
every department of art; yet there is a class pre-eminently dis¬ 
tinguished for constructive skill, as shown in mechanical work and 
invention, which I designate the constructive class. These noses 
are short rather than long, soft and mus¬ 
cular rather than bony, very thick at the 
signs for Constructiveness and Acquisitive¬ 
ness, and the general contour round. 

The nose of John A. Roebling, con¬ 
structive engineer, the architect of the 
celebrated Brooklyn Bridge, and Captain 
Eads, the architect of the Missouri Bridge 
and the New Orleans jetties, are excellent 
specimens of the constructive nose. Muscle 
is founded on curvilinear power and motion; 
running machinery is also based on circular movements; hence the 
mind that is the accompaniment of a well-developed muscular 
system is well calculated to comprehend rotatory law. This state¬ 
ment can be verified by an observation of the physique of all 
those who are skillful in those pursuits that require circuloid 
motions in their exercise, and this leads us soon to the discussion 
of athletes, which in this age is acquiring an interest (among men 
at least) which its importance demands. 

Constructiveness is one of the prime elements in all talented 
actors. See the portraits of Modjeska, Edwin Booth, Bernhardt, 
William Warren, and others. It is one of the dominant traits of 
literary minds also. The nose of Dickens is a most remarkable 
specimen of this class of nose. His mechanical talent is well 
shown in the skillful mechanism of the plots and characters which 
he invented and described. Poets, novelists, operatic singers, all 
find need of Constructiveness, and according as it is developed in 


918 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


their nose and body, just in that degree do they manifest ingenuity , 
originality, and mechanical skill in the management of their several 
pursuits. All of the artistic classes require the use of circular or 
curved motions, as in gestures, piano-playing, dancing, singing 
(for sound is based on curves), arrangement of drapery, in draw¬ 
ing and painting, and in the rhythmic flow of language in poetry. 

The most material and tangible use of the curve principle is 
shown in movements of machinery which is run by bands, pullies, 
and wheels, and in the manipulation of the mechanism connected 
therewith; but its highest manifestation is exhibited by those great 
inventors who have applied the principle of circular motion to 
machines which they have invented. An observation of their 
noses will disclose a muscular rather than a bony formation; broad 
rather than narrow; together with all the salient signs in their 
entire organism of the dominance of the muscular system. It is 
true there is a suitable brain in combination, but it is the brain of 
a muscular individual , who, without this development of the 
muscles, would not be competent to put the constructive principle 
into operation; thus showing that every system of the body is 
mental. 

ATHLETIC TYPES. 

Art in its most comprehensive sense includes all pursuits 
which in their exercise use the curve as the prime element. Under 

this classification we must include singers, 
actors, elocutionists, writers, philosophers, 
who think round thoughts or around a 
subject in the primitive manner, as distin¬ 
guished from the square or cubical thought 
of the scientist (but this is abstruse for 
the general reader, yet based on natural 
law), as well as those who follow the 
athletic sports as professions, such as box¬ 
ing, rowing, fencing, running, gymnastics, 
marksmanship, bicycling, dancing, skating, 
billiards, ball-playing, etc. 

In the noses of all these classes we shall find, of course, great 
diversity of shape, size, and proportion; yet there will be observed 
in every case certain general characteristic traits and forms. The 
signs for Self-will and Constructiveness are both well defined, while 
the sign for Weight in the forehead near Self-will is another well- 
developed faculty in all these classes. Most particularly is it ob¬ 
served in the faces of ball-players, billiardists, marksmen, and 
dancers, yet it is needed in varying degrees in all who follow any 



Fig. 230. 

ATHLETIC NOSE. 
(Edward Hanlan.) 







THE NOSE. 


919 


of the above-named sports. The sense of aim and direction is 
another faculty that marksmen require, and in all of those who 
excel in this art it is very largely developed. Let the reader ob¬ 
tain the portraits of the celebrated rifle-teams and boat-crews that 
have competed for supremacy, and he will make a most interesting 
study in class-physiognomy; he will find the signs which I have 
indicated as dominant to be universally present in all of their 
physiognomies,—another proof of the muscular basis of art and 
artists. In all of these classes of athletes the form of the nose, 
together with its cartilaginous condition, will announce athletic 
powers; the texture or quality of the skin will give the grade of 
the subject, while the development of the form and size of the 
nose and nostrils will reveal the more mental aspects of the char¬ 
acter. Analysis and the laws of Form must here work together in 
order to arrive at the entirety of the character under consideration. 

CONVEX CLASS-OSSEOUS SYSTEM DOMINANT-POSITIVE CHARACTER. 

General Observations .—The basic principles of Form are 
richly illustrated by the convex nose and the class of character 
exhibited by its possessors. It is the highest of all noses in its 
outline, and when it combines breadth as well as height it is the 
largest of human noses. It has been known for ages as the 
“Roman nose,” and the ancient sculptors often made use of this 
form to depict heroic character. This probably arose from the fact 
that many ancient conquerors, leaders, and rulers possessed this 
nose or some one of its most striking modifications. The under¬ 
lying bone is the foundation of its form, but all persons endowed 
with this nose exhibit a large share of muscle in combination, 
and this assists their bold, aggressive, dauntless, and courageous 
conduct. 

Height of the nose denotes elevation; breadth announces 
comprehensiveness; length gives caution, far-sightedness, perspi¬ 
cacity. Thus, the three dimensions of height, breadth, and length, 
when found combined in the nose in a large degree and with a 
good quality, give the world the assurance of a very powerful 
character. 

As the reader is already aware (if he has followed the course 
of these pages) that the signs for the great visceral organs—the 
heart, the stomach, the liver, and lungs—are situated in the nose, 
it follows that if these organs are large the nose will correspond 
in size, and if the bony structure be well developed the bones of 
the nose will be broad and high and proportionately long; thus 
the grandest of all noses. The most commanding types are found 


920 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


in the visages of those men and women who have governed, con¬ 
trolled, dominated, or led the world in its Avars, reforms, govern¬ 
ments, or grand enterprises of whatsoever nature. 

Those most influential in energetic movements, either as 
rulers, warriors, executive officers, commercial kings, superintend¬ 
ents, teachers, or capable parents, will in every instance be found 
to possess some variety or modification of the convex nose; Avhile 
those lacking the power to command, control, or manage will ex¬ 
hibit a nose wanting in the essential outlines or proportions of 
this class of nose. 

The dominance of bone in the organism of the executive in¬ 
dividual endows him Avith that solidity of structure which (when 
combined Avith a due share of muscle) enables him to exhibit firm¬ 
ness, integrity, and unyielding power, all of which are essential 
factors in one Avho Avould command. The bones must be square 
as Avell as long if the highest expression of executive judgment is 
required, for Force must be accompanied with Conscientiousness— 
integrity—or laAv degenerates into laAvlessness or despotism ; and 
square bones give the quality of righteousness to the character as 
Avell as positiveness and decision. 

The convex class of noses includes in its modifications the 
executive, the argumentative, the commercial, the dishonest, the 
scientific, and one type of the mechanical. The scientific nose is 
in its essential nature mechanical, for it represents character that 
is endoAved with the principles Avliich enable it to comprehend the 
mechanism of Nature, and conversely one class of natural me¬ 
chanics comprehend intuitively the scientific aspect of mechanical 
laAvs and operations. Those convex noses that are the highest in 
the upper third have the osseous system dominant, and this gives 
love and appreciation for laAv, order, justice, and similar noble senti¬ 
ments ; but Avhere the highest curve is lower than this a less noble 
and more selfish character is manifested, for this curving is caused 
by the dominance of muscle or cartilage, and hence shows more 
predaceous tastes; all of which harmonizes Avith the chief char¬ 
acteristics of bone and muscle in their manifestations. 

A nose in Avhich bone is the principal constituent announces 
a more solid character than the nose Avhich is composed of soft, 
flexible muscle. Starting Avith the knoAvledge of character by the 
comprehension of the differences in constituent tissues, the form 
next engages our attention. 

The highest or most developed of the osseous noses is shown 
by a convexity of the bridge or the highest point that is attained 
by its outline. This height is observed just where the sign for 
Executiveness is placed, and this facial sign represents the faculty 


THE NOSE. 


921 


which is among the highest evolved by the osseous system. The 
capacity to execute law must ever be one of man’s grandest attri¬ 
butes, for it presupposes Conscientiousness or Justice, and he who 
is imbued with a spirit of justice, and has the ability and desire to 
administer it, has certainly a superior character. Now, mental 
capacity, which depends upon energy to exhibit its action, can pro¬ 
ceed primarily from none other than physical power. Accordingly, 
we find that those who exhibit the faculty of Executiveness in a 
large degree, or even in a moderate degree, possess a structure of 
bone and muscle suited to energetic movements. The internal 
structure of certain of the visceral organs are also found to be 
more developed than is the case where the nose is inferior in size 
and form. The heart and lungs co-operate to assist energetic 
motions as well as to carry to the brain a large volume of blood 
to supply that organ with the stimulus necessary in grand and 
long-continued mental operations. It is thus again proven that 
mind and body are one and indivisible—a material unity which 
God has joined and which no man ought (theoretically, even) to 
put asunder. 

The heart is the largest muscular organ in the body; the 
lungs are not, strictly speaking, muscular, yet contain a good share 
of elastic tissue, and according as the heart is large and strong, 
and according as the lungs are capacious and powerful, so is the 
character able to express energy, promptness, and decision in both 
mental operations and physical movements. Hence, when the 
nose is convex and broad in its convexity the character will ex¬ 
hibit the highest capacity for command, such as was shown by 
the Duke of Wellington (the “Iron Duke,” as he was termed), as 
well as by Admiral Sir Charles Napier, Hannibal, Julius Caesar, 
and others among the world’s great conquerors. Wellington’s 
nose was like a battle-axe in shape ; very superior in this respect 
to Napoleon’s, who met in him his conqueror. Many of our gen¬ 
erals in the late Rebellion possessed this form of nose or some one 
of its many modifications. It requires a good share of Benevolence 
to balance this trait in order to prevent its possessor from becoming 
tyrannical and overbearing. 

The convex nose, as I have shown, argues superior physio¬ 
logical structure, and superior structure always discloses greater 
ability than an inferior construction. This is most particularly 
the case as regards the lungs or thoracic system. The influence 
of color in combination with this form may be taken into account 
with profit to the observer. As a rule, the very light color of eyes 
and hair are seldom or never met united with the Executive nose 
for the reason that bone development is caused by life under the 


922 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


sun’s rays mainly, and this course is calculated to color the blood; 
hence, bone growth and purity of blood proceed pari passu for 
generations, and from this double development of physiological 
forces proceeds that enormous energy that has characterized the 
world’s greatest leaders, conquerors, and heroes. Emerson has 
emphasized his knowledge of this correlation of growths thus:— 

The soundness of bone ultimates itself in a peach-bloom complexion. 

The colors that characterize those who possess large executive 
noses are either the black hair and dark eyes, with olive and red 
complexion, or very dark-brown hair, blue eyes, and clear, decided 
red and white complexion, and, as color creates force, so the energy 
of the character is greatly enhanced by the presence of a large 
amount of color in the system. 

It requires generations of normal living to develop the forces 
requisite to make a hero or a leader. A man who can found a 
great nose or assist in this grand work is a benefactor to the whole 
human race, but in order to do this he must obey natural laws and 
live mainly in the open air, bathe in sunlight, and live on simple, 
wholesome diet. Heroes do not possess small, weak lungs. Great 
men, as a rule, are not great invalids. It takes generations to 
produce the numerous and complex strands that go to make up 
such a character as a Shakespeare or a Newton. Man has so long 
been studied from theories and not from facts that the human race 
is utterly ignorant of the laws of heredity and descent. Not until 
the societies which have been formed for the purposes of inves¬ 
tigating and disseminating this branch of science have imbued the 
community with their ideas will any accurate knowledge of the 
laws of life and race-building be comprehended, and all attempts 
to make this information practical will fail unless studied and ap¬ 
plied in connection with the laws and principles of scientific and 
practical physiognomy. 

The question of nose-building is the dominant one in race- 
culture, and nowhere will the observer find a better illustration of 
the relation between nasal development, mental ability, and visceral 
power than in the faces and physiques of those eminent men and 
women who exhibit the highest types of the Executive nose. 

ARGUMENTATIVE TYPE. 

One of the principal modifications of the convex nose is 
observed in the noses of those who are naturally logical and 
talented in argument and debate. The noses of those thus char¬ 
acterized are relatively long, high, and broad; bony rather than 
muscular. Many exhibit a certain degree of height where the 


THE NOSE. 


923 


-tiljiyi;-!;;;,. 



sign for Executiveness is situated, while others have only a gentle 
undulation or curve at this part of the nose. The most talented 
noses, however, exhibit considerable breadth of the nose at this 
part, as well as general width of the entire back, and stand quite 
high above the plane of the face. Flat-nosed races and people 
are never logical or argumentative, but 
rather inclined to be disputatious and 
loquacious, and given to believe that 
the assertion of personal opinion is as 
good as logic and perfectly conclusive. 

Length, height, and breadth of the 
nose, if good or high quality is present, 
denote the thinker, and good thinkers 
are capable of logical ratiocination, and 
will manifest it by voice or pen. 

The earnest expression of logical 
thought requires high bodily powers as 
well as a suitable brain system. A 
man who can think logically and well 
“ on his feet,” and can state his ideas clearly and impressively 
in that position, must needs possess a physiological endowment 
suited to such efforts, and his nose will announce that fact to all 
beholders. 

There are, of course, many diverse forms of the argumenta¬ 
tive nose, varying in height, width, and length to suit the bodily 
build of their possessors. The reader can examine with profit the 
nasal organ and bodily structure of the following-named persons: 
Lord Erskine, Charles James Fox, Wilberforce, Voltaire, John 
Marshall, Alexander Hamilton, Charles Sumner, Stephen A. 
Douglas, William M. Evarts, William E. Gladstone, Thaddeus 
Stevens, Goldwin Smith, Gerritt Smith, and Prof. Richard Owen. 
The noses of these men represent various types of the argumen¬ 
tative capacity; yet all were clear, logical, and impressive, each in 
his own peculiar line of thought. Many philosophers, literary 
persons, and scientists exhibit the argumentative type. These 
will be considered later. 


Fig. 231. 

ARGUMENTATIVE NOSE. 
(William Ewart Gladstone.) 


COMMERCIAL TYPE. 

There are two general types of the commercial nose, both of 
which belong to the convex class. The one most pronounced in 
its outlines may be termed the Jewish or Hebrew nose. It is 
strongly convex just below the sign for Executiveness, and re¬ 
sembles the beak of the bird of prey, and, according to the basic 
principles of Form, the curve of this feature at this place denotes 


924 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


rapacity and the love of and capacity for overcoming. This curved 
form of beak, as seen among birds, is confined entirely to the class 
termed “ raptores,” or rapacious birds, and can be studied with 
profit in the forms and habits of the following-named birds: the 
lammergeyer, the condor, the turkey-buzzard, the Arabian vulture, 
the eagle, the falcon, the hawks, the merlin, the kestrel, the spar¬ 
row-hawk, the hen-harrier, and the several species of owl. These 
creatures are all carnivorous, and have the power to seize, over¬ 
come, and devour their prey. The higher classes, such as the 
eagles and Arabian vultures, possess considerable mental ability 
and keenness of vision. Their bodilv build shows a wonderful 
development of the thorax, just as it is seen in the structure of the 
great commercialists among men. This peculiarity of form gives 
the courage, enterprise, and daring which are required in large 
commercial enterprises, as well as the physical capacity to sustain 
the efforts consequent upon such enterprises. Their physiognomic 



Fig. 232.—COMMERCIAL. Fig. 233.—EXECUTIVE. Fig. 234.—COMMERCIAL. 

peculiarities are similar to the class of commercialists above men¬ 
tioned, viz.: round heads; long, cautious, curved beaks or noses; 
large, round, convex eyes; curved claws, deep chests, and very 
strong muscles. The several classes of eagles are domestic and 
entirely monogamous. In this respect they are much superior to 
many men. 

The various modifications of this form of nose are many, yet 
all announce similarity of characteristics. As this is one of the 
most pronounced type, and as it is characteristic of large numbers 
of an old and perfected race, as well as of individuals of other 
races, it deserves more than ordinary attention. It possesses great 
interest for the scientific physiognomist, for here he finds the con¬ 
firmation, proof, and explanation of many theories advanced in 
these pages. 

In the first place, the Hebrew commercial nose is the result 
of ages of development of character in a given direction, and has 
been intensified by ages of intermarriage with similar type-forms, 


THE NOSE. 


925 


The hygienic law of the Hebrew race, as formulated and enforced 
by that great law-giver, Moses, has resulted in making it the most 
vital, the longest-lived, and worldly-successful race in existence,— 
a proof of the triumph of natural law bringing its sure reward. 
The reader may read with profit the books of Exodus and Le¬ 
viticus, in the Bible, and will there learn that Moses was an ex¬ 
cellent physiognomist as well as hygienist. It has been by the 
observance of natural or hygienic measures that the Hebrew race 
has attained to and preserved its strong individuality and identity 
as a perfected race, notwithstanding the numberless and deci¬ 
mating persecutions to which it has been subjected for thousands 
of years. Another circumstance which has preserved them is 
their strong, or I might say talented, management of the domestic 
institutions,—the home and children. The success of a race rests 
primarily upon the skill displayed in the rearing of offspring, in 
the perpetuity of and justice in the marriage relations, in all of 
which the Hebrews -excel all other peoples. 

Not until the mind divests itself of religious bigotry and 
narrow prejudices can it do this splendid race justice. Prejudice 
always leads to narrowness and ignorance, and those who indulge 
in those petty vices cut themselves off from many rich fields of 
knowledge, much of which may be gleaned by investigating the 
habits, literature, and history of this, the oldest of civilized peoples. 
Those who are familiar with the writings of Moses in the Bible need 
not be told of the grand hygienic system which he presented to his 
followers, and notwithstanding that the Hebrews are burdened with 
the results of “ breeding in and in,” or, in other words, of too closely 
intermarrying without crossing the race, they still retain great 
energy, both moral, intellectual, and physical, which is not sur¬ 
passed by any other civilized people. A fine lesson in heredity or 
the transmission of type-forms and features is afforded by the study 
of the so-called Hebrew nose. As a rule these people intermarry 
within their own race-boundaries; thus all race-peculiarities and 
facial features are inherited in an intensified form; and as religious 
persecutions drove them to become traders by forbidding them to 
own lands, the trading instinct became developed almost univer¬ 
sally among them; although literature, art, and science have found 
among them many grand exponents, yet commerce has been their 
chief employment for centuries, and thus acquisition has become 
one of their dominant traits; and as it is one of the ruling forces 
of their mental structure, it is imprinted not only upon their bodily 
form, but also leaves its facial representative, in accordance with 
the basic principles of Form, upon that feature which, more than 
any other, illustrates the action of predaceous energy, viz., the nose. 




926 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


The form or outline of this type of the commercial nose dis¬ 
closes to us, as in the case of the bird of prey, a large and power¬ 
ful visceral structure—large lungs, heart, and feeding capacity. 
The highest curve of the so-called Hebrew commercial nose is 
made just below the sign for Executiveness, and is allied to it in 
character, for predaceous energy, such as commercialists exhibit, 
requires the exercise of large governing, commanding, and aggres¬ 
sive powers. Now, one rule to be observed in translating form 
into character is formulated by the basic principles of Form, and 
shows that height means nobility or power; its opposite appearance 
denotes dissimilar characteristics, viz., lowness and weakness. The 
highest ridge of the nose gives us the noble quality of Executive¬ 
ness, and where the ridge rises highest below this we have Vener¬ 
ation,—a faculty which bows, submits to, or respects law; but where 
the curve takes its rise from the root, and presents but one curve 
to the tip, showing no marked undulation at either of these signs, 
it reveals quite another character; and as we must always refer for 
our interpretation to allied forms in Nature, we find that this form 
is similar to that of the beak of the birds of prey, and here is our 
interpretation: An examination of the plans, methods, and systems 
of commerce of all sorts proves it to be one vast system of robbery, 
trickery, rapine, fraud, and conscienceless extortion. This is be¬ 
coming more and more apparent in these days of “ trusts,” 44 rings,” 
“corners,” and “vile monopolies.” In all of these schemes the 
men or company who produce nothing stand with both hands out¬ 
stretched, demanding tribute from both the producer and consumer, 
and if they do not comply they must starve. One class of mer¬ 
chants combine to ruin another class. The mercantile rulers of 
one nation combine against other nations, and all with perfect 
unanimity of action prey upon the producers and consumers 
wherever found. The men most prominent in these infamous 
schemes, whether in banking, railroad monopolies, wheat corners, 
whisky rings, or sugar trusts, as a rule, disclose one or the other 
of the two most decided forms of the commercial nose, i.e., they 
exhibit, either the so-called Hebrew nose, or the long, straight , high , 
and thick commercial nose. Examine for illustrations of the latter 
class, the noses of the so-called “railway magnates” of Wall 
Street, viz., those of W. H. Vanderbilt, H.J. Jewett, Sydney Dillon, 
Jay Gould, C.W. Field, W. A. H. Loveland, Henry Villard; also 
the noses of the following celebrated merchants and manufacturers: 
Elliot C. Cowdin, Matthew Vassar, I. Friedlander, the “wheat 
king” of California. 

These two classes of noses indicate commercial ability, although 
those with the curved commercial nose show more acquisitive 


THE NOSE. 


927 


powers than the other type. The methods pursued by those ex¬ 
hibiting these two classes of nose will be in harmony with their 
forms. There are many persons in all civilized races and nation¬ 
alities who exhibit the so-called Jewish nose. Their methods will 
accord with this formation. 

The leading characteristics of the straight commercial nose 
are breadth and length, with a rather uniform thickness, the entire 
length. The length denotes both caution and perspicacity—clear¬ 
ness, far-sightedness. The height at the point announces large 
Human Nature. Large nostrils reveal a strong heart and lungs. 
Height and width of the bridge of the nose are signs of a strong 
stomach, all of which afford the requisite vigor to sustain great 
mental excitement and physical fatigue. The combination of width 
and height at this point betokens large administrative capacity—a 
species of Executiveness. Nearly all disclose a large mouth and a 
long upper lip. The former indicates good linguistic capacity, as 
well as large assimilative powers; the latter announces a strong 
spinal column, as well as dignity, independence, and decision. A 
very large ear is usually found upon the heads of all great com- 
mercialists. 

It is thus shown that those who hold a prominent position in 
vast commercial enterprises must he very capable men —organized 
on a large plan. What a pity that the masses are not imbued with 
sufficient intelligence and justice to formulate a more honest and 
just system of distributing the products of labor! Then all of this 
splendid talent could be utilized in relieving distress and suffering— 
the producers getting their just share of their productions instead 
of permitting them to be used to stimulate the greed and avarice 
of a few, and thus developing the animal-like traits of rapacity, 
dishonesty, avarice, and unrighteous domination. You may say 
that their methods are legal; true, but legality is not always the 
highest form of justice. It was once legal to buy and sell human 
beings, a system of commerce very profitable to the purchaser, hut 
what to the purchased \ 


MELANCHOLY TYPE. 

One peculiar variety of the convex type of nose is exhibited 
by those who manifest congenital melancholy, and this trait in¬ 
creases as age advances, and in some cases a tendency to dementia 
and suicide is developed. Some of the most talented poets and 
other writers possess this form, and their writings as well as their 
lives reveal the depressing influence of this sad trait. The melan¬ 
choly nose may be large or small, yet its outline will assume a curve 
which causes it to dip downward, as if pointing toward the body. 


928 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


This is a most significant formation, for those who exhibit it 
are prone to dwell much upon their bodily feelings, conditions, and 
slight ailments, and if they contract any disorder, especially if it 

be of a chronic sort, no matter however slight, they 
are apt to give way to gloomy fancies and forebod¬ 
ings. I have heard those with this form of nose 
often express themselves as having no joy in life, and 
wishing themselves dead, when there appeared 
nothing to cause such desire, except the inherited 
tendency to melancholy. 

Lavater has given us his impressions of the 
turned-down nose. He remarks:— 

Noses which are much turned downward are never 
truly good, truly cheerful, or noble, or great. Their 
thoughts and inclinations always tend to earth; they are 
close, cold, heartless, incommunicative, often maliciously sarcastic, ill- 
humored , or extremely hypochondriac, or melancholic. When arched in 
the upper part, they are timid and voluptuous. * 

The nose in the portrait of Edmund Spenser, poet, is long 
and pointed downward, showing both caution and melancholy. 
The upper portion is, however, straight and finely formed. The 
nose of Dante is of the same form also. Every minute portion of 
the nose expresses character, whether we regard the size, the out¬ 
line, the breadth, the length, or the bones and muscles found in it. 
We must take all these into consideration before passing judgment; 
we must note its height, where it is straight, and where curved; 
where thick, and where thin; in what direction it points, and where 
it is hollow and where filled out. A word of caution is here neces¬ 
sary; the inexperienced observer is apt to confound the acquisitive 
or commercial type with the melancholy. Close observation and 
comparison are here required in order to avoid erroneous con¬ 
clusions. 

DISHONEST TYPE. 

One modification of the convex class of nose is often observed 
among the criminal classes, and upon the countenances of many in 
respectable society who are tricky and dishonest, and who practice 
dishonorable methods in business and in other ways. This form is 
an abnormal or degraded variety of the commercial nose, and is 
exhibited by the crook or curve upon the ridge of the nose, in a 
position other than that which is occupied by the noblest or highest 
normal position. If the nose curve below the sign for Veneration 
it indicates descending grades of nobility and strength, in varying 

* Lavater’s Essays, p. 472. 



Fig. 235. 

MELANCHOLY 

NOSE. 

(Dante.) 


THE NOSE. 


929 


proportions. It is usually slight in its curvation here, yet suffi¬ 
ciently so to claim the attention of the keen observer. 

The nose of the Bedouin Arabs well illustrates this form, and 
other predaceous habits reveal 
its accompanying characteristics. 

In this class of people there is 
great breadth of the 
nasal organ, indicating their 
visceral power,—constitutional 
vigor, as well as large Acquisi¬ 
tiveness,—the dominant traits 
of this race. The curve in 
this nose is very near the tip 
or point, and thus shows its 
relatively ignoble character. The 
combination of breadth with this 
low-placed curve denotes a com¬ 
bative spirit, directed, of course, in the direction of gain by conquest. 
All outward curvations of the nose, no matter upon which part 
of the ridge they appear, indicate some form of the aggressive, 
combative, or energetic powers. Noses of this form have their 
attention directed more upon material things than upon abstract 
ideas; hence, their curiosity is attracted to material subjects and 
to domestic matters, within the family and social circle. This 
class, like those with the Jewish nose, are fond of the pleasures of 
the table, and love to converse upon subjects connected with the 
cuisine, etc.; especially is this the case where the nose is broad as 
well as hooked. 

Those who exhibit the curve at this point of the nose are 
quick and apt at bargains, and with ability for “getting the best 
of a bargain” they enjoy shopping, if not in trade; and if 
engaged in commerce, often overreach themselves by palming off 
upon their customers inferior articles for a first-class price. This 
class of people should bear in mind that “honesty is the best 
policy; ” also, that a policy which is an honest policy is the best busi¬ 
ness principle, and the one by which to make the most. This 
form indicates not only trickery and dishonesty in business, but it 
also imparts the same spirit to all the acts, and is apt to tincture 
the entire nature; at least, it will influence much of the conduct in 
other directions than that of trade. 

The curved commercial nose is sufficiently overbearing and 
overreaching in its manifestations, and where the nose is large it 
is exhibited on a grand scale ; hut the curve seen in the lower part 
of the ridge does not, as a rule, belong to talented commercialists, 

69 




Fig. 236.—DISHONEST NOSE. 
(Lord Bacon.) 








930 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


but rather discloses less ability or a petty variety of the commercial 
type. I have observed this form in the noses of sneak-thieves and 
other petty criminals, as well as upon the noses of respectable 
people with a taste for close bargains. It is not necessarily crimi¬ 
nal , yet in spirit it desires the best and the most for the money, 
and if cultivated degenerates in the best characters into sharp 
practices, to say the least. 

Many refined and generous people possess some slight curva¬ 
ture at the lower third of the nose. In such it is not an indication 
of criminal intent, but indicates an aptitude for commerce. The 
physiognomist must always take into account quality and other 
modifying influences in making up the entirety of a character. 
With a coarse quality, this peculiar form of nose denotes a tricky, 
dishonest disposition; but in combination with a refined mind, the 
tendency is to trade , and such characters will be usually successful 
in commercial transactions. 

SCIENTIFIC TYPE. 

Almost all persons possessed of eminent scientific tastes and 
talents exhibit noses straight rather than convex; yet, as they are 
composed mainly of bone they must be classed as positive in 
character; hence I place them in the convex class; then, too, 
almost all of this class exhibit a considerable degree of convexity, 
ranging from large Executiveness to a subdued type of Veneration, 
and nearly all good scientists possess a large share of this element 
in their mental make-up. Obedience to law is one of the attri¬ 
butes of a scientific mind-; such minds respect or venerate natural 
law, until, as in the case of Charles Darwin, it constitutes their 
entire religious creed and worship. Again, in almost all scientific 
noses there is found, in combination with the slight convexity of 
the bridge, a considerable degree of width at this part and often 
along the entire length (the latter is the form exhibited in all who 
are eminent in science). See, for example, the noses of the 
Herschels, Francis Bacon, Copernicus, Sir John Lubbock, Budolf 
Virchow, Bobert Wilhelm Bunsen, Paul Broca, Professor Charles 
Thomas Jackson, Louis Pasteur, and Schleiden, and the noses of 
other renowned scientists present both width and height at the 
bridge and at other parts of the bridge and back of the nose. 

The main constituent of the scientific nose is bone, and this 
gives height and length, also width at the bridge; while muscle or 
cartilage fills out the sides and tip. The length denotes caution 
and perspicacity; width, comprehensiveness; the height at the 
bridge, elevation or development. The peculiarities of the form 
of the sides and tip will reveal the characteristics peculiar to each 


THE NOSE. 


931 


individual subject under consideration. All long, high, and hony 
noses denote capacity for reflection, and if they are broad as well 
as high, they indicate breadth of perception as well as logical 
capacity. The osseous element affords the practicality essential to 
the investigation of Nature’s laws, while it also gives calmness, 
perseverance, observation, stability, and integrity to all mental 
efforts. The last-named quality is most essential to the characters 
of those who would seek to pierce the veil of Nature’s secret 
arcana. The keenest observation is required in scientific and 
mechanical investigation, in order to insure accuracy of description. 
The bony system develops this trait in its highest degree. It is 
therefore the distinguishing mark of all good or great scientists 
and mechanicians. 

Natural laws are based on justice, equilibrium or balance 
being the mathematical foundation upon which all Nature reposes; 
hence, in order to understand the laws of God as shown through 
the operations of Nature, Conscientiousness must be paramount, 
and this trait is evolved from a developed osseous system, made 
perfect primarily through the perfection of the fluid system of the 
body, having the kidneys for its chief agent in the purifying and 
constructive process. Conscience has been naturally evolved, and 
not supernaturally imparted. The high moral character of scien¬ 
tists as a class demonstrates the possession by them of a large share 
of Conscientiousness. In their moral natures they are exceeded 
by no class whatsoever. 

Where the noses of scientists is observed to be rather shorter 
and broader than those who exhibit the longest type, they will be 
found to operate more upon the art side of science, rather than 
upon the more material phases; they will incline to experiment; 
as, for example, they may be expert in microscopy, photography, 
in experiments with light and heat, with chromatics, in operative 
surgery, in practical chemistry, etc. In the latter class, the nose 
of James Prescott Joule is an excellent illustration. Bunsen’s 
nose is on this order, as also that of John Wesley Powell. 

The noses of many eminent surgeons are relatively short, and 
broad at the end, proving that muscle is one of the dominant 
tissues; also, that Constructiveness, Mental Imitation, and Anal¬ 
ysis are large. See, for example, the noses of John Hunter and 
Edward Jenner, celebrated surgeons; the latter was the first to 
apply inoculation as a preventive for the small-pox; the former 
was the discoverer of the “life of the blood” and other very im¬ 
portant natural laws. In his Museum of Comparative Anatomy, 
now owned by the English government, he made more than ten 
thousand anatomical and physiological preparations, and founded 


932 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


the finest anatomical museum ever collected and arranged by one 
individual. To give the reader a slight idea of his method of 
illustrating the functions of the human economy, I extract the 
following from a description of his labors. His biographer 
remarks:— 

Dr. Hunter found it impossible to explain the functions of life by the 
investigation of human anatomy unaided by comparison with the simpler 
organization of brutes, and therefore he undertook the amazing labor of 
examining and preparing the simplest animals, gradually advancing from 
the lower to the higher, until by the process of synthesis the structure of 
the human body was demonstrated and explained. Let us take one small 
compartment in order to understand the effect of this method. Suppose it 
is wished to learn the importance of the stomach in the animal economjr. 
The first object presented to us is a hydatid, an animal, as it were, all stom¬ 
ach, being a simple sac, with an exterior absorbing surface. Then we have 
the polypus, with a stomach opening by one orifice and with no superadded 
organ. Next in order is the leech, in which we see the beginning of a com¬ 
plexity of structure. It possesses the power of locomotion, and has brain, 
nerves, and muscles, but as yet the stomach is simple. Then we advance to 
creatures in which the stomach is complex. We find the simple, mem¬ 
branous digesting stomach ; then the stomach with a crop attached to macer¬ 
ate and prepare the food for digestion; then a ruminating stomach with a 
succession of cavities, and with the gizzard in some animals for grinding the 
food and performing the office of teeth; and, finally,all the appended organs 
necessary in the various classes of animals, until we find that all the clrylo- 
poietic viscera group around this, as performing the primary and essential 
office of assimilating new matter to the animal body.* 

I have inserted the above slight extract to show the reader 
that patience, perseverance, and order are ever the attributes of 
those who bless the world by their observations of Nature’s opera¬ 
tions ; also to demonstrate that the synthetic methods pursued by 
me in tracing physiognomic features are identical with those fol¬ 
lowed by the most eminent scientists in other departments of 
science. The analytical and synthetic methods combined give us 
the ancient and modern ways of approaching the investigation of 
all natural objects, and it is this combination of methods which has 
given such an impetus to modern investigation. Reasoning from 
a whole to the constituent parts, and from the separate parts to the 
whole, affords us a central and circumferential knowledge of a 
subject, theory, or object. Herbert Spencer is a grand example of 
one talented in both these faculties, and one is at a loss which most 
to admire, his analytic or his synthetic modes of inquiry. 

MECHANICAL TYPE. 

There are two general and distinct classes of mechanicians, 
one of which is noted for the dominance of the muscular system, 

, *, Th ? Portrait Gallery, vol. iii, p. 665. (Published by the Society for the Diffusion of Useful 
Knowledge.) 


THE NOSE. 


933 


and the other for the supremacy of the osseous system. The 
latter class exhibits a capacity for angular mechanism rather than 
for the round. Carpenters come under the head of angular 
mechanics, inasmuch as they deal with plane surfaces and angular 
forms; while watchmakers and wheelwrights belong to the mus¬ 
cular-constructive class, and are best adapted to the running of 
machinery, and will show themselves more skillful in this direction 
than in the former. The most skillful piano-players and sewing- 
machine operators belong to the muscular class. It is true that 
the bony class of mechanics make use of circular forms and of the 
spherical principle in their various works; yet these are not the 
dominant or reigning principles. The muscular classes also use 
the angular principle of form; yet the circular is the regnant 
principle in their works. The bodies and noses of these two 
classes present two distinct types of formation in harmony with 
the forms which they are most skillful in using and creating. 

The angular mechanic is 
conspicuous by a long, high, and 
bony nose; in some subjects it is 
convex and well filled out at the 
sides, with squareness of all the 
bones, and an angular rather than 
a rounded body. The joints of 
the hands, fingers, and limbs are 
large and considered “homely” 
by those who do not know the 
beauty and significance of the 
square and angle. In some me¬ 
chanics the nose is relatively short, thick, and broad, yet with large 
bones; in others longer, yet wide and thick through, just above 
the opening of the nostrils. Professor Morse, the electrician, is an 
excellent example of this sort of nose. 

I recently saw in a fashion article a recipe for making a stiff, 
bony wrist over into a round, plump, flexible one! This would 
be, if successful, a greater miracle than was ever wrought by saint 
or prophet. Those who recognize but one form of beauty, viz., 
the curvilinear form, need to extend their knowledge of the sig¬ 
nification of forms in Nature, and thus broaden their capacity for 
enjoying those shapes that illustrate the most substantial, the most 
heroic and moral character. 

ABNORMAL TYPE. 

Many human beings come into the world freighted with the 
results of the bad habits of innumerable ancestors, The nose 



Fig. 237.—MECHANICAL NOSE. 



934 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


records these lapses from normal habits as surely as it registers the 
hygienic conditions which have resulted in normal form of this 
member. 

Noses disproportionately short announce a lack of bone, hence 
of caution and foresight in the subject exhibiting this form. This 
mental defect will inevitably lead to ill luck in all enterprises, as 
well as to ill health through lack of the care-taking propensity. 
We can, therefore, class this among the unhealthful or abnormal 
types. 

A nose very high and extremely thin in combination is another 
abnormal form, and reveals consumptive tendencies, with but feeble 
longevous powers. Great weakness of the stomach is to be found 
associated with those noses that are greatly depressed at the centre, 
as well as a lack of veneration of the self-controlling, self-respect¬ 
ing, law-abiding element. 

Very sharp-pointed noses are deficient in that general or large 
development of character and of physique which indicates capacity 

for long life, or a life that is rich in its 
fullness. It is not so much length of 
days that is to be considered desirable as 
is the quality of fullness of existence 

wmmmmm while on earth. 

The gimlet-shaped nose ever an¬ 
nounces a small degree of those ornate 
faculties which assist in rendering the 
fio. 238 . mind creative, imaginative, artistic, and 

(Native Tasmanian woman.) analytic; and these traits are the product 

in a race of a higher evolutionary grade 
than is possessed by those with sharp-pointed or impoverished 
noses. Examine some of the lower classes of the Irish, those who 
are the offspring of centuries of deprivation of physical comforts 
and social advantages, and we shall find the most striking types 
of this class of pointed noses. It is also seen in the faces of indi¬ 
viduals of all races, and in them denotes poor physical conditions 
of their ancestors. A good nose is not the product of one gen¬ 
eration alone; neither does a poor one come into existence sud¬ 
denly. It can be traced back to some poor-nosed ancestor, or is 
tbe result of cumulative deprivation, or, as in the case of some 
feeble-minded subject, it proceeds from unusual modifications of 
the laws of form during prenatal existence. 

Noses abnormally long indicate too great a degree of Cautious¬ 
ness, and this gives a suspicious turn to tbe mind, and thus en¬ 
genders disordered or morbid ideas, which may result in alienating 
friends, or in melancholy brooding, in insanity or suicide. 









THE NOSE. 


935 


A nose very crooked or curved on the back, below the normal 
position for the curve, betokens avaricious or dishonest propen¬ 
sities. It is, in short, a caricature of strength, and as the curve is 
* misplaced it argues a condition not normal. 

The nose which is disproportionately high at the bridge will 
exhibit a despotic nature, unless there are modifying signs else¬ 
where—such, for example, as well-balanced Benevolence, large 
Reason, or Love of Young, or Conjugality, or Practicality. 

Where the nose is high and broad between the eyes, and joins 
the forehead without any degree of incurvation, it denotes a char¬ 
acter stupidly willful. If it join the forehead without a gentle 
undulation, and then suddenly project, it is evidence of a sus¬ 
picious as well as of a willful disposition. 

If the nose be abnormally short and thick, with a poor quality 
of texture, it is evidence of a stupid or brutal character. 

Where the nostrils are wide and appear as if facing the 
observer, it is proof of low animal passions. This is one of 



Fig. 239. 

ANIMAL TYPE. 





Fig. 240. 

REVENGEFUL NOSTRILS. 


the most striking characteristics of many animals. It is found 
in all simian faces, as well as among the carnivorous classes and 
the more peaceable domestic beasts. The ape tribes disclose this 
peculiarity in what may be termed its most malicious form, the 
nostril being at almost right angles to the eyes, and this form, 
when observed in the human face, indicates spite, malice, revenge, 
or vindictiveness, in various degrees and in diverse manifestations. 

Nostrils exceedingly narrow announce poor circulatory and 
respiratory powers, with a decided tendency to consumption and 
little ambition. 

Nostrils that are stiff and wanting in flexibility denote absence 
of sensitiveness or delicacy of sensation. 

Very broad and flat nostrils indicate abnormal secretiveness, 
as in the negro and other undeveloped races. This appearance is 






936 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


an animal peculiarity, and must be classed among the signs for 
comparatively undeveloped minds. 

In concluding the foregoing analysis and description of the 
nose, it is pertinent to the subject to speak of those accidental ap¬ 
pearances of this feature which often lead the physiognomist into 
error. A highly-observant physiognomist should be able to at once 
know if a peculiarity of this member were congenital or accidental, 
but, lest a wrong verdict of character should be rendered, the ques¬ 
tion should be put to the subject as to whether accident has im¬ 
parted an unnatural form to the nose. Many noses are one-sided; 
others depressed at the bridge by a blow; others by accident be¬ 
come straightened at the bridge, which were originally convex; 
others are swollen by catarrh or other disorders, or by bad habits 
of eating and drinking; others present thickened walls and a 
large, thick, coarse point, which is a scrofulous indication, and 
does not denote Ideality or Sublimity. The quality as well as 
form should be remarked, for fineness of the texture of the skin is 
the sign of fineness of organization, and is seldom the accompani¬ 
ment of a scrofulous diathesis. 

All these circumstances should be taken into account in read¬ 
ing the physiognomy. Certain disorders destroy the osseous tissue 
of the nose; others affect the cartilage. Catarrh and syphilis 
both leave traces of their ravages upon this member, while polypus 
and inflammation change the color, size, and texture. All these 
circumstances must be had in consideration. When the nose is 
so far destroyed as to prevent our gaining a knowledge of the 
mentality of the subject, reference may be made to the forehead, 
head, and shape of the hand, the fingers, and other portions of 
the organism, for all are parts of one harmonious whole, and 
serve to enlighten the truly accurate observer. 


The Eye. 

In order to understand the full significance of the eye as an 
indicator of character, a certain degree of knowledge of its mechani¬ 
cal construction, as well as of its evolution, is essential. It is 
impossible in this work, limited as it is to the more external aspects 
of character, to give extended descriptions of the physiology and 
evolution of all the features; yet some accurate account must be 
had from competent authority in order not only to enlighten the 
reader, but also to sustain my own theories. 

As elsewhere stated, the outer skin-covering of the body is 
the most primitive of the mental organs; it is in the human being 
the most diffused and extensive, and gives us our ideas of heat or 


THE EYE. 


937 


cold, pf solid or liquid, of pressure or of resistance; in short, of 
the qualities of things independent of that knowledge of them 
which sight brings to us. 

The tips of the fingers and the tongue are the most sensitive 
portions of this sense-organ. The outer skin is the most primitive 
of the mental organs, and evolution teaches how the eyes are 
evolved from this tissue. The course of their evolution has been 
followed with the aid of the microscope and other instrumentalities 
by many eminent observers, in the human as well as in animal 
embryos. 

As it would take too much space were I to go into the detail 
of their observations, I shall therefore he obliged to content myself 
with quoting the result or summing up of the description by 
Professor Haeckel of this process. He observes:— 

The most important fact in this remarkable process of eye-develop¬ 
ment is the circumstance that the optic nerve, the retina, and the pigment- 
membrane originate from a part of the brain, from a protuberance of the 
twixt-brain, while the crystalline lens, the most important refracting medium, 
develops from the outer skin (epidermis). From the outer skin—the horny 
lamina—originates also the delicate connecting membrane (conjunctiva), 
which afterward envelops the outer surface of the eyeball; the tear-glands 
proceed as branched processes from the conjunctiva; all the other parts of 
the eye originate from the skin-fibrous layer; the vitreous body, and the 
vascular lens-capsule, from the leather plate, the choroid coat with the iris, 
and the protective membrane (sclerotica) with the horny membrane (cornea) 
from the liead-plates. The outer protective organs for the eye, the e} r elids, 
are merely simple folds of skin, which in the human embryo appear in the 
third month. In the fourth month the upper lid adheres to the lower, and 
the e} T e then remains covered by them till birth. The two eyelids usually 
again separate shortly before birth, but sometimes not till after. Our skulled 
ancestors had, in addition to this, a third eyelid , the nictitating membrane , 
which was drawn over the eye from the inner corner. Many primitive fishes 
(Selacliii) and Amnion animals yet retain this. In apes and man it has 
atrophied, and only a small remnant of it exists in the inner corner of the 
eye, as the “crescent-shaped fold,” as a useless “ rudimentary organ.”* 

The student of evolution will call to mind that the entire 
brain was originally evolved from the outer skin, hence, in its 
most exact and vigorous sense, all parts of the eye have been 
derived from this tissue, and in this circumstance we find one of 
the most powerful evidences of the intimate relation existing be¬ 
tween the texture of the skin and the brightness of the eye. It 
will be found upon examination that these two conditions are 
always in exact relationship or agreement with each other. The 
physiognomist feels entirely safe when by putting together these two 
circumstances he deduces therefrom the quality or mental grade of 
the subject. 

*The Evolution of Man, Ernst Haeckel, vol. ii, p. 259. 


938 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

And it is this knowledge that gives me confidence in asserting 
that fineness and clearness of the skin, brightness of the eye, and 
fineness of the hair are proofs of a higher grade of mentality 
than coarse, thick skin, coarse hair, and dull eyes. It is a long 
road over which the true physiognomist must travel to find his 
proofs. Demonstration is what is needed for this purpose, and 
no true physiognomist should be satisfied with unsupported evi¬ 
dence or mere assertion; besides, the interest of any feature is 
greatly enhanced if we can trace its history , for this opens our 
minds to much that is not apparent upon a surface presentation. 

The history of the development of any organ or feature is 
wonderfully instructive, and enriches the mind with facts , which 
are far more satisfying than the fanciful theories of Creation, which 
have entertained the credulous in past ages. 

The only way that we can arrive at a correct knowledge of 
things, is by the use of our natural senses! The more perfect 
they are, the more exact will be our knowledge of phenomena, and 
the more perfectly constructed the eye, both in its mechanism and 
chemical organization, the more accurate will be our knowledge 
of those objects which sight brings to our observation. 

The perfect mechanical construction of the eye is rather rare, 
as I am informed by an eminent oculist. The imperfections of 
eyesight are probably as common as are the imperfections of the 
organs of speech, hearing, and scent. These all vary from a normal 
degree to the most feeble grade. Hence, it is not surprising to 
find that perfect articulation, accurate hearing, and keen scent, are 
rather rare than otherwise; this fact is known to all physicians. 
Some of these deficiencies are due to abnormal chemical action, 
whereby the fluids of the eye or the tissues are not perfectly devel¬ 
oped, or through malformation of the muscles of the eye, or by 
their defective mechanical construction and action, making the eye 
either too long or too short sighted, or too oblique, as in strabismus, 
or “cross-eyes,” as it is commonly termed. Again, the coloring 
pigment may be lacking to such an extent as to render the color- 
sense very weak, and also to so enfeeble the vision as to cause very 
defective or confused ideas of objects under observation. It will 
be observed by the last remark that deficiency of color in the eye 
is a direct impediment to true sight. Albinos illustrate this defect, 
as they are noted for their feeble eyesight, as well as for weakness 
of all their senses. The same feebleness of sensation is apparent 
in the sense-organs of others, where the color pigment is lacking. 
The nasal and auditory ganglia require coloring pigment, and if 
this be absent the senses of scent and of hearing are relatively 
weak. Or if there be a general absence of color, and the com- 


1:he eye. 


939 


plexion be pallid, all of the tissues are abnormally feeble, with a 
tendency to scrofula or consumption, and the color-sense is also 
wanting. Thus it will be seen that in order to have perfect vision 
very many things are required, and this will explain why there are 
so few comparatively perfectly constructed eyes. 

The two principal functions of the eye are sight and motion. 

The eye, like all the features of the face, is both a physical 
and a mental organ and feature. 

It is a current belief (along with many other physiognomical 
heresies that the eye expresses more of the mental powers than 
any other facial feature. 1 do not so regard it, for the reason that 
when the eyes are closed, very thorough knowledge of mental 
characteristics can be had from inspection of the nose alone. 

But this amount of knowledge cannot be gained by observa¬ 
tion of the eyes solely; this is a test of the relative value of the 
two features as significators of mental character. That the eye is 
a more impressive feature than any other I will concede. The 
brightness and intelligence exhibited by this feature immediately 
arrest one’s attention, and give brilliancy and an appearance of 
active life to the countenance, without which it would resemble a 
lifeless statue more nearly. 

Dr. Cross concurs with me in this view, for he observes thus:— 

Were we at this moment to see a face for the first time, our attention 
would be arrested by the eye—a thing so brilliant in the midst of dullness, 
as if it were a little fire, or a window opening into a luminous apartment. 
But although the eye from its superiority, in situation, in structure, and in 
function, is a more engaging and a more expressive feature than the nose, 
yet the nose from being more central, and from being connected with the 
great vital organs, is a more radical feature.* 

The eye is the facial register of the muscular system of the 
entire body, and its motions are due to the development of that 
system. 

It is the movement as well as the brightness of the eyeball 
that makes it so attractive; not the fixed gaze, for the eyes express 
all emotions in turn. Although the eye in a state of repose gives 
us the general tone of the mentality, as well as the temper and 
morality, it does not reveal to us either the power or direction of 
the intellect; the nose alone is competent to disclose all these. The 
eye expresses the emotions rather than the purely intellectual 
processes, for movement is better adapted to feeling than to thought. 
It is this great capacity for motion which leads me to regard the 
eye as more indicative of the emotional nature than of the intel¬ 
lectual nature. 

•An Attempt to Establish Physiognomy on Scientific Principles, John Cross, M.D., p. 243. 


940 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


The eyes and ears have arisen out of the original nervous 
system, as evolution teaches us; hence they were not intended to 
supersede the functions of sensation or tactile power, but to assist 
them. One proof of this is had in the experiment of endeavoring 
to ascertain the qualities of articles by touch. It will surprise 
those who have never made this test to find how little the function 
of sight is essential to knowledge in this direction. Now, although 
qualities may be detected by touch alone, yet we can gain no 
adequate idea of form and color except by sight, and as these 
constitute the greater part of objects, so sight is most essential to 
those who would become actively useful. The eye is a mixture of 
animal and mental powers: animal by reason of the preponderance 
of its muscular construction (eleven muscles being found within 
its orbit); mental by virtue of its connection with the optic nerve— 
a nerve derived from the second pair of the cranial nerves, which 
are nerves of sense. This nerve ramifies upon the retina, and 
according as it is finely organized will be the power for acute vision. 
Accuracy of vision depends upon the mechanical arrangement of 
the muscles, the humors and the lenses, as well as the amount of 
the coloring pigment in the choroid coat. 

The most primitive and most diffused mental organ is the 
outer skin-covering of the body, and evolution shows us that the 
eyes were evolved from this source, and, as the power of sensation 
of feeling is the most extensive and important, it follows that 
deprivation of surface-sensation (as in paralysis, or by burns) is 
more destructive to mental activity and force than deprivation of 
eyesight; thus proving that original or primitive functions cannot 
be dispensed with so easily as the later additions to our bodily 
equipment, although they may stand more abuse, as is the case 
with the stomach, which is, I believe, the most abused of all our 
organs, as it is the most primitive of all the viscera. 

A great deal of nonsense, poetic and otherwise, has been written 
about the eye; some describing it as the “mirror of the soul,” etc. 
Now, the eye, like the brain, is simply a physical organ supplied 
with blood-vessels, nerves, muscular fibres, and certain liquids, all 
purely physical substances; as well call the chin or the nose 
expounders of the soul; they all reveal mental or moral character¬ 
istics and proclivities, or the lack of them. I do not object to 
poets idealizing any portion of the face or body, but when it tends 
to superstition I object. The ancient writers and many modern 
European writers use the word soul synonymously with the word 
mind; science gives a more accurate meaning and teaches that 
mind is a physical organ. Whatever the soul may be I know not, 
but it is not best to confound soul and mind by using one word to 



THE EYE. 


941 


describe both. Mind, I opine to be the entire material intelligence 
of the human being. 

Soul, I cannot describe, hence I confine myself to what I 
understand. At any rate I gain no idea of one’s “soul” from the 
expression of the eye, but I do learn much of man’s emotional 
nature,—his moral or immoral status, as well as his linguistic 
powers and general capacity for motion,—hence his aptitude for 
art; also his general tone or mental force by the color and bright¬ 
ness of the eye, but not the entire direction of that force; the nose 
and forehead alone show these. 

The relation of the eye to the muscular system must be 
thoroughly comprehended in order to discern why and how this 
feature is the facial sign of the muscular system, of motion and of 
the emotions, viz., of love, hate, truthfulness or untruthfulness, 
sentiment or sensuality, and, also, of artistic capacities. For this 
purpose we can find no better evidence than that which Nature 
has furnished in so many “ready-made experiments” in the animal 
kingdom. This proof is had by observing the eyes and bodies 
of all those animals that depend mainly upon their muscles for 
their activity. 

The eyes of the various kinds of deer, the springbok, gazelle, 
goat, ibex, elk, chamois, hare, and rabbit, all indicate by their size 
and conformation that the muscular is their predominating system. 
It also exhibits their capacity for continuous and rapid motion. 
The size of the eyes, as well as the habits and habitats of these 
animals, prove that they are intended to scan distances and wide 
expanses, and that they are not suited to the perception of the 
minute in Nature. Small-eyed animals exhibit faculties just the 
reverse of large-eyed ones, and depend more upon the knowledge 
of things near them and those that require more exact vision. 
These animals are slower in their motions, possessing more bone 
and adipose tissue than muscle according to their size. The 
elephant,‘tapir, rhinoceros, grizzly bear, walrus, and elephant-seal 
are examples of this combination. The small eye of the elephant 
is so easily brought to a focus that he can pick up a needle with 
his proboscis. The nature and habits of all these creatures 
demand that they shall take cognizance of small objects, as well 
for the purpose of gaining a supply of food as for protection, their 
motions being so slow that accurate and instant vision is essential 
to their safety. 

The mental characteristics of animals possessing large, full 
eyes bear a strong resemblance to human beings who have similar 
features. They are more emotional than the small-eyed creatures, 
more affectionate, and more active; they receive sensations more 


942 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


vividly, and lose them almost as readily as they receive them. 
One class of animals in which the muscular system predominates 
exhibits considerable mechanical, and even artistic, skill. The 
mole’s burrow and the beaver’s dam are manifestations of one form 
of muscular ability. In man, all the varied architectural and 
building powers depend mainly upon the muscular and osseous 
systems combined. 

In endeavoring to discern the meaning of an eye there are 
nine things at least to be observed: First, the form; second, the 
size; third, the color; fourth, the degree of brightness; fifth, the 
shape of the commissure or fleshy opening caused by the parting 
of the upper and under lids; sixth, the effect produced by the 
folds, wrinkles, and brows, and proximity to the nose; seventh, 
the angle of inclination, or the manner in which the eye rests in 
its socket—its inclination forward or backward, and its position in 
regard to the surrounding parts; eighth, its relative position to 
the central line of the perpendicular; and ninth, its general 
expression. 

There are many expressions of the eye which cannot be de¬ 
scribed in any way, apart from the living subject; just as there are 
many indescribable traits in persons that cannot be illustrated 
by brush, chisel, or pen. The personal atmosphere or magnetism 
is one of the things that cannot be transmitted to posterity by 
words or pictured representations. 

The enthusiasm and inspiration of the ancient orators— 
Cicero and Demosthenes, for example—must have produced the 
most exalted and sublime effect upon their hearers; yet in reading 
their noble and lofty sentiments, all this is lost. Just so with the 
human eye. Many of its expressions cannot be reproduced. The 
various colors are most difficult to delineate on canvas. The 
best study of the eye must be made in the living subject. Still 
there are many expressions observed that can be described and 
their meaning understood to a certainty. 

The eye being more particularly the indicator of the emotions, 
it is particularly well adapted to reveal the linguistic powers, as 
well as the passions, such as love, affection, hatred, jealousy, sus¬ 
picion, anger, truthfulness and untruthfulness, sexual morality and 
immorality, and this it does by the peculiarities of its structure. 
In order to understand this feature and to be able to translate its 
conditions into character we must apply the laws of Form as set 
forth in the basic laws of Form. 

The consideration of the forms of the eye will now be taken 
up; this will be followed by the other qualities involved in the 
physiognomic signification of this feature. 


THE EYE. 


943 


THE FORMS OF THE EYE. 

The true sphere occurs but once in the human organism, and 
this appears in the shape of the eyeball. The true circle is found 
but once in the human face, and that is found in the retina of the 
eye—that particular portion of the eye which brings into the mind 
a knowledge of the forms and colors prevailing throughout Nature’s 
vast domain. The form of the eye is globular, and epitomizes the 
world. Within the orbit of the eye and its surrounding parts and 
accessory appendages, we shall find all of the prime factors of Form, 
viz., the globe or sphere in the eye-ball, the point in the “blind 
spot ” where the optic nerve makes its appearance in the retina, 
the line in the ciliary processes—numerous radiated fibres which 
assist the iris in dilating and contracting. 

The angle is well represented by the two angles at the outer 
and inner corners of the commissure of the eye, the curve by the 



FIG. 241.—THE MUSCLES OF THE EYE. 

1, superior oblique ; 2, inferior oblique ; 3, 4, 5, recti muscles. 


sections of the eyeball, and also by the curving of the lids; hence, 
we find in this feature all the essential elements of Form. The 
eye is thus shown to sum up and resume all basic principles of 
Form, the only feature which contains them all in so complete a 
manner. 

The patient student of physiognomical science will be able, 
by applying the basic principles of Form (as described in this 
work), to spell out the meaning of every part of each eye under 
observation, and thus learn their true significance. 

The outline of the eyeball is globular; this form is necessary 
in order to facilitate the number and variety of movements essential 
to sight. The sense of sight, like that of hearing, is dependent 
upon circular or curved movements and circular mechanism. The 
rays of light are produced by vibrations of ether, which are wavy 
or curvilinear in their form; so, also, the sound waves that impinge 
upon the ear describe a segment of a circle of infinitesimal size. 






944 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


The eye, both internally and externally, is round, and the mechani¬ 
cal appendages down to the most minute cell of the watery humors 
of the lenses, of the coloring pigment and of the muscular tissue, 
all exhibit circuloid formation. 

The optic nerve, like all nerve-tissue, is endowed with elasticity, 
and the infinitesimal tremors that mark its activity are wave-like, 
and thus are able to communicate to the brain with lightning-like 
rapidity the stimulus received by the eye at sight of any object that 
falls upon the retina; here, again, we find that motion is the main 
cause of intelligence. All of which goes to prove that motion 
primarily is the source of all the knowledge which comes into the 
mind through the senses of hearing and seeing, and, also, that 
circular form and curvilinear motions are best adapted to free 
movements; hence are the bases of spontaneity of motion as in 
artistic works,—Music and Language, for example. This idea 
leads up to another, and it is this, that the eyes of the artistic 
classes are larger than those of all other classes; also, that the 
most active persons and animals possess the largest eyes. Upon 
further examination it will be found that in all these classes the 
muscular is the dominant or one of the dominant systems, and thus 
we are confronted with the logic that, as activity, spontaneity, 
and continuity of motion are attributes of the muscular system, 
so Language, being a mode of motion , it follows that the eye is the 
facial sign, both of the muscular system and of Language, and 
furthermore for the reason that it contains more muscles within its 
small orbit, and more active ones than any similar amount of 
space in the face or body. 

Now, if this be the facial sign for Language, it follows that 
it should by its form, size, color, and quality reveal linguistic 
capacities and individual peculiarities. It does this in the most 
precise and subtle manner when the basic laws of Form are 
applied to each minute variation of every minute section of its 
orbit, lids, brows, etc. 

The eye is also one of the facial representatives of the sex- 
nature and amative sentiments by virtue of its muscular relation¬ 
ship to the reproductive system, and as this system is the base of 
Amativeness it follows that the quality, power, and conditions of 
this system and its associated sentiment would be indicated by the 
.structure, color, and quality of the eye; hence, in our investiga¬ 
tion and analysis of this feature we shall treat more particularly 
of the faculties of Love and Language while describing the various 
circumstances that effect this feature, although it is indicative in a 
general way of all the emotions. 


THE EYE. 


945 


This analysis proves liow fallacious is the notion that the 

Large size of the eye of talented linguists is the phrenological 
organ of Language, which is situate in the cerebral convolutions on the 
lower side of the anterior lobe of the brain at the posterior part of the 
supraorbital plate, pushing the eye more or less downward, or forward, or 
outward, according to the size of the convolution, thus giving prominence 
or anterior projection if the organ be large. (Story.) 

What supreme nonsense is all this! Why even a child by 
superficial observation can see that the eyeballs of great talkers 
are large by virtue of their muscular endowment, and are not 
u pushed up, or down, or out” by the “convolutions” of the brain 
behind them. This idea of the muscular formation of the eyeball 
as an indicator of Language and of motion must be grasped in its 
entirety by the student of physiognomy in order to make an intel¬ 
ligent use of the science as a whole; for it is a basic idea and is 
related to the entire muscular mechanism. The eyes and forma¬ 
tion of the deer tribes, the goat, the chamois, etc., accord with this 
theory of motion. They are the fleetest and the most continuous 
in their movements of all animals. The wandering, nomadic tribes 
of Arabia present very large, wide-open eyes, and in them the gift 
of imaginative language is pre-eminent. The artistic classes 
of all races reveal the same peculiarity of form of the eye, and 
they all depend upon the rapidity and automatism of the muscles 
for the skillful performance of their art, be it music, language, 
painting, or athletics. 

The optic nerve has room for greater expansion upon the 
retina of a large eye than upon a small one; hence, the larger the 
eye the greater the power for receiving impressions and sensations, 
and of imitating and exhibiting emotions, as is the case with poets, 
actors, and others of the artistic classes. This expansion of nerve- 
tissue is more marked upon broad features than upon very narrow 
ones, and in all instances gives the most power. 

Width of the point of the nose and nostrils gives greater 
keenness of scent than is found in those that are thin and narrow. 
Contrast the greyhound and bull-dog for examples of this principle. 
It is the same with broad, full lips versus thin ones, and thus of 
all the facial features. 

THE THREE GENERAL FORMS OF THE EYE. 

There are three general forms of the eye; and now I am 
about to describe the form of the eye as it appears between the slit 
or opening of the lid. These are: (1) large and round (Fig. 242); 
(2) narrow and elongated (Fig. 243); (3) oblique (Fig. 244). All 

other forms are modifications, blends, or compounds of these three 

60 


946 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 





Fig. 242.—Large and Round. 


principal forms. Some eyes present in their contour portions of 
each of these forms. Exaggeration of any one of these forms is a 
caricature of what such individual form represents; as, for ex¬ 
ample, an eye greatly exaggerated in size denotes fluent, unreliable 
“gab” or talk instead of rational and eloquent language. It also 
denotes incapacity for receiving correct and accurate impressions; 

hence, is the indication of an untruthful, un¬ 
reliable character. An eye too small denotes 
great secretiveness, another form of unrelia¬ 
bility in regard to language and truth, while 
the slant-eyed, cat-eyed individual reveals 
still another form of abnormal development 
of language, being deceptive, secretive, sly, 
and crafty in his talk; thus, all departures 
from the normal standards of form are shown 
to be not only less reliable than those that 

approach these standards, but 
are also less beautiful. The 
ancient Greek writers, poets, 
and artists seemed to have had 
a very limited conception of the 
beautiful as expressed by the 
eye; their main idea of this 
feature seems to have been 
that large size of the eyeball, 
high arching of the lids—par¬ 
ticularly that of the upper lid 
—was the sole and only type 
of true beauty. This peculiar¬ 
ity of form is found in most of 
their great masterpieces of stat¬ 
uary, as seen in the figures of 
Jupiter, Apollo, Juno, and 
others. The Greek idea of 
beauty was based entirely upon 
the physical or sensuous 
aspect of Form; the moral 
and scientific idea of lorm had not developed in their era; 

> hence, they knew not its meanings and could not express it in 
poetry or sculpture. They were a muscular race, and we have 
learned through scientific physiognomy that “we generally think 
according to our formation ; ” so the Greeks thought round, curved, 
artistic thoughts, which eventuated in rounded, flowing, graceful 
language and curved, rounded statues—curved in all their parts. 


Fig. 243.—Narrow and Elongated. 


Fig. 244.—Oblique. 

THREE GENERAL FORMS OF THE EYE. 









THE EYE. 


947 


This represented the art era, but not the moral or scientific 
era, such as is now advancing. One of the grand uses of this 
system of physiognomy is that its basic principles of Form apply 
to the people of all nations, races, and eras, making it unnecessary 
to devote great space to the description of racial types, because the 
laws of Form apply to each, and when thus applied reveal and ex¬ 
press national and ethnic characteristics as well as individual pecu¬ 
liarities of character. 

The form of the upper lid alone, could we view it apart from 
its surroundings, would reveal the degree of linguistic capacity 
in the subject. It will also give us his class of mind—whether 
he be artistic, scientific, mechanical, moral, or sensual. Where 
the inner corner of the upper lid is highly arched we have assur¬ 
ance that it is the eye of a luminous, artistic mind, with lofty ideals 
and great susceptibility to all outward sensations and expressions, 
as in Fig. 242. 

ARTISTIC TYPE. 

On the other hand, if this line is not so highly arched it 
announces a more reflective mind, with power for more accurate 
observation and less emotion. 


FIG. 245.— ARTISTIC EYE. 

(Rubens.) 

REFLECTIVE TYPE. 

The shape of the hands and finger-tips even can be delineated 
from observation of this line alone. In the former case they will 
be muscular, flexible, and tapering; in the latter bony, hard, and 
square,—so true to nature and so far-reaching in their applications 
are the basic laws of Form. The law of the homogeneity of the 
whole organism here, as elsewhere, asserting its supremacy. The 
law of one part is the law of the whole. The above outlines are 
normal types,—one of the artistic, the other of the reflective, eye. 
Each indicates fluency and normal Amativeness. 

A true curve of the upper lid at its outer corner denotes 

Agreeability. 


Fig. 246.—REFLECTIVE EYE. 
(James Watt.) 





948 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


THE AGREEABLE EYE. 

The eyes of thousands of moral persons exhibit this slight 
downward curve. In its normal manifestation it is a moderate 
curve, and signifies Agreeability, and in this form it is found in 
the eyes of the following-named: Henry Ward Beecher, Prince 
GortschakofF, General Bobert E. Lee; William I, Emperor of 
Germany; Edward Everett, Bobert Burns, Benjamin Disraeli, 
Jenny Lind, N. P. Willis, Pius IX, Marshal McMahon, Commo¬ 
dore Farragut, Dr. William B. Carpenter, Ferdinand De Lesseps, 
Michael Faraday, ex-Empress Eugenie, Prof. William D. Whitney; 
very marked in Tennyson, Thurlow Weed, Alexander Hamilton, 
Elizabeth Fry, and Dr. Abernethy. I could swell the list almost 
indefinitely of most excellent characters whose eyes present this 
degree of curvation. I am the more particular in calling attention 
to this peculiarity for the reason that it has been classed among 
criminal eyes by a certain writer on physiognomy. Doubtless this 



Fig. 247.—AGREEABLE EYE. Fig. 248.—LINGUISTIC EYE. 

(N. P. Willis.) (Mrs. Hemans.) 

peculiarity is found in the physiognomy of many thieves and liars, 
for many of them use their native agreeability to deceive others. 
Many rogues possess great suavity, as well as a large share of the 
faculty of Human Nature, and these traits they combine with the 
criminal ones in order to succeed in their knavery. 


THE LINGUISTIC EYE. 

The linguistic eye is full, round, and quick in its movements; 
of various colors, but always bright. 

^ POLITIC TYPE. 

Where the “ agreeable eye ” is exaggerated in form and takes 
on a decidedly oblique appearance, it then becomes, like all exag¬ 
gerations, abnormal (Fig. 249), and in this form denotes a desire 
to be agreeable often at the expense of strict truth. It is hard for 
those of this type to be the bearers of unpleasant truth, and if sent 











THE EYE. 


949 


upon an errand requiring severity they will soften and tone down 
the message before delivering it. This class often seem to be 



Fig. 249.—POLITIC EYE. 


deceitful, yet do not plan to be; their natural desire to please 
everybody gives this impression. 

UNTRUTHFUL TYPE. 

Still further turned downward, as is often seen in the coun¬ 
tenances of dishonest politicians (Fig. 250) and salesmen, it ex¬ 
hibits the “law of imperfect curvation ” or obliquity, by downright 
agreeable lying and planned deception, in order to further selfish 
schemes and be successful in trade or in society. It is this class 
of short-sighted philosophers who say that “ policy is the best 
honesty,” never dreaming that dishonesty is the worst policy in the 
world, and the most unsuccessful commercial theory. 

Now let us note the departures from the normal curve or 
standard of form in the upward slant of the upper eyelid. This is 
the most vicious of the two phases of obliquity. When the outer 
corner of the eye turns slightly upward it indicates a slight degree 




Fig. 251.-D0UBLE OBLIQUITY. 
(A Mongolian.) 


Fig. 250—UNTRUTHFUL EYE. 

(A Politician.) 

of diplomacy or tact, or policy, or secretiveness, or caution. A 
more decided slant denotes deception, secretiveness, treachery, and 
cruelty even, as with the carnivorous animals, whose eyes are thus 

formed. 








950 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


UPWARD OBLIQUE. 

Many professional criminals exhibit this form of eye It is 
also characteristic of the majority of numbers of the Mongolian 
and other low races. 

DOUBLE OBLIQUITY. 

Where the outlines of both the eyelids slant decidedly up¬ 
ward the character is deceptive, suspicious, and entirely untrust¬ 
worthy (Fig. 251). 

OBSERVING EYELID. 

Particular attention is called to the overhanging folds of flesh 
and skin frequently met with in the outer corner of the upper eye¬ 
lid (Fig. 252). 

This peculiarity is most commonly seen in the eyes of the 
highest classes of accurate observers, such as mechanicians and 
scientists. It is most decided in old age. It is rarely met with in 




Fig. 252.—OBSERVING EYELID FIG. 253.—LICENTIOUS AND UNPRINCIPLED 

(Charles Darwin.) EYE. (Prince Milan, op Servia.) 

artistic faces, for the dominance of the muscular system raises the 
eyebrows to a high curve, and, as the eyebrows do not project 
much in these subjects, there is more or less space between the 
upper eyelid and the hairy brow; but in the more accurate classes 
the osseous is one of the supreme systems and the muscular sub¬ 
dominant ; hence, the greater capacity for acute observation, the 
greater will be the projection of the bony superciliary ridges. As 
age advances the eyes of this class recede more and more, and, as 
the muscles and skin about the eyes become lax through long- 
continued use and shrunken by loss of elasticity, one or more 
parallel folds of flesh, skin, or fat appear, and often set far out 
beyond the eye, making the feature appear very small,—much 
smaller, indeed, than when in the youthful state. This should 
not be confounded with the secretive eye; the better curvation of 
the lids will reveal the difference. For examples of varying de- 










^HE EYE. 


951 


gi'ees of this trait, see the eyes of the following-named: Charles 
Darwin, Michael Faraday, Alfred Rupp, Robert Collyer, John 
Draper, William Cullen Bryant, John Smeaton, architect of the 
Eddy stone Lighthouse, and James Watt, inventor. 


LICENTIOUS AND UNPRINCIPLED FORM. 



Another peculiar illustration of the basic principles of Form, as 
related to the eye, is found among the low types of beings, both in 
barbarous and civilized races, the apertures of whose eyes are very 
nearly closed by reason of the eyelids describing so slight a curve 
in crossing the eyeball as to show a very narrow slit of an elon¬ 
gated form, through which the eye seems peeping out (Fig. 253). 

This form denotes a low sexual nature and untruthfulness. 
Now, height of any feature is one of the indications of elevation 

and nobility of the part of 
the character which is rep¬ 
resented by such feature; 
yet, the 44 happy medium ” 
also denotes excellencies. 


FIG. 254.—SECRETIVE EYE. 


Fig. 255.—ACQUISITIVE EYE. 


Straight features reveal more straightforwardness of conduct and 
speech than curved features. This law of vertical measurement 
applies with equal justice to the aperture or opening of the eyes 
as it does to other features. Where the aperture between the lids 
is of normal width, and the eyes straight and horizontally placed 
in their orbits, they indicate normal morality and truthfulness, but 
where this is greatly exaggerated, and they are much too large for 
the normal standard, they are unreliable. So, also, where the lids 
are too dose together for normalcy, secretiveness, or deception, or 
mental inferiority of some sort is indicated, as well as undue ac¬ 
quisitiveness or sensuality. Now, in some subjects, one, two, or 
three of these traits may be present, and their presence will be cor¬ 
roborated by other signs in the face and body. The eyes of many 
noted criminals present this form; those known either for their 



952 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


gross immorality, thievish propensity, inferior intellect, secretive¬ 
ness, acquisitiveness, or avariciousness. The eyes of Jesse James, 
the notorious bandit, present both secretiveness and acquisitiveness 
large, while other of his features indicate other criminal or 
defective characteristics (Figs. 254, 255). 

SECRETIVE AND ACQUISITIVE EYE. 

In eyes of this class the angle at the corners is very obtuse , 
while in eyes that express the greatest degree of truth-telling 
capacity and the greatest degree of true or normal emotion, such 
as love, etc., the angles are very acute , forming almost a square , and 
in the eye thus constituted is found one of the most wonderful 
combinations of the true arch and the true curve that is to be met 
with in the human physiognomy (Fig. 256). 

TRUTHFUL EYE. 

The countenance that exhibits this noble combination of the 
basic elements of Form can be interpreted instantaneously by the 

application of the laws of Form. It is 
by this application alone that we are 
able to instantly comprehend the moral 
grandeur and heroism of Luther’s na¬ 
ture. His round, wide-open eye, with 
its finely-arched lids and acute angles , 
announce his capacity for bold, fear¬ 
less, and true sentiment. Fortunately 
for the verification of scientific physi¬ 
ognomy, his life-work attests the truth 
of its principles. 

Among philosophic artists, Winck- 
elmann, the great sculptor and art-writer, stands unrivaled; his 
conception of the principles of Form alone would stamp him a 
genius of the first grade; his analysis of the normal plan or 
design of the perfected face is thus concisely stated. He remarks:— 

The more oblique, for example, the eyes, as in cats, so much the more 
does their direction deviate from the fundamental form of the face, which is 
a cross , whereby it is divided in length and breadth, from the crown of the 
head downward, since the perpendicular line passes through the middle of 
the nose and the horizontal line through the orbits of the eyes. If the eye 
is placed obliquely, then the face is divided by a line, oblique to the vertical, 
passing through the nose. This, at least, must be the true cause of the un¬ 
seemliness of an obliquely-situated mouth; for if, of two lines, one deviate 
from the other without reason, a disagreeable impression is produced. Such 
eyes, therefore, when found among us, and in Chinese, Japanese, and some 
Egyptian heads, in piofile, are a departure from the standard. The flattened 



THE EYE. 


953 


nose of the Chinese, Calmucks,and other distant nations, is also a deviation, 
for it mars the unity of the form according to which the other parts of the 
body have been shaped.* 


This artistic philosophy approaches very nearly a scientific 
analysis of Form, and is quite in accord (as far as it goes) with the 
physiognomical theories propounded by my system, and which are 
in accord with the basic laws of Form as exhibited by universal 
Nature. 

NORMAL EYE. 


The lower lid in a normal eye describes a true curve, not 
so highly arched as the normal upper lid. In all departures from 
a true curve in this feature we find a defect of some sort. In 
those in whom the bony system is dominant the lower lid is never 
so arched as where the muscular system is one of the supreme 


Fig. 257.—NORMAL EYE. 
(Prince Napoleon.) 



Fig. 258.—ABNORMAL EYE. 
(Jesse James.) 


systems. Yet if the character be moral, a true curve will appear 
(if ever so slight) in its curvation; this form denotes a relative 
deficiency of muscle, hence expresses much less artistic and emo¬ 
tional capacity than where the curving is excessive. This grade of 
curvature is normal in those subjects in whom the osseous system 
is dominant. 

ABNORMAL TYPE. 

An abnormal form of the lower lid is reached when it draws 
an almost straight line across the eyeball, forming, in connection 
with the upper lid, a narrow, slit-like aperture, such as is observed 
in those who are excessively secretive or avaricious. (Fig. 258.) 

This form is also often seen in the physiognomies of misers 
and among avaricious races, notably among the Arabs, Turks, 
Hindoos, and other Orientals, as well as in many barbarous races. 

This appearance is frequently met with in the eyes of con¬ 
genital criminals, and in their case the curving of both the upper 

* Wiuckelmauu’s “Ancient Art,” vol. ii, p. 3§. 
























954 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


and lower lids is imperfect, and in many subjects the eyeball is 
obliquely placed cat-wise in its socket. The signs of villainy are 
more apparent in the eye and mouth than in any other features, 
and where these deviate from normal standards of form the moral 
sense deviates in just the same degree from the highest standard 
of rectitude. 

The excessive mobility of the muscles of these features makes 
them peculiarly susceptible, either to improvement or degradation, 
and as both are facial signs of the faculty of Language, so all 
deviations in them from normal forms betoken abnormal pecu¬ 
liarities of speech, as well as modifications in several other related 
faculties and functions. 

The eye is one of the facial signs of Amativeness as well as 
of Language. The power and capacity for sex-love, as well as for 
the sentiment of love, is shown in the eye by its form, size, color, 
lustre, quality, position, movement, and humidity. 



Prof. Willis’ idea of the “monogamic ” and “ polygamic” eye 
applies to certain-shaped eyes with truth, but as he gives no 
analysis of these forms it remains for me to do so in connection 
with the figures that illustrate them. In this search after under¬ 
lying principles we have not far to go, for the law of the angle 
and the curve, with an application of their inherent meanings, 
affords us all the light necessary to translate their forms into char¬ 
acter. The “polygamic eye” (Fig. 259), so called, is in some 
races both narrow and oblique, as in the Chinese and Japanese, 
and these people practice and have practiced polygamy for ages; 
their eyes denote a lack of sexual ethics, which the true curved 
eye, with its acute angles, indicates. This latter curvation is caused 
by the line of the lids springing sharply upward and downward 
from the corners, and it is this form of roundness that characterizes 
the “monogamic” (Fig. 260) and the “conjugal” (Fig. 261) eyes. 

Each of these eyes has its modifications and corresponding 
characteristics. The above figures illustrate the two extremes of 










THE EYE. 


955 


sex-love, viz., promiscuous attachment and exclusive attachment. 
The forms of these eyes are in harmony with the physiognomic 
principles ot elevation and lowness, as seen in the finely-arched 
eye of Fig. 257 and the low character shown by the irregularly 
drawn line of Fig. 254. 

In these examples the law of the square or angular principle 
is dominant in the eye that is perfectly curved, for in order to pro¬ 
duce two fine curves there must be an acute angle at their inter¬ 
section. This combination of the acute angle and the true curve 
indicates the highest degree of pure and true monogamic love. 
The other illustrates the law of the obtuse angle and imperfect 
curvation, and thus shows the presence of a lower grade of true 
and pure Amativeness. 

The normally-amative eye I term the “conjugal eye,” for, as 
the polygamic eye is the exaggeration of the normal type, the 
former is the mean between the two extremes. The conjugal eye 
is found in its highest form in 


those men and women who love 
but once in a life-time, and who, 
through the fidelity of their 
attachment and the peculiar 
structure of their emotional 
natures, can never again ex¬ 
perience the same degree of 
affection that characterized 
their first love. The normal 
conjugal character is one which 
may admit successively of a second or even a third or fourth 
attachment, but is capable of being faithful and true to each wdiile 
the attachment lasts. This class of people marry a second or 
third time if deprived by death of their marital partners. 

There are a large number in every community who can be 
happy and contented only in the conjugal relation; these are pre¬ 
eminently conjugal characters, and their grade of Amativeness is 
quite as normal and far more practical than that of the ever- 
mourning husband or wife who rejects a second love, and who go 
through life a sort of peripatetic monument, refusing to be com¬ 
forted in a sensible manner. 

The polygamic eye is met with in all civilized races, and is 
not confined to the barbarous or semi-civilized tribes. It is more 
frequently met with among men than among women. Women 
are more naturally monogamic and more conservative than men. 
These two factors added together create that intensity of conjugal 
fidelity which holds the family and society together. 



Fig. 261.—CONJUGAL EYE. 





956 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


In this field woman is man’s protector, for the pure-minded, 
faithful wife is often the power that holds the vacillating footsteps 
of her husband from straying after strange goddesses. 

In woman the “polygamic” eye is indicative of a love of 
admiration, and vents itself in girlhood by “flirtations” and a 
craving for promiscuous admiration and attention, yet many such 
women make admirable wives when offered the homage of a manly 
heart; the finer nature of a woman modifies indications consid¬ 
erably; the circumstances of quality must always be taken into 
account. Some women, like many men, are polygamic in their 
natures, and always desire the love and attention of more than 
one man. Many men live polygamic lives even in Christian com¬ 
munities, and seem capable of giving a great deal of love to several 
women at the same time; these are perversions of the normal 
standard of true love and of true marriage. It is this class that 
demoralizes humanity and destroys the good order of society, for 
fidelity to the marriage vow is the foundation of health, of morality, 
of the family, and of the government. Many men of this class 
live lives of open shamelessness, and thus encourage those who 
are tempted by^the strength of their passions to do likewise; they 
do not exhibit the virtues of hypocrisy even, for a hidden vice is 
not as demoralizing to the young as one that is constantly flaunted 
in their faces. Example is a most potent incentive. It has been 
said that “hypocrisy is the tribute that vice pays to virtue;” not 
always is this tribute offered, and thus open viciousness attracts 
the morally-weak and often destroys them. 

Each eye reveals the power or weakness of the love-nature of 
its possessor. Very large convex eyes (if well colored) denote 
great sex-love and also a great deal of the sentiment of love, while 
very small, flat eyes indicate a feebler degree of the sexual pro¬ 
pensity and its associated sentiment; a little more or a little less 
development of the muscular system makes all these differences. 
Muscle is the tissue that enables man to express the emotion of 
love, and all of the great visceral organs that assist reproduction 
are comprised in the muscular system, and are the bases of the 
sentiment of love and its associated physical function. 

In the animal kingdom the forms of the eye indicate precisely 
the same traits that they do in the human family. The eagle, 
dove, and many other birds are monogamic in their attachments, 
and keep strictly to one companion and illustrate the highest type 
of the* family institution. Several of the deer tribes and other 
animals exhibit in their lives this high moral condition of love, 
while the hog and other low breeds are as polygamous as the Turk 
or Chinese. The eyes of the monogamic animals are round and 


THE EYE. 


957 


wide open, presenting the acute angle and the true curve, while 
the polygamic animals reveal the lowest types of the law of Form, 
having the eyes obliquely set and narrow between the lids; this is 
the form of the hog and many of the small as well as many of 
the large carnivora. The square-boned lion is monogamic, while 
the round-boned cats and other similarly-constructed animals are 
polygamic. All this goes to prove that the knowledge of mind 
and character must be sought for in anatomical and physiological 
structure, guided by the application of physiognomic laws. 

The general outline of the round-eyed monogamic individual 
corroborates the meaning of the eye. The most ardent lovers and 
prolific people are round, and this form denotes the ascendency of 
the muscular system, and this system is the best adapted, not only 
to feel and express emotion, but it is also best adapted to reproduc¬ 
tion. This principle of roundness—of muscular supremacy as in¬ 
dicative of generative capacity—runs all through animated Nature. 
All animals which possess this form are more amative and more 
prolific than the square-boned beasts; this is conceded by other 
observers. 

I have not made extensive comparisons in the vegetable king¬ 
dom, but I believe that an application of the principles of Form 
will reveal similar results. So universal are these basic principles 
that one is justified in believing that their power is everywhere 
dominant. 

THE SIZE OF THE EYE. 

There are great diversities of size of the eyeball in adults as 
well as in children, and their differences will be found to accord 
with the general muscular endowment of the entire organism, for 
as the eye and its attachments are the facial representatives of the 
muscular system, so the larger the eyeball and its attachments the 
more developed will be this system throughout; and, conversely, 
the smaller the eyeball the more deficient will the muscular tissue be. 

Many eyes seem small that are not really so at all. The eye¬ 
brows project beyond them in such manner as to hide their real 
size, as is often observed in mechanics and scientists. The true de¬ 
velopment of the eyeball may be ascertained by the appearance of 
the flesh and muscles about the orbit, as well as by the arching of 
the eyebrows; the latter are always more highly arched when the 
ball is large. Again, if the ball be large the cheek just below the 
eye will be well filled out even in old age; whereas, if the ball be 
small this part of the cheek is somewhat sunken, and is never so 
firm and full as where the muscular is one of the supreme systems. 

It is a law of structure that wherever there is a large muscular 


958 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


organ the attached muscles are always relatively large, and that 
where the muscular system dominates the bony system the eyeball, 
as well as the muscles of the lower lid and the muscular fibres ol* 
the upper cheek, will be so well developed as to fill out the part 
of the orbit just beneath and around the eye; but where the bony 
system is dominant , or one of the dominant systems, the eyeball 
is relatively smaller than in the preceding case, and recedes under 
the brow considerably, while the orbit appears less full, and in ad¬ 
vanced age the soft parts just beneath the eye are quite shrunken 
and wrinkled, and the eye appears to grow smaller and smaller, 
while the brow appears to project more and more. This appear¬ 
ance is due to the shrinking of the muscular tissues and skin 
about the orbit, as they lose some of their elasticity and firmness 
as age advances. This is particularly the case with mechanics, 
scientists, and naturalists. Charles Darwin’s physiognomy is a 
good example of this peculiarity. The eyes of great observers are 
always smaller than those of artists, and the eye-bones of the former 
project more than those of the latter, and this causes the eyeball 
to look smaller than it is in reality. The eyes of all classes who 
observe closely, and who also think profoundly, are formed upon 
this plan. In relation to this rule Lavater observes thus:— 


The following is a sign that has never deceived me : When the bone 
of the eye is prominent you have the sign of a singular aptitude for mental 
labor—of an extraordinary sagacity for great enterprises. 


The small appearance of the eye that is produced by the 
projection of the eye-bones must not be confounded with that 
smallness which is caused by the projection or fullness of the clieeh 
beneath the eye. The latter appearance has quite a different mean¬ 
ing from the former. It denotes a common, vulgar mind, given to 
gluttony and sensuality. The surroundings of the eye, the bones, 
the hairy brows, the wrinkles, the folds of flesh or skin, the space 
between the eye and brow, as well as the lids and upper cheek, all 
add to or take from the apparent size of the eyeball. Some eyes 
are set very deep at the inner corner and stand out well at the 
outer corner, while others are the reverse of this. Some eyelids 
are well arched at the inner corner and less arched at the outer 
corners; all these variations produce different expressions and di¬ 
verse characteristics, and modify the appearance of the size of the 
eye; hence, in order to arrive at a just idea of the real size of the 
eye all these circumstances must be taken into account. 

Many medium- and large- sized eyeballs look small from the 
fact that the eyelid covers a large portion of the eyeball; this pecu¬ 
liarity is observed in many of the Oriental races, and also in large 


THE EYE. 


959 





Fig. 262.—Large. (Descartes.) 


numbers of the Celt and Celt-Iberian races. This is one of the 
facial signs for Acquisitiveness. In these cases the large, globular 
contour of the eyeball, half covered by the upper lid, gives a sort 
of dreamy expression to the eye, and as it is often observed in the 
eyes of many talented persons 
it has been regarded by some 
physiognomists as one sign of 
talent. I do not so regard it, 
for I observe it in the eyes of 
many ordinary individuals. It 
is, however, never found except 
where the muscular is one of 
the supreme systems; hence, it 
is often seen among the artistic 
classes. Very many talented 
artists have been noted for 
their large Acquisitiveness, and 
even for its perversion—avarice. 

There are three general 
sizes of the eyes, viz.: Large 
(Fig. 262); medium (Fig. 

263); and small (Fig. 264). 

The large eye may be very 
convex, or it may present a 
more flattened appearance; 
each of these forms denotes 
specific differences. So, also, 
the medium-sized eye may be 
full and globular or flattened 
on the surface. These differ¬ 
ences again argue diverse char¬ 
acteristics. The large, globu¬ 
lar, convex eye is often met 
with in the countenances of 
great actors, singers, orators, 
and painters. This size of eye 
indicates the highest capacity 
for receiving impressions and 
for depicting and illustrating 
emotions. The eyes of David 
Garrick, Fechter, and Blanche 
Barretta, players ; of Grattan, Beecher, and Summerfield, orators; 
of Edo*ar A. Poe, Robert Burns, and Whittier, poets; of Madame 
de Stael, novelist; of Rubens, Van Dyck, and David, painters, 


Fig. 263.—Medium. (Frederick H..) 


Fig. 264.—Small. 

THREE GENERAL SIZES OF THE EYE. 



















960 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


disclose this form. Their eyes in youth all appear much larger 
than in portraits taken in later years. It will be noted that all 
their eyes recede slightly under the bony brow, or at least do not 
set too far forward beyond it, nor beyond the plane of the cheek ; 
hence, they argue a degree of good sense, judgment, and accuracy. 

The largest eyes among artistic productions are found in the 
countenances of the ancient Greek sculptors ; their idea in creat¬ 
ing such exaggeration of size and roundness was to give their sub¬ 
jects a majestic or divine look, as they understood these qualities; 
hence, the more closely the eye approaches these exaggerations the 
farther is it from the normal standard, for these forms reveal char¬ 
acteristics not in accord with the best standards of human form, as 
shown by scientific physiognomy. The same is true of the so- 
called “ Greek ” nose. This nose is described by a perfectly straight 
line descending from the forehead without the slightest incurvation 
at the junction with the nose, as seen in the statues of Jupiter, etc. 
Were we to find this line in the countenance of a human being it 
would be the indication of a monstrosity, far removed from nobility 
and characterized by urfbridled will and gross selfishness. 

Very large eyes denote exaggerations in the use of language. 
Very small ones indicate silent, secretive characters—both devia¬ 
tions from a normal development of that feature and faculty. The 
medium size indicates fluency without volubility. Other factors 
besides mere size must be taken into consideration in order to com¬ 
prehend the linguistic capacities of each subject as well as the 
moral use of language. The largest-sized eyes belong to the ar¬ 
tistic and emotional classes; the medium to the more observing 
and thoughtful minds, while the very small to those of weak or¬ 
ganization, either morally, mentally, or physically. Those with 
very large, convex eyes are never profound, logical, and observing, 
but are more impulsive and emotional. The eyes are relatively 
large, wide, and round in youth; hence, children are more emo¬ 
tional and imitative than reflective. 

All great orators and eloquent speakers possess large, round, 
and full eyes, which are humid and lustrous, and when under great 
inspirational excitement they become luminous and fairly blaze 
with earnestness and excitement. Although orators possess large, 
round eyes, they do not exceed a certain degree of convexity, else 
they would indicate fluent “gab ” but not good sense and eloquence. 
The gabbling, ranting orator is often seen at city street-corners 
vending corn-plaster, hair-dyes, or “Universal Pain Killer;” his 
eyes will perhaps present the “bulging” appearance of a lobster, 
and the mouth of the “ professor ” will be as extensive as his lips, and 
they will correspond in size, besides being coarse and ugly-shaped. 


THE EYE. 


961 


There are grades of linguistic capacity ranging all the way 
from the grandly eloquent to the fluent, easy, graceful conversa¬ 
tionalist down the scale to the ordinary common talker, and so on 
to the silent, thoughtful writer, whose language is fluent only on 
paper. Then follows the very secretive, monosyllabic individual, 
whose small and narrow eyes reveal all that his lips refuse to 
utter. 

Medium-sized eyes, that are of normal form and well colored, 
are indicative of a fine degree of linguistic power, observation, and 
reflection, but other signs in each individual can modify and affect 
their appearances; therefore, the mere fact of medium size is not 
absolute as to leading characteristics. Medium-sized eyes in con¬ 
nection with a projecting, bony brow denote close and accurate 
observation; this combination is characteristic of mechanicians, scien¬ 
tists, and naturalists, for in these classes accuracy must be had in 
order to facilitate true and authentic accounts and correct imita¬ 
tions of the subjects or phenomena observed; hence, Nature in 
creating such individuals makes the bony system one of the domi¬ 
nant systems, and this causes the eyebrows to project, and this 
projection screens the eye and assists in shutting off the superfluous 
rays of light in order that the eye may be more easily brought to 
a focus. Again, the bony system is one of the most stable, firm, 
and true tissues in the organism, and affords all the necessary ele¬ 
ments of character required for patient, persevering, truthful re¬ 
search, such as is essential to science and mechanism. The chief 
office of the eye-bones and eyebrows is to assist in excluding the 
superfluous rays of light from entering the sight; hence, the 
greater the projection of the bone and muscle, and the more bushy 
the hairy brows, the better is the eye adapted to instantaneous and 
accurate vision,—a quality of sight more particularly needed in 
those pursuits that require the greatest degree of acute observation. 

EXPRESSION OF THE EYE. 

The eye owes much of its beauty and expression to the lids, 
the lashes, the brows, the adjacent lines, folds, and wrinkles; the 
orbits, the cheek-bones, the size and form of the upper cheek, the 
lustre or- lack of lustre, and the color of the iris, the lashes, and 
hair of the brows. The eyeball standing out naked without its 
fleshly environment would exhibit very little expression, and even 
if it were in motion would not be an agreeable sight. 

The humors of the eye, as well as the colors of the iris and 
retina, assist in giving it expression while in a state of repose, but 
when the emotions are aroused to a high degree of activity the 

glands, humors, and nerves all conspire to produce an unusual 

° 61 


962 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


degree of brilliancy. The mild emotion of affection causes quite 
a different grade of brilliancy from that produced by the terrible 
gleam of diabolic passion which appears in the eye of the murder¬ 
ously-inclined, insane victim; so also the brightness of intellectual 
power is quite different from the brilliant glitter of the egotist or 
conceited simpleton. These several varieties of lustre are caused 
by chemical changes in the elements of the tissues, as well as by 
the mechanical movements in the constituent molecules; but, what¬ 
ever be the cause, motion is at the base, and the eye is the facial 
representative of the most active portion of the motive apparatus of 
the organism—the muscles; hence, the eye defines the presence of 
other faculties and functions besides strength and love of movement. 

The arching of the 
lids—particularly that 
of the upper lid—as¬ 
sists expression. The 
sharpness or obtuse¬ 
ness of the angles, the 
manner in which the 
eyes are placed in the 
orbits, the convexity 
or flatness of the cor¬ 
nea, each adds its 
quota of expression, 
and reveals positive 
and diverse character¬ 
istics. The eyes are 
modified in their ex¬ 
pression by the form 
of the cheeks, the 
height or flatness of 
the cheek-bones, the 
color of the complexion, brows, and hair; their nearness to or dis¬ 
tance from the nose, and the shape and size of the upper part of 
the nose. A great deal of ocular expression would be lost were we 
to inspect the eye through two apertures made to fit the eyes exactly. 
This experiment would demonstrate how much facial expression is 
derived from the eye and brow. The eye is greatly indebted to the 
form, size, and color of the other features for its expression. Each 
class of minds exhibits a similarity of structure peculiar to itself. 

ARTISTIC EXPRESSION. 

The artistic classes, as a rule, have large, full, sparkling, 
vivacious eyes, generally well colored, either black, blue, or brown, 










THE EYE. 


963 



and adorned with an evenly-arched brow placed at some distance 
above the eye, and exposing a wide space between the lid and 
eyebrow (Fig. 265). These pecu¬ 
liarities create an alert, wide-awake 
and attractive expression. 

OBSERVANT EXPRESSION. 

The eyes of profound think¬ 
ers, on the contrary, are usually 
smaller, with less brilliancy, and 
slower in motion than the former, 
and exhibit a calm and steadfast 
gaze, while the hairy brow is of 
a horizontal or semi-liorizontal 
form, and is brought down near to the eye , leaving little or no 
space between the eyebrow and eyelid, thus giving a thoughtful, 
observant expression to the eye. 


Fig. 266.—OBSERVANT EYE. 
(Sir J. Banks.) 


MAGNETIC EXPRESSION. 

The magnetic eye is very rare, and is always of deep color,— 
usually black or brown and large and luminous. It is associated 
with attractive qualities and a love for the occult and abstruse in 
Nature. Fig. 267 shows the eyes of Graf Reichenbach, the 
originator of the “ odic-force ” theory once popular in Germany. 



FIG. 267.—MAGNETIC EYE. FlG. 268.—BRUTAL EYE. 


(Graf Reichenbach.) 

BRUTAL EXPRESSION. 

Those whose eyes are always dull in expression and slow in 
motion are congenitally stupid or brutal, and lacking in intelligence, 
force, and sensibility; these indications usually accompany a low 
grade of physical development. This class generally inherits a 
tendency to epilepsy, insanity, or scrofula, especially if the eye be 
very light , dull, and “fishy” in expression. 












964 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


GLUTTONOUS EXPRESSION. 


Eyes that show a considerable portion of the white below the 
iris denote gluttony, or at least a tendency to overeat, and I 
always suspect their owners wanting in capacity for profound 
thought. 

SHALLOW AND PASSIONATE EXPRESSION. 



If the white is seen above as well as below, there is certainly 
great shallowness of intellect. If the eye show a great deal of 

the white of the eye all around 
the pupil, the character is pas¬ 


sionate and the mind lacking 
depth and balance. 

This peculiarity gives a 
simple, stupid, half-foolish ex¬ 
pression, and this expression is 
accentuated if the eye project 
beyond the eye-bones. Charac¬ 
ters possessed of common sense 
and good intellect have the eye 
somewhat covered by the upper 
lid; yet if the eye cover too great a portion of the eyeball we shall 
find that Secretiveness or Acquisitiveness is present. Here we 
have a departure from the normal standard of lid-curvature, and 
we have learned that all departures from normal forms denote 
abnormal characteristics. An opinion from Dr. Cross on this point 
indorses my own rule, and I here apply it. He observes:— 


Fig. 269.—GLUTTONOUS EYE. 


The eyeball taken by itself is purely predaceous. Naked eyeballs 
standing in open sockets convey to the imagination a picture of unbridled 
temper, and the less the eyeballs are covered with eyelids, the more scope 
is allowed to the predaceous tendency. On the contrary, the more the eye¬ 
ball is covered with lids, the more are the dispositions under prudential 
control; and the more powerful the lids, and the better furnished with lashes, 
the more vigorous is the prudential system. The eyelids, whenever they 
retreat so far from the pupil as to lose command over the entering rays, are 
guilty of a dereliction of duty detrimental to distinct vision; here there is 
a want of the prudential system. So also whenever the eyelids approach 
each other so much as to intercept the free admission of rays from the object 
to the retina, here the prudential system is in excess; here is that over 
caution which defeats its own purpose.* 

How much of sound physiognomic philosophy is contained in 
the preceding sentences! Not only do the peculiarities of the lids 
modify the function of sight, but they at the same time reveal 
mental and moral conditions, for eyes with the lids closely drawn 

♦An Attempt to Establish Physiognomy on Scientific Principles, p. 26. 






THE EYE. 


965 


together are often met with in congenital rogues, liars, sneaks, and 
avaricious beings, while eyes too wide open show not only inaccu¬ 
racy of vision, but also its accompanying moral or mental defect— 
absence of capacity for accurate or truthful description of what is 
observed. Those eyelids that permit a normal portion of the eye 
to appear are the best indicators of normal mind and integrity, as 
well as of normal sight. The normal eye of the artistic classes is 
larger than the normal eye of the scientific or mechanical classes. 
The exaggeration of these two normal forms and expression, viz., 
those that are too large, or those that are too small, or those that 
show too much of the white, or those that disclose too little of the 
eyeball for normalcy, are to be considered as departures from a 
correct standard of form and expression, hence are the indicators 
of peculiarities of character and function not in accord with the 
best examples observed. Disease and dissipation, as well as con¬ 
genital villainy, produce somewhat similar expressions. The eye¬ 
lids of debauchees and drunkards become lax through a weakened 
condition of the related muscles and nerves, and thus they lose 
their natural tension, and are drawn nearer together than when in 
health. The lower lids of the licentious and dissipated fall away 
and expose the inner margin, which appears red and watery in the 
drunkard, and pale-bluish and wrinkled in the victims of unbridled 
lust. Yet the physiognomist is able to discern whether disease, 
dissipation, or native villainy has produced these several appear¬ 
ances. Overuse of the eyes, as in prolonged application in read¬ 
ing and writing, tends to relax the muscles of the lids, and causes 
the upper one to droop. 

A great deal of healthy and beautiful expression arises from 
the natural lustre and humidity of the eye. In abnormal char¬ 
acters these two factors of expression vary considerably. The 
humidity is caused by the secretions of the glands of the eye and 
lids, which in healthy subjects constantly secrete a lubricating fluid, 
which serves several purposes. In the first place, it assists the 
eyeball in rotating. This fluid also serves the purpose of moistening 
and dissolving the particles of dust which in a dry state would 
cause great irritation. The lustre of the eye arises partly from its 
humidity and partly from the quality or fineness of the nervous 
mechanism. Now, moisture of the lips and eyes are evidences of 
healthy action in both of these features, while dry eyes and dry 
lips reveal unhealthful conditions; it follows that whatever appear¬ 
ance denotes health is more beautiful than the opposite indication. 
Physicians are guided in their diagnosis of disease by the dryness 
and moisture of these features, as well as by the dryness or moist¬ 
ure of other parts of the head and face; the brilliancy of the eye, 


966 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


too, undergoes many pathological changes during the progress of 
disorders, and these varying appearances are of great service to 
physicians as indications of abnormal conditions, and no intelligent 
doctor neglects their warnings. 

As the eye is one of the most important facial signs of love or 
Amativeness, its size, form, color, lustre, humidity, and expression 
would naturally reveal to the physiognomist the inherited grade 
of amative sentiment. It also reveals normal and abnormal con¬ 
ditions of the reproductive system—the functional base of the 
sentiment of sex-love. If the eye be bright, animated, and humid, 
with the lids of a normal tension and color, the reproductive sys¬ 
tem, as well as the associated sentiment of Amativeness, is normal; 
but if these indications are absent, functional disturbances in this 
system may be inferred, and if these symptoms are permanent the 
defects become permanent also. 

The manner of moving the eyeball and eyelids is a source of 
expression rich in physiognomic meaning. There is as great 
divergence of movement between the wide-open, direct regard of 
the upright character and the furtive, sidewise glance of the narrow, 
oblique eye as there is in the moral and mental characters of these 
two diverse classes. 

The eyes of children are used with great freedom of move¬ 
ment, and their glances fall with equal freedom upon everything 
that attracts their childish curiosity. This utter abandon shows 
natural innocence, simplicity, and absence of restraint. The eyes 
of the untrained rustic and the equally roving eye of the licentious 
and unrefined roll about with freedom, revealing in turn every 
emotion as it passes through their undisciplined brain and 
muscles. 

Refined, disciplined, self-controlled, and intelligent characters 
use their eyes in a far different manner from the above-named classes; 
they move them in a precise and orderly way; they do not roll them 
in astonishment nor gaze with bold stare about them. The eye 
of the truthful, honest person looks straight forward without 
boldness and without humility. It is not true, however, that only 
the guilty or criminal look away when addressed by others; the 
very sensitive, shy, and most innocent often cast sidelong or down¬ 
ward glances while conversing, but their shyness is corroborated by 
other signs. The movement of the eyes of the artistic classes is 
more unrestrained, vivacious, and the expression more animated 
than those of the more reflective classes. The latter have an ex¬ 
pression of thoughtful intelligence, and, although the eye of this 
class is nearly as bright as those of the former, the motions are not 
so rapid, but move slower and more in harmony with that deliber- 


THE EYE. 


967 


ation essential to accurate observation and calm reflection, thus 
showing the presence of reason rather than of emotion. 

An excellent study in the physiognomy of the eye can be 
made by watching the movements of the eyes of the criminal 
classes. The peculiar shape of their eyes produces quite a different 
set of movements from those made by a normally moral eye. An 
oblique or crooked eye or mouth is incapable of making the kind 
of movements that are made by these features when straight. 
Their movements leave impressed upon the surrounding parts 
entirely different-shaped lines and wrinkles, hence we are able to 
classify the resultant lines and wrinkles as “moral,” “immoral,” 
44 kind,” 44 mirthful,” 44 witty,” or 44 ill-humored,” etc. Lines and 
wrinkles are indisputable records of the class of thought, speech, 
and actions which have been dominant in the life of the subject, 
and no amount of dissimulation can erase them. 

All this goes to prove that every act of the individual, if oft- 
repeated, becomes registered upon his countenance and adds its 
quota to make up what we term 44 the expression of the human 
face.” 


The folds and wrinkles of the eyelids and surrounding parts 
are highly indicative of character. The principal fold of skin 
observed at the inner corner of the upper lid is termed the 44 nicti¬ 
tating membrane.” This is a small crescent-shaped fold of skin, 
which is quite large in some eyes, but very small or hardly dis¬ 
cernible in others. It is one of those useless rudimentary remains, 
many of which are found in various parts of the body. Professor 
Haeckel tells us, in regard to this organ, that 


Our skulled ancestors had, in addition to the two ej^elids, a third eye- 
lid,—the nictitating membrane,—which was drawn over the eye from the 
inner corner. Many primitive fishes ( Selachii ) and amnion animals yet 
retain this. In apes and in man it has atrophied and only a small remnant 
of it exists in the inner corner of the eye, as the “ crescent-shaped fold ” is 
a useless rudimentary organ.* 


This fold is a very decided agent in the expression of the eye; 
so also are the folds formed by age in the eyes of the most observ¬ 
ant classes, as is noted elsewhere in the description of the forms 
of the eye. 

NICTITATING FOLD. 

The 44 nictitating fold is quite pronounced in the orbits of 
Daniel Webster, Prof. Richard Owen, Hiram Powers (sculptor), 
and large numbers of people of all grades of intellect. 

The color or lack of color in the cheeks assists expression. 
A bright, rich, red color in the cheeks contrasts well with black 

* Evolution of Man, Ernst Haeckel, vol. ii, p. 259. 


968 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


eyes, and thus they intensify each other -s color and beauty. Some 
inartistic and unobservant belles very erroneously put artificial 
color (where Nature has withheld it) high upon the cheek-bones. 
Now, this is a bungling attempt at imitating Nature’s method. 
Color is rarely found high upon the cheek-bones of young people. 
It is usually observed in the cheeks of aged people in this situation. 
Youthful cheeks exhibit their color upon the lowest part of the 
cheek, and in some subjects it appears below the cheek under the 
lower jaw as well. 

Blue-eyed people require both red and white to make their 
eyes expressive, unless they are very fair indeed, for when this 
class becomes sallow the eye loses much of its beauty of expression 
because the difference between the blue eyes and the yellow skin 
is not sufficiently decided to make a pleasing contrast. Sallowness 
is the sign of an abnormal state, hence is opposed to beauty, and 
thus also it becomes a physiognomic sign of a torpid liver or other 
disorder. 

The color of the brows and lashes are effective agents in 
expression. The thickness or sparseness of the brows and lashes 
produce differences of expression. As a rule very bushy brows, 
especially if black or dark, denote a strong constitution, while very 
thin brows, if very light, indicate delicacy, either of the nervous 
system or of the general system. 

Thus it will be noted that very many factors, in connection with 
the eye, assist in giving it physiognomic expression and meaning. 
Should the reader desire to know what constitutes beauty of expres¬ 
sion I shall refer him to the theory which is found running through 
this entire system of physiognomy, viz., that the scientific idea of 
moral, intellectual, or physical power, wherever found,—in what¬ 
ever feature or part of a feature it is displayed,—discloses true beauty 
of that feature or portion of a feature which discloses a certain 
sign of a capacity for morality, intellect, or usefulness of some sort. 

The manner in which the eyeballs incline , whether forward or 
backward of the lower lid, produce most decided diverse physiog¬ 
nomic meanings, as well as of variety of expression. As a rule, 
eyes that are horizontal in their sockets, and which set back some¬ 
what under the eye-bones, are normal, while those that bulge out 
beyond the brows and the plane of the cheek are abnormal. This 
peculiarity is the sign of a rude and shallow mind, while eyeballs 
that incline from below backward suggest timidity and organic 
weakness. Eyes too convex belong to noisy, wordy liars and 
braggarts. Thus each divergence of the eye from its normal 
position denotes a departure from the normal type or standard, 
and thus indicates the moral or immoral grade of the subject. 


THE EYELASHES. 


969 


The Eyelashes. 

The lashes of the eye, like all ciliary appendages, are primarily 
for purposes of protection, and as all features, however simple, 
are revelations of character, so the eyelashes are indicative of cer¬ 
tain characteristics peculiar to themselves. As a rule, muscular 
people possess the longest and most beautiful lashes; they are also 
more curved in this class of individuals than in the bony classes, 
the basic laws of Form here as elsewhere asserting their influence. 

The lashes may be ( a ) long or short, (b) straight or curved, 
( c ) thick or thin, (<^) regular or irregular, ( e ) dark or light. 
These are the chief peculiarities of these features. Like all 
external appendages, they serve more than one purpose, con¬ 
sequently they reveal more than one meaning. Their use pri¬ 
marily is protective, and the more perfectly they are adapted to 
that purpose the more perfect and beautiful they are. 

I do not intend in the last sentence to convey to the reader 
that there is only one form of beauty in this feature; there are 
many. Adaptation has its forms of beauty, and, although a 
beautifully curved lash looks well with a large, lustrous, muscular 
eye, it would not be adapted to a small, receding one; hence, 
adaptation is a factor of true beauty. Science broadens our con¬ 
ception of everything, and a truly scientific knowledge of the face 
is bound to enlarge our ideas of beauty, which art (like all 
infantoid knowledge) has limited to a veTy narrow compass. 

It is among the aesthetic and artistic classes that we find 
the best-developed lashes, both under and upper; for the projec¬ 
tion of the bony brow of these subjects is so slight as to neces¬ 
sitate a compensating development of these features. The eyes 
of the osseous classes are protected by the projecting bony brow, 
a protective environment which can easily dispense with long, 
curved lashes. 

Both the upper and lower lashes in all subjects are more 
or less curved; the upper lashes turn upward or outward, the 
lower lashes turn downward or outward, and always in such 
manner as not to entangle each other. Muscular people exhibit 
the principle of the curve in every part of the body, even in the 
curving of so minute a portion of the physiognomy as the lower 
lashes, which, in this class, are more curved than in the osseous 
or mental subjects. 

Long, curved, fine, regular, silken lashes are seen in the 
countenances only of refined characters possessed of delicacy of 
feeling and sentiment; many artistic countenances exhibit this 
form, notably poetic and histrionic faces. 


970 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Straight, coarse, thick, and projecting lashes are associated 
with characters possessed of more bluntness and vigor than refine¬ 
ment, and are found with the osseous system well developed. 
Thin, scattered, light-colored eyelashes betoken delicacy of physique 
and in some subjects a consumptive tendency. 

If the lashes are sparse as well as brown in color, a degree 
of constitutional vigor may be present, yet the nervous system may 
exhibit a good degree of sensitiveness. 

Long lashes denote characteristics opposite from those revealed 
by short lashes; when long, well-curved, close, and fine, a certain 
degree of shyness and timidity will be exhibited. Shyness and 
timidity are modified forms of Secretiveness, and very long, curved 
lashes reveal the fact that their owner is too shy or too timid to be 
perfectly frank and outspoken. Short, thick lashes denote direct¬ 
ness of speech, amounting in some instances to blunt rudeness. 

Long, well-curved lashes, if 
coarse, are accompanied with 
Secretiveness, for the lashes are 
used for the purpose of conceal¬ 
ing the motions of the eyeball, 
as well as for protecting it, 
lienee they serve to partially 
hide the varying expressions of 
the eyes. 

Inasmuch as the eyes are the 
features which most assist the ex¬ 
pression of the emotions, so all 
the appendages, however minute, 
reveal minute grades and shades of the emotions; hence a lash a 
little longer or a little thicker in one than in another discloses a 
different degree of the faculties of Love and Language, as above 
indicated, showing that in one subject outspoken bluntness will be 
exhibited, in another shyness or slyness, or modesty or secretive¬ 
ness in words and actions. Long, drooping eyelashes are very 
effective agents in love-making and coquetry, and speak eloquently 
when they are suddenly raised and reveal a pair of eyes full of 
mischief or melting tenderness, and speak quite as eloquently 
when lowered to conceal pathos, sorrow, modesty, or other soft 
emotion. It is thus seen that nothing in the human physiognomy 
is too minute to contain or reveal a meaning; this will be better 
apprehended when we come to the analysis and description of 
lines and wrinkles in the face and body. 

The color of the lashes is usually darker than the color of the 
hair, although in certain blond types it is much lighter, being 



Fig. 270.—BEAUTIFUL EYELASHES. 
(Duchess of Leeds.) 














^HE INTERCILIARY SPACE. 


971 


Very light—in fact, white, in some subjects. Color of these features 
has the same signification that it has in all the other features, and 
as the subject of Color has been so exhaustively treated elsewhere 
it need not be elaborated here. 

Specimens of very beautiful eyelashes may be seen in the 
portraits of Madame liecamier, and the famous Caton sisters, of 
Baltimore; Ex-Queen Nathalie, of Servia; Empress Josephine, 
and the Countess of Blessington. 

The Interciliary Space. 

There is one portion of the face which is very little under¬ 
stood, and to which very little attention has been paid, yet which 



Fig. 271.—ARTISTIC INTERCILIARY SPACE. (Racine.) 


is of great importance as an indicator of character. I allude to 
the interciliary space, i.e ., the area between the upper lid and the 
eyebrow (Fig. 271). 

ARTISTIC interciliary space. 

In artistic faces this presents a space wider than in the me¬ 
chanical, for the former have a relatively slight projection ol the 
bony superciliary ridges and a considerable arching of the muscular 
and hairy processes of the brows. It is the absence of forward pro¬ 
jection of the bony superciliary arch which produces the wide 
interciliary space observed in the physiognomies of artists. 


972 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


SUPERSTITIOUS TYPE. 

' If this space is excessively widened so as to pass the bounds 
of normalcy, it is a certain sign of a grossly superstitious mind, 
incompatible with common sense and sound reason. In a modified 
degree it is found in the faces of many poets, divines, and painters; 
the eyebrows are highly arched in these subjects. 

Where the interciliary spaces are very slight it will be observed 
that the eyebrow is very nearly horizontal, or horizontal and angu¬ 
lar at the outer extremity. 

The presence of the line and angle in this place instantly re¬ 
veals the class to which the subject belongs. This one line alone 

shows him to be an ob¬ 
server, hence one is jus¬ 
tified in deciding that 
his mind is more practi¬ 
cal than imaginative. 
In this case the bone 
will be the dominant 
tissue, and the brows 
will be more projecting 
than in the case of the 
artistic classes; in them 
the law of the curve 
or arch prevails. The 
shape of the hairy brow 
determines the upper 
boundary of the inter¬ 
ciliary space, while the 
curved outline that 
marks the form of the 
eyeball indicates the commencement of this space. Observers are 
urged to pay great attention to this part of the physiognomy, as 
promising a prolific field of physiognomic research and signification. 
The following-named individuals reveal a very wide interciliary 
space, and are all within the artistic class; observe, for example, 
the upper part of the face of the following named: Milton and 
Dante, poets; Pascal and Mirabeau, orators; Sarah Siddons and 
David Garrick, players; Wickliffe, Swedenborg, and Bossuet, 
divines; Marie Boze, Eugenie, Pappenheim, and Albani, singers. 

The countenance of all persons who show a very decided talent 
for any form of decorative art presents an interciliary space more 
or less wide, and this arch, thus exhibited, determines the class to 
which such individuals belong. 



Fig. 272.—SUPERSTITIOUS TYPE OF INTERCILIARY 
SPACE. (Richard Baxter.) 






THE INTERCILIARY SPACE. 


973 



The following-named persons belong to the more observing 
classes, hence the law of the straight line and angle marks the 
shape of their brow and limits the interciliary space to a narrow 
area, in some instances completely hidden under the bony projec¬ 
tion. See, for example, the physiognomies of Thomas Jefferson, 
General W. T. Sherman, Charles Darwin, Sir John Herschel, and 
Humboldt. 

The forms of the eyelids and brows are nearly related to the 
interciliary spaces, and we shall be obliged to observe closely these 
two features, especially the latter, in making an estimate of char¬ 
acter based upon the significance of these spaces. 

It will be always found that when the muscular system is 
dominant, or one of the 
dominant systems, the 
interciliary space will 
present a greater area 
than is the case when 
the bony system is 
supreme. This is yet 
another proof, added to 
the numerous ones al¬ 
ready cited, of the ho¬ 
mogeneity of structure; 
thus, each feature, and 
every minute portion 
of a feature, reveals and 
corroborates the form 
of the entire structure , 
as well as its dominant 
mental characteristics. 

The widest inter¬ 
ciliary space I have 

found among the Chinese and Japanese, and these races are both 
artistic and very credulous, as witness their very superstitious 
religions and belief in charms, omens, and incantations. The 
Oriental races generally exhibit a broader interciliary space than 
is observed in the physiognomies of the Northern and more 
practical peoples. 

In almost all cases where the interciliary space is wide the 
forehead is perpendicular, or nearly so, and where this space is 
narrow or invisible the forehead is usually more or less receding. 
These appearances are corroborative proofs of the supremacy of 
muscle and bone, for where the forehead is perpendicular, or nearly 
so, the muscle is regnant, and where the forehead recedes more or 


FIG. 273.-OBSERVANT TYPE OF INTERCILIARY 
SPACE. (David Livingstone.) 


974 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


less the bone is dominant; and in these co-ordinated forms of inter- 
ciliary space with forehead we have a fine lesson in comparative 
anatomy, as well as in demonstrative physiognomy. 

Physiognomic forms reveal numberless co-ordinated and com¬ 
plex relations of function with feature, as, for example, when the 
outline of the nose is straight the forehead is generally perpen¬ 
dicular, and the involuntary muscles as well as the muscular system 
are supreme, or one of the supreme systems of the organism; here 
muscle tends to straight lines instead of curves. 

The cause lies deeper than these outlines, for they are the 
effects, not the causes, of their straight appearance. The suprem¬ 
acy of the heart and stomach over the liver and lungs conduces 
to form these lines, for I have observed that where the lungs and 
liver are excessively developed and active the outline of the nose 
is more or less arched, either greatly or slightly, the forehead 
receding, the septum of the nose projecting, and the chest arched. 
Now, the interciliary space depends for its form primarily upon the 
dominance of organs apparently quite disconnected with it. I have 
said that there is a long physiological history attached to every fea¬ 
ture and every part of each feature, and I here reiterate it. We 
can in this instance trace this relationship farther back than has 
been done in the above instance, but sufficient history is here given 
to show the methods of scientific physiognomy and the complex 
relations of function with feature. A very narrow, scarcely dis¬ 
cernible interciliary space is indicative of good powers of observa¬ 
tion, and is found in the faces of mechanicians and scientists 
(Fig. 273). 

The Eyebrows. 

The use primarily of the hairy brow is to protect the eyes 
from descending particles of dust or moisture. Each separate 
feature is, as we have formerly seen, supplied with protective ap¬ 
pendages, or placed in such position as to receive the cautionary 
assistance of other features, the eyes and ears, for example. 

The eye, being the most delicate of all the features, is sur¬ 
rounded by several strong defenders, as is observed in the lachrymal 
glands, the lids, the projecting bony environment, the flexible 
superciliary muscles, the closely-placed lashes, and the hairy brows. 

The form of the hairy brow (usually termed “ the eyebrow ”) 
is dependent primarily upon the underlying bony development for 
its external shape. The corrugator supercilii and orbicularis pal¬ 
pebrarum muscles assist in shaping the brow. 

The hairy brow is a feature of motion by reason of its 
muscular relations. The eyebrows, therefore, of the muscular 


THE EYEBROWS. 


975 


races are more elastic and more active than those of the osseous 
races, hence we observe in the Celtic races and artistic classes 
greater. spontaneity and rapidity of movement of these features 
than in the Saxon, or Scandinavian, and other osseous peoples 
and mechanical classes. 

The Spanish, Italian, and French use their eyebrows very 
expressively, and thus show that the muscular system dominates 
the osseous. The more northerly and osseous people rarely move 
the muscles of the eyebrow, unless it be the corrugator supercilii, 
the use of which is to approximate the eyebrows for the purpose 
of assisting accuracy of observation, which is the main purpose of 
the practical classes. 

The excessively muscular formation of the brows of the ideal 
or artistic classes shows both the ability and desire for motion, and 
the form resulting from muscular movement is a curvilinear one, 
hence the eyebrows of this class are of a curved or semi-curved 
shape in their main outline. Observation of this line alone will 
give us the main drift of the associated intellect, whether it be 
artistic or mechanical, practical or imaginative. 

In some subjects the brow is wide and thickly covered with 
dark hairs, in others it is narrow and exhibits a few straggling 
hairs. Between these two extremes there are many varieties, as 
the brows of one person would not harmonize with the features of 
another, for observation will show that the brow is quite as in¬ 
dividualized as any other facial feature. Yet there are certain 
general rules in regard to its form, size, color, and quality by 
which this very important feature may be translated into character, 
and would reveal traits which are at present a profound mystery to 
onlookers. In this feature, as in all others, we have had to apply 
the basic laws of Form in order to discover the meaning which 
each individual brow reveals. 

The law of the line, the angle, and the curve applies to the 
eyebrow, and each brow describes in its outline some one of these 
simple outlines, or else a more complex, composite, or modification 
of two or more of these elements of Form. 

The law of normalcy or correct standard of form and space 
applies to the eyebrows and their surroundings as well as to all 
other features. This law must be apprehended in order to obtain 
a correct understanding of what is normal as well as of what con¬ 
stitutes a departure from the normal standard. 

We observe that the principal concomitants of the brow are 
form, width, motion, color, position, direction, and space or dis¬ 
tance. Each of these factors assists us in unfolding the meaning 
of each individual eyebrow. Among these factors space, or the 


976 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


normal distance of the brows from each other, and of the brow 
from the lids, must be taken into account. A very wide inter- 
ciliary space between the lids and the brows reveals just the op¬ 
posite characteristics from that found associated with an eyebrow 
which is brought close down to the eye, and presenting little or 
no interciliary space between. 

Eyebrows that are situated far apart indicate qualities quite 
different from those that are joined in the centre, and which form 
an unbroken line,—every minute variation here, as elsewhere, de¬ 
noting differences which may be highly significant and important. 

The general direction of the two extreme points of the brows 
must be noted, together with the form, outline, facility of move¬ 
ment, the color, the width or narrowness, whether bushy, luxuriant, 
or sparsely covered with hairs. 

All these circumstances belong to the physiognomy of the 
eyebrow, and serve to reveal and corroborate the meaning of other 
parts and features, and point out and reveal other anatomical 
peculiarities of the face and body. 

The first consideration of the brow will be naturally its gen¬ 
eral form, whether curved, or straight and horizontal; next, the 
direction of the termini. In endeavoring to understand the full 
significance of this feature we must note several circumstances, as 
follow 

(a) The inner terminus, where it commences, whether close down to the 

eye or whether there be a medium or wide interciliary space between 
it and the eyelid ; 

(b) The outer extremity of the brow, whether it be high above the lid or 

whether it be lowered down in close proximity to the eye ; 

(c) Whether it join the opposite brow in the middle or whether there be a 

space between tjiem; 

( d ) The width of the space; 

(e) How nearly the brows resemble each other in form, direction, and hairy 

development (there is often great disparity in these appearances) ; * 
(/) Whether the general form of the brow describes a straight line or 
a curve; 

(g) Whether it be long or short; 

(h) The direction of the inner terminus, whether it be upward, downward, 

or horizontal; 

(i) The direction of the outer terminus, whether it be straight or outward, 

or upward or downward ; 

O') The height of the middle portion of the brow above the lid. 

The general direction of the outline is worthy of observation. 

(lc) The line may be straight and horizontal or straight and obliquely 
placed, as in the Chinese, for example; 

(Z) The obliquity of the straight line may tend upward from the inner 
terminus of the brow, or, 


THE EYEBROWS. 


977 


(m) It may tend downward from the inner terminus; 

(ft) It may be straight part of its length, commencing at the inner end, and 
describe an angle at the exterior end; 

(o) It may form a curve at the inner end and an angle at the outer end. 

The accompanying figure exhibits the most commonly ob¬ 
served forms of the eyebrow. All others are composites, blends, or 
modifications of these several general forms. (See Fig. 274, 
Forms of the Eyebrow.) 

In applying the laws of form to the eyebrows attention must 
be given to the chief constituent tissue, whether it be of bone or 
of muscle, also whether the bones belong to the round or to the 
square class. If the bones are rounding and the muscles domi¬ 
nant, a high arch will announce this fact, and also reveal to which 
class of mind the subject belongs. 

It is impossible for a square-boned subject to exhibit an arch 
in this feature, for the law of the straight line appertains to the 
square bone, and the straight line indicates characteristics quite 
the opposite from those produced by the curve. 




-/"A 


li 



Fig. 274.—FORMS OF THE EYEBROW. (After Lavater.) 



The individual peculiarities in the combinations of bone and 
muscle are the cause of the many diverse forms of eyebrows ob¬ 
served in different individuals. Not only are the eyebrows dif¬ 
ferent in form in each individual, but rarely do we find them alike, 
or even nearly alike, in the face of a given subject. The right and 
left eyebrows, like all the features in the majority of faces, are usu¬ 
ally characterized by absence of bilateral similarity, thus proving 
that discrepancies occur in the form of the bones and muscles of 
the opposite sides of the face, as well as in the opposite sides of 
the head and body. 

The theory brought forward by several anthropologists and 
physiognomists, viz., that the right side of the organism represents 
the" father or his family, and the left side resembles the mother or 

her family, may account for these (in many subjects) very striking 

62 



978 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


discrepancies; how far this may be an hereditary influence cannot 
be, I think, exactly determined. There are many other very de¬ 
cided influences affecting the bilateral development of the body, 
viz., (a) the more frequent use of right hand and side than of the 
left hand and side, and ( b ) the law of imperfect curvation, whereby 
opposite sides of the several features of the face are made to differ 
in size, form, and position by reason of an unequal distribution of 
the elements of nutrition during prenatal existence, or from other 
causes. Which of these causes contributes most to the inequalities 
observed in the facial features must be determined by a skilled 
physiognomist in each individual case, and in these cases the skill 
of the examiner will be put to its highest test. 

In endeavoring to expound the physiognomic significance of 
the eyebrows I shall do so by the application of the basic laws of 



Fig. 275.—POSITION OF THE INNER TER- Fig. 276.—CONCEITED EYEBROW. 

MINI OF THE EYEBROWS. 


Form, as with all the other features, and shall commence the trans¬ 
lation of form into faculty by observation of the inner terminus of 
the brow, and first as to the position of the several parts of the brow. 

NORMAL POSITION OF THE INNER TERMINI. 

A normal development of the hairy brow discloses a space 
between the inner termini, and this space is proportional to the 
size and shape of the eyes and other features in the immediate 
neighborhood (Fig. 275). 

THE CONCEITED BROW. 

If the brows meet in the centre and form a continuous line, 
it is a departure from the highest standard of form of this feature. 
This peculiarity is always associated with a certain degree of con¬ 
ceit, more or less pronounced, according as the subject is secretive 
or voluble. If, with this form, the brows are thick and the hairs 
dark or black, it is an indication of great vital powers as well as 




THE EYEBROWS. 


979 


of conceit. I have observed this appearance in the faces of many 
Hebrews, yet it is to be met with in all civilized races. Lavater 
remarks of this peculiarity that he “ could not consider it beautiful,” 
yet he “ found in it the most open, honest, and worthy countenances.” 

Eyebrows extremely far apart at the inner termini are seldom 
found associated with good practical sense, although other signs 
modify this indication; yet all departures from and exaggeration 
of normal standards must be regarded as in some degree indicat¬ 
ing an abnormal condition of faculty and function. I have observed 
this appearance in large numbers of Mongolian faces, and the Mon¬ 
golian is, as a rule, grossly superstitious. 

THE OBSERVING EYEBROW. 

Where the inner termini of the brows grow closely down to 
the eyes (Fig. 277) it is a most decided sign of an accurate ob- 



Fig. 277.—OBSERVING EYEBROW. FlG. 278.—CREDULOUS E\ EBROW. 

(Humboldt.) (Cortez.) 


server, and accurate observation leads to a tiue understanding of 
the objects or occurrences observed; hence, practical sense is the 
result. Individuals thus characterized are adapted to such trades 
and professions as recjuire accuracy, truth, and practical judgment, 
such traits as are manifested in mechanics, scientists, natuialists, 
etc., for the laws of physics are based on the laws of Nature, hence 
'of truth, and he who can best comprehend truth must possess a large 
share of it in his own constitution; and these signs of this trait 
are most conspicuous in the face as well as in the body of all who 
possess a talented degree of truth and integrity.. 

My observation on this form of eyebrow is in accord with 

Lavater. He remarks:— 

The nearer the eyebrows are to the e} r es, the more earnest, deep, and 
firm the character ; the more remote from the eyes, the more volatile, easily 

moved, and less enterprising. 











980 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


THE CREDULOUS EYEBROW. 

If the inner terminus of the brow commences at a considerable 
distance above the eye (Fig. 278), causing a wide interciliary space, 
it is positive assurance of a credulous mind, for those with this pecu¬ 
liarity of structure lack the first essential of accuracy, viz., a suit¬ 
able development of the eyebrows such as the practical classes pos¬ 
sess; hence they accept upon hearsay, without examination, many 
improbable theories and statements. The more wonderful they are, 
the more readily they accept them, and the more pleasing they find 
them. The eyebrows of all the grossly superstitious races present 
this appearance. 

The eyebrows of that class of writers, orators, artists, poets, 
and divines whose works and speech are characterized by imagina¬ 
tion of wonderful and impossible scenes and beings exhibit modi¬ 
fications of this peculiarity. Examine, for example, the eyebrows 
of Milton, Dante, Raphael, Swedenborg, Mahomet, Loyola, Mira- 
beau, and Dore; in each instance there will be found varying de¬ 
grees of that credencive spirit which was manifest in their life-work. 

An eyebrow thus placed denotes in ordinary characters a love 
of fiction in art and literature, a taste for the ijiayvelous in religion, 
and a relish for the sensational in neighborhood and public news. 

This trait belongs to the artistic class more particularly, and is 
most largely developed where the muscular system is in the ascend¬ 
ant, as the peculiar arching of the brow will demonstrate. 

Where the inner end of the eyebrow arises at a moderate dis¬ 
tance above the eye, exhibiting only a medium degree of interciliary 
space, the character will be more keenly observant than the former, 
and will combine a modicum of both the mechanical and artistic 
capacities. Such characters are adapted to certain branches of both 
these departments of labor, and an average amount of practical 
sense will be manifested. 

Position of the Middle of the Brows. 

THE IMPRACTICAL BROW. 

If the eyebrow presents a very wide interciliary space (Fig. 
279), causing the eyebrow to form a very high arch, it denotes a 
half-foolish, impractical, unreasoning character. Of this eyebrow 
Lavater observes:— 

I never yet saw a profound thinker, or even a man of fortitude and 
prudence, with weak, high eyebrows, which, in some measure, divide the 
forehead.* 

* Essays on Physiognomy, C. Lavater, p. 388. 


the eyebrows. 


981 


THE ARTISTIC BROW. 

Where the brow is highest at about two-thirds of the distance 
Irom its inner terminus (Fig. 280) it denotes artistic capacity, and 
this peculiarity is found in this locality in the countenances of most 
good and great artists. It is more decided as age advances, and is 



Fig. 279.—IMPRACTICAL EYEBROW. 
(Walmesley.) 


caused by the frequent raising of the brow in order to observe the 
artistic effect of the work in hand. 

Having now considered the indications of interciliary space 
at the inner end and centre of the brow, we proceed to investigate 
the position of the outer extremity of the eyebrows. 

Position of the Outer Termini, 
the arithmetical brow. 

The positions which are observed at the outer end of the brow 
give great variety of expression to this feature. A wide space 
between the outer angle of the eye and the terminus of the brow 
(Fig. 281) is found to be widest where the muscular is one of the 
dominant systems, and denotes calculative ability. It is most pro¬ 
nounced in the countenances of astronomers, physicists, surveyors, 
good arithmeticians, mechanicians, architects, and inventors of 
machinery, and is general in those races in whom the muscular 
system is supreme. 

The following are two of the most common modifications of 
the arithmetical brow: If the outer terminus turn slightly down¬ 
ward, and leave a moderate degree of space between it and the 



Fig. 280.—ARTISTIC EYEBROW. 
(La Bruyere.) 











982 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


corner of the eye, a medium degree of arithmetical calculation 
may be predicated. 

Where the brow turns downward at its outer extremity, and 



Fig. 281.—ARITHMETICAL EYEBROW. (Delambre.) 

inward toward the corner of the eye, either by a curve or angle, 
leaving little or no space between it and the eye, it denotes only a 
very slight amount of the calculative faculty. 

THE DECEPTIVE EYEBROW. 

Obliquity of outline, when very decided, denotes obliquity of 
action or the opposite of straightforwardness, and eyebrows with 
a very pronounced upward slant from the inner termini (Fig. 251), 
are infallible indicators of deceit, craft, and treachery, and if the 
eyes are very light in combination the character will be cold, 
malignant, unfeeling, cruel, and brutal. 

There are several modifications of this brow; one form is 
somewhat less oblique than the former, and denotes much less 
talent for deceit, but is not altogether reliable. The character 
accompanying this form will exhibit a certain degree of secretive¬ 
ness, and indulge in small tricky ways and resort to useless sly 
methods. 

Another modification is shown by a scheming, calculating 
disposition, both worldly and arithmetical. 

THE ^ESTHETIC EYEBROW. 

Long, narrow, and regularly arched brows, covering well- 
arched eye-bones, are found in the faces of persons possessed of 
order and aesthetic tastes; these traits will be exhibited in a variety 
of ways—in elegance of personal adornments, in the artistic, 
tasteful, and orderly arrangement of furniture and surroundings, 
and by a love of art-objects, such as pictures, statues, bric-a- 
brac, etc. If the brow is black or dark in color the color-sense 
will influence the selection of dress and appointments, and these 


THE EYEBROWS. 


.983 


will be ol most decided and brilliant tints. If the brow present a 
lighter color in conjunction with this form, the preference will be 
for more delicate shades. If possessed of literary or histrionic 




FIG. 282.—ESTHETIC EYEBROW. 
(Ex-Empress Eugenie.) 


fig. 283.—INVENTIVE EYEBROW. 
(Elias Howe.) 


talent, elegance of style and sentiment will oe the distinguishing 
characteristics. See the physiognomies of Buffon, Pascal, Char¬ 
lotte Bronte, Addison, Shelley, Vandyck, Madame de Stael, David 
Garrick, and Mendelssohn. 

The peculiarities of this type of eyebrow are its curvilinear 
form, length, color, narrowness, and regular arrangement of the 
hairs. 


THE INVENTIVE EYEBROW. 

The most conspicuous marks of what I term the inventive 
brow are its thickness, depth of color, length of the hairs, and 
bold and disorderly arrangement of the hairs, particularly at the 
ends (Fig. 283). The brows of Carlyle, Darwin, and S. F. B. 
Morse are admirable specimens of this type. The characteristics 
above described reveal a bold, original, inventive or creative mind 
in some department of mental labor. Those who exhibit thi$ 
peculiar type of brow think and act outside of the conventional 
groove, and are given to discovery, exploration, creation of original 
theories and methods in art, science, philosophy, mechanism, war¬ 
fare, statesmanship, or theology. To know to which of these direc¬ 
tions the mind will be turned the student must look for other signs 
in combination. The following-named eminent men disclose eye¬ 
brows of this class; see, for example, the portraits of Carlyle, 
Charles Darwin, John Pierpont, John Knox, General Scott, Abra¬ 
ham Lincoln, General Napier, Lord Shaftesbury, Rufus Choate, 
Beethoven, Wagner, and Michael Angelo. 









984 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


THE VITAL EYEBROW. 

A brow that is wide, either straight or curved, of medium 
length, thick, and dark-colored or black, is an indication of con¬ 
stitutional vigor. It is often observed in its straight form in the 
countenances of iron-workers and other mechanics. When arched 
it denotes more of an aesthetic tendency. This type of brow is 
seen only in the countenance of vigorous, strong-willed, passionate 
characters, good lovers, and good haters. 

THE DELICATE EYEBROW. 

Observation of the physiognomies of many individuals in 
whom the nervous system is extremely sensitive, and also one of 
the dominant systems, will disclose eyebrows that are thin, light- 
colored, and the hairs straggling, in some cases scarcely visible. 
This appearance denotes qualities the opposite to those indicated 



Fig. 284.—VITAL EYEBROW. Fig. 285.—DELICATE EYEBROW. 

(John Stephenson.) (Charlotte Corday.) 


by the vital eyebrow; those with this variety of brow are sen¬ 
sitive, mild, and delicate, with not much muscular development 
nor great vitality. If the brow be dark or black more constitu¬ 
tional vigor is present than with the light color. 

MOVEMENTS OF THE BROWS. 

The affluent muscular endowment of the hairy brow gives 
great facility of movement, and the movements of the brow are 
rich in physiognomic signification,—not only so, but the lines, folds, 
and wrinkles, caused by the continuous muscular movement of the 
brows, stamp their record of active thought and feeling upon the 
physiognomy. 

There is a profound yet subtle meaning revealed by the sur¬ 
roundings of the eye, particularly in regard to the emotional 
nature, for movement is adapted to the expression of emotion, and 










THE EYEBROWS. 


985 


emotions, if often exercised, never fail of leaving their imprint 
behind. Love, sensuality, mirth, anger, parsimony, gluttony, and 
secretiveness, all alike leave traces about the eye that are easily 
recognized by the keen observer. The lids in particular, by their 
condition, give us unmistakable knowledge of both temporary and 
permanent condition of health, ill health, excesses—both sexual 
and alimentive—long continued, joy, grief, or prolonged study and 
close and habitual observation; all these are independent of the 
pathognomonic changes which disease produces; these changes be¬ 
long to the mind of the individual, and are purely physiognomic. 

Let the student place before him one dozen portraits of char¬ 
acters of advanced age of diverse pursuits, and make a study and 
comparison of the appearances, surroundings, and appendages of 
the eye, and he will become convinced that these phenomena are 
highly significant of character, and indisputable records of life 
and mind. 

In order to comprehend the full physiognomic meaning of the 
movements of the eye we must analyze the uses of the several 
muscles involved in producing these movements, and also the use 
of the resultant movements as well. Orbicularis palpebrarum is 
the broad muscle that surrounds the orbit of the eye. (See Fig. 
126, at the head of this chapter.) 

Its use is to close the eyelids chiefly by depressing the superior, the 
levator muscle of which it directly opposes. It also serves to press the 
tears inward toward the punctata lachrymalia; the superior orbital fibres 
can depress the eyebrow and aid the corrugator supercilii in drawing it, as 
well as the eyelids, inward, and oppose the occipito-frontalis and shade 
the eye; the inferior fibres can raise the cheek, raise and draw the lower 
eyelid inward, and compress the lachrymal sac which they cover. 

Corrugator supercilii arises fleshy and tendinous from the internal 
angular process of the os frontis, passes upward and outward, and is in¬ 
serted into the middle of the eyebrow, mixing with the orbicularis and 
occipito-frontalis muscle; use, to depress and approximate the e3^ebrows, 
throwing the skin of the forehead into vertical wrinkles , as in the act of 
frowning. This pair of muscles are voluntary, but they cannot act sepa¬ 
rately; they directly oppose the occipito-frontalis and shade the eye.* 

Observers will discover that the observing and thinking classes 
of minds use the internal portion of the orbicular muscle most, 
i.e., that portion which enables the eyebrows to approximate as 
they do when the subject is employed in close observation or in 
deep reflection. The middle and outer portion of the eyebrows 
are used by the more emotional classes; hence actors engaged in 
portraying light characters move the centre and outer extremities 
of the eyebrows, but in delineating grand and thoughtful char- 

* Practical Anatomy, Robert Harrison, p. 23. 



986 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


acters they move the brows less frequently and the inner termini 
mainly. These actions are based on the natural and instinctive 
movements of these two diverse classes, and imitated by the skill¬ 
ful player in his representations of various characters; he not only 
imitates the voice, gesture, and movement of the brows, but paints 
upon his face with his cosmetic pigments the diverse lines, folds, 
and wrinkles which observation has taught him belong to the 
several distinct classes of characters. 

Those persons who move the eyebrows frequently are to be 
suspected of a rather feeble grade of intelligence, and possessed of 
more emotion than thought .' 

There is one class of individuals who think that an appear¬ 
ance of hauteur is an indication of superior character; it is the 
class who raise the eyebrows upon meeting a stranger whose posi¬ 
tion socially they regard as inferior to their own. They are the 
supercilious beings one often meets in society, and the frequent use 
which they make of their eyebrows, to show (as they think) their 
high tone, is an infallible sign of the absence of true worth and 
nobility, for assumption of superiority is but the substitution for 
the genuine quality. Nobility of life and conduct are as easily 
discerned by our associates as are treachery and lowness, and we 
have only to be what we would wish to have others think we are 
in order to receive credit for the same; hence excessive movement 
in raising the eyebrows in this manner has led to the term “ su¬ 
percilious.” 

Those in whom the bony system is supreme rarely move the 
eyebrows, and then only to draw the eyebrows down at the centre 
in order to bring the eye to a focus. Painters raise and lower the 
inner end and centre of the brow, while actors run the whole 
gamut of ciliary movements in order to express every variety of 
character. 

The deceitful and cruel raise the outer extremity of the brows, 
and show great mobility of this part of these features. Cats, 
whose brows are oblique, possess the same flexibility of the outer 
termini of the brows. Elocutionists, however, develop a mar¬ 
velous degree of power in the superciliary muscles, and study to 
produce a degree of flexibility of these features which will enable 
them to produce, in conjunction with the eyelid and upper cheek, 
nine hundred movements.* 

Of the movement of the eyebrows, Lavater remarks:— 

The motions of the eyebrows contain numerous expressions, especially 
of ignoble passions—pricle, anger, and contempt; the supercilious man 
(supercilium, an eyebrow) despises and is despicable. 

* Delsarte System of Oratory. 


THE FOREHEAD. 


987 


THE COLORS OF THE EYEBROW. 

Color in the eyebrows denotes precisely what it does when 
found in the other features of the face. Very black brows, if 
narrow, long, regular, and arched, announce a nature intense, and, 
with aesthetic tastes, more imitative than original. Very light 
colored eyebrows denote characters whose emotions and passions 
are more superficial than the former, and the intellect generally 
only ordinary. 

While brown eyebrows indicate a medium between these two 
extremes, fine reddish brows show considerable fervor and ambi¬ 
tion, but when they are coarse it is assurance of strong animal 
passions. 

The color of the eyebrows, taken singly, is no indication of 
intelligence or absence of intelligence. The underlying form 
gives us the clue to the direction of the faculties; the color of the 
eyebrow is a secondary indication, not a primary one. Color 
shows the degree of power, but, as the subject of color has been 
so fully discussed in former chapters, it is not necessary to elaborate 
it in this connection. 


The Forehead. 

The several forms of the forehead observed in the human face 
are composed of combinations of the line and curve, the square 
and angle. To this feature, as to all others, the basic laws of Form 
apply with the utmost certainty. 

There are three general outlines in the profile of the forehead. 
These are the perpendicular, the projecting, and the receding. In 
the full face we observe the square and the curved or rounding 
forms; all other forms are modifications, compounds, or blends of 
these two primary shapes. 

The normal, perpendicular forehead (Fig. 286) is observed 
most frequently in the artistic classes; among poets, painters, and 
aesthetic minds generally. It is usually accompanied by a straight 
nose; and straightness of these two outlines in combination always 
announce a taste and capacity for art of some sort; other signs in 
combination will give us the direction of this taste or talent. 

The perpendicular forehead assures us of the supremacy of 
the muscular system, and one attribute of this system is its absence 
of sensitiveness; that is to say, relative absence. Muscle has not 
the sensitiveness of the nervous tissue, but when accompanied by 
a fine quality of nerve and brain it can manifest a considerable 
degree of mental sensibility, as well as artistic delicacy of touch, 
sound, etc., and results in artistic plans and methods. Those who 


988 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 



exhibit this form of forehead have never the warmth, fire, enthu¬ 
siasm. sympathy, and sensibility whi’ch distinguishes those with the 
receding forehead. In the latter the lungs are large, the chest 
arched, & and this peculiarity of bodily structure creates energy and 
feeling, and gives the force requisite for active sympathy, for 

executive ability, for warmth and fervor. 

The normally-receding forehead (Fig. 287) is one that slopes 
backward somewhat, yet not too far backward. It is indicative of 

energy, balanced reasoning 
powers, sympathy, enterprise, 
practicality, mechanical ability, 
executiveness, and progress. 


FIG. 286.—PERPENDICULAR FOREHEAD. Fig. 287.—RECEDING FOREHEAD. 

(Ex-Governor Buckingham.) 


Many celebrated orators and actors of the highest rank exhibit 
this outline in their forehead. Mirabeau and Gambetta, French 
orators of the most fervid and intense type, present this form of 
forehead; the portrait of Kemble, the eminent English tragedian, 
also exhibits a receding forehead. 

THE PRACTICAL FOREHEAD. 

Among the thousands of the most practical and observing 
men whose foreheads exhibit an outline more or less sloping 
than the former, I may mention the late President Garfield, Peter 
Cooper, Abraham Lincoln, Captain James Cook, Richard Ark¬ 
wright; William Harvey, M.D., discoverer of the circulation of the 
blood; the Duke of Wellington, Sir Moses Montifiore, Father 
Matthew; Liszt, musical composer; John Stuart Mill, David Liv¬ 
ingstone, Richard Whately, C. H. McCormack, Sir Rowland Hill, 
and Presidents Washington and Jackson. I have mentioned 
many instances of this receding outline of forehead for the reason 
that popular opinion ascribes to this outline limited intelligence, 
based on no reason whatever, or knowledge of the facts; it is one 


THE FOREHEAD. 


989 


of those baseless physiognomical heresies that are current in the 
community. This form of forehead is characteristic of active, en¬ 
terprising, pushing, enthusiastic natures in every department of in¬ 
tellect, as the above comprehensive group will show. These are 
taken from almost every department of mentality, and could be 
added to far beyond the limits of this section. 

THE PROJECTING FOREHEAD. 



Fig. 288.—PRACTICAL FOREHEAD. 
(Ex-President Garfield.) 


Fig. 289.—PROJECTING FOREHEAD. 


The third type of forehead— 
is to say, the forehead which 
projects from below forward , 
either straight or rounding in 
its outline, is the forehead the 


the projecting—(Fig. 289), that 


least favorable to mental or manual activity. It is indicative of 
dullness, slowness, and impracticality, and where it exceeds a 
certain degree of forward projection or roundness it is certain 
assurance of idiocy, either partial or complete. 

THE INFANTILE FOREHEAD. 

One modification of this forehead is observed to round out, 
from the junction with the nose, and presents the curve observed 
in all infants (Fig. 290), and in them it is normal at that stage of 
development. Now, the law of Nature is, that wherever a feature 
in an adult bears a strong resemblance to an infantile form, it in¬ 
dicates an infantoid or relative undevelopment of that part of the 
mind of which such feature stands representative. An infantoid 
mouth denotes absence of great thoughts and the use of small 
talk. An infantoid nose indicates lack of executive power; an 
infantoid chin, relative want of conscientiousness and firmness; 
and thus of all features. 



990 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Those whose foreheads bulge at the superior part are great 
theorizers, dreamers, impractical, and non-mechanical. If the pos¬ 
sessors of such foreheads exhibit a good quality (which is seldom 
met with in conjunction with this appearance), they may be able 
to create some valuable theories, which, when adapted to practical 
purpose by common-sense minds, prove useful; but rarely is this 
the case. 



FIG. 290.—INFANTILE FOREHEAD. 
(Minnie Warren.) 


Fig. 291.—MECHANICAL FOREHEAD. 
(One Type.) 


THE MECHANICAL FOREHEAD. 


Foreheads fullest at the brows denote the highest capacity 
for mechanism and practical work; foreheads fullest at the upper 

part show the greatest power for 
abstract reasoning, with ability to 
create and elaborate theories; they 
possess also great memory of events, 
etc.,—Humboldt, for example. 


THE ARTISTIC FOREHEAD. 

Foreheads rounding at the sides announce capacity for artistic 
or original construction of some sort, usually of an artistic or 
aesthetic nature. Those square at the temple show ability for me¬ 
chanical, scientific, or practical affairs. 


THE SCIENTIFIC AND MECHANICAL FOREHEAD. 

To a scientific physiognomist the outline of each forehead, 
both of the profile and of the sides, reveals the accompanying 
chest form. If the forehead is receding the lungs and liver are 
well developed, the thorax high and arched, the nostrils relatively 
large, and the septum ol the nose (sign of the liver) usually well 
developed downward. 





THE FOREHEAD. 


991 


Where the profile outline of the forehead is perpendicular, 
the muscular system will be dominant, or one of the dominant 




systems, and the heart and stomach, both of them muscular organs, 
will be more powerfully developed. This outline shows the dom¬ 
inance of the involuntary muscles. 

In this case the chest will not be so arched as in the former 
combination, and the nostrils not so large, but the eye will be 
larger and the forehead more rounded at the sides, and the jaw 
more curved outwardly. 

Thus each feature ex¬ 
pounds and reveals the 
peculiarities of the 
structure of the trunk, 
as well as of the limbs, 
hands, and feet, and 
these in their turn 
announce to the close 
observer the shape of 
the features and the 
moral and mental char¬ 
acteristics. 

Lavater has made 
some excellent observa¬ 
tions upon this feature 
which I quote as cor¬ 
roborative of my own 
views. He remarks:— 


FIG. 292.—ARTISTIC FOREHEAD. 


Fig. 293.—SCIENTIFIC FOREHEAD. 


Foreheads viewed in 
profile may be reduced to 
three general classes: They 
slope backward, or are 
perpendicular, or are 
prominent. Each of these 
classes admits of an infi¬ 
nite subdivision, which is 
easy to distinguish by spe¬ 
cies, and of which the fol¬ 
lowing are the principal: 1, 

straight-lined foreheads ; 2, those whose lines half-straight, half-curved, run 
into each other; 3, foreheads with simple curved lines ; 4, those with double 
or triple curved lines. Let us now establish some particular observations : 
1. The more lengthwise the forehead is, the more destitute is the mind of 
energy and elasticity. 2. The closer, shorter, and more compact it is, the 
more concentrated, firm, and solid is the character. 3. Contours arched and 
without angles determine in favor of gentleness and flexibility of character. 
This, on the contrar}^, will possess firmness and inflexibility in proportion 
as the contours of the forehead are straight. 4. Complete perpendicularity 













992 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


from the hair to the ej’ebrows is a sign of a total want of understanding. 
5. A perpendicular form, gradually arched on top, announces a mind capable 
of much reflection, a staid and profound thinker. 6. Prominent (bulging) 
foreheads belong to feeble and contracted minds, and which will never attain 
a certain degree of maturity. 7. Sloping backward indicate in general 
imagination, spirit, and delicacy. 8. In order to constitute a perfect char¬ 
acter of wisdom there must be a happy association of straight and curved 
lines, and besides a favorable position of forehead. The association of lines 
is favorable when they imperceptibly run into each other. 8. I rank among 
the most judicious and the most positive characters the square foreheads, 
whose lateral margins are still sufficiently spacious, and whose eye-bone is 
at the same time very solid.* 

Elsewhere he remarks, quoting from Claramantine:— 

A square form of forehead is the sign of superior talents and sound 
judgment; for it arises from the natural figure of the head. It likewise 
contributes to the knowledge and prudent conduct of affairs. Many illus¬ 
trious persons have been distinguished by this form of head. 

From Mr. de Permetty Lavater extracts the following:— 

The forehead large, square, and open, announces a person of under¬ 
standing and good sense ; of quick comprehension and capable of advising 
well, for it is such as it ought to be, having the best proportioned form and 
the most adapted to facilitate the functions of the soul. 

From Gratalones Lavater takes the following:— 

Those who have a great forehead are dull; they may be compared to 
oxen. Square foreheads of moderate size, well proportioned to the head, 
show virtuous, wise, and magnanimous character; class them with lions. 

There appears in the writings of all the ancient physiogno¬ 
mists a preference for the square form of forehead as illustrative 
of the highest character. Now, had they ever classified upon the 
“ Basic Principles of Form,” and learned the inherent meanings of 
the arch or curve as well as of the square and angle, they would 
have found the highest expression of the artistic mind revealed by 
the curve and oval, and the highest type of the scientific and prac¬ 
tical by the square and angle, each of which produce two diverse 
types of excellent character, but each unsuited to fill the place of 
the other in their respective fields of labor. 

Circular foreheads belong to the purely vegetative individual, 
half-curved to the artistic; but all foreheads, unless they are purely 
square or perfectly round, present interblendings and combinations 
of these several elements of Form, and must be judged accordingly 
in each individual case. Many modifying circumstances affect 
each of these forms. Quality is one modifying element; activity 
of the circulation, or the dominance of the thoracic system, another. 
Muscular development is yet another circumstance to be taken into 

* Lavater’s Essays, vol. iii, p. 324. London edition, 1787. 


THE HEAD. 


993 


consideration before a perfect judgment of a given character can 
be arrived at. My advice is to postpone sentence until the evi¬ 
dence is all in; this is sound law, and will apply as well to lawful 
physiognomy. 

The Head. 

I did not intend in this work to give any attention to the 
cerebral part of the anatomy, although its form, size, and append¬ 
ages are highly indicative of mentality, and reveal and corroborate 
the signs of character found in the physiognomy and body. Yet, 
as phrenology uses the head as the foundation and groundwork 
for its theories of mind, and endeavors to expound all character¬ 
istics by inspection and measurement of its outlines, I shall refrain 
from giving any extended description of the forms and meanings 
of this noble member. My main reason for this course is that I 
desire my readers to become perfectly convinced that the face 
reveals the entire mental and physical character without any refer¬ 
ence whatever to the form or size of the head. 

The entire character may be known also without any reference 
to the forehead, with the exception of the lower part just above 
the brows; yet, as the general observation is turned to inspection 
of the whole frontal development, I have decided to give a limited 
space to a description of its most general forms, although this is 
not essential to a complete and correct physiognomical knowledge 
of character. 

As I stated in the theoretical part of this work, my belief 
that the mind is not shut up in the skull, but diffused throughout 
the entire body, and manifested only by the co-operation of all its 
parts, and as I showed that the office of the brain is limited to its 
own peculiar share in mental manifestation, and as the other parts 
of the organism are concerned in producing what are termed 
“ mental efforts,” as in art, science, mechanism, etc., and as I have 
demonstrated that the face reveals the entirety of the personality, 
it would be a waste of time to make any extended description and 
analysis of the brain or skull. 

In the first place, the brain upon dissection gives no clue by 
its structure as to its office or purpose in the human economy, as 
do the visceral organs by their structure and connections. 

In the second place, the general form of the exterior of the 
skull can be ascertained by reference to the general form of the 
face, the features, or by examination of the fingers even. In this 
manner the dominant powers of the individual are revealed, for a 
square head shows the presence of moral, scientific, and mechanical 
ability; the round head, the vital and artistic organism. A full 

63 


994 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


knowledge of the encased mind can only he had by observation of 
the face, the hand, the voice, the walk, the movement and gesture, 
aided by the light which the laws of scientific physiognomy throws 
upon them. Observation of the head and knowledge of its size is 
not at all essential to this result. Neither can the weight of the 
brain nor measurement of the skull before or after death give 
positive and thorough knowledge of the indwelling mind. 

Its form will greatly facilitate this object, for form and quality 
are the supreme factors in, and of, all structures. A knowledge 
of the meanings of the forms of the fore part of the brain—the 
forehead—is very useful in our investigations of character, for 
this portion of the anatomy belongs to the face as well as to the 
brain. Comparisons of the form of the head and of its size in 
relation to the development of the lungs which accompany each 
individual subject are also of use, not so much in revealing character 
as for the purpose of disclosing energy. Disproportionately large 
heads, particularly of the fore part, denote slowness, if not dullness, 
of both the intellectual processes and bodily movements, while a 
small head allied to large lungs gives the utmost energy of both 
the mental forces and bodily movements^ In the former case the 
driving power of the mind is absent, viz., large lungs and a copious 
and constant supply of well-oxygenated blood. A disproportion¬ 
ately large front brain acts slowly because it has not the assistance 
of a sufficient supply of normal blood to give it vivacity, while a 
small or undersized brain, if accompanied with large lungs, acts 
readily, and the limbs follow its promptings with a rapidity of 
movement in accordance with the supply of the blood and the rate 
of its circulation , which is much faster, of course, with large lungs 
and small brain, than where the forebrain is large and the lungs 
disproportionately small. 

The reason why some large heads have exhibited great powers, 
as in Daniel Webster for example, is because they have been asso¬ 
ciated with a large thoracic development and a vigorous visceral 
organization and dense color, as well as an excellent muscular and 
osseous system. In organizations such as his, many things besides 
a large brain are essential to true greatness, for, in addition to all 
these grand physiological gifts, Webster inherited a fine and high 
quality both of brain and body. When all these circumstances 
are happily united in one individual, the world is blessed with a 
transcendent genius which leaves humanity in debt for his gifts, 
for he endows future ages with a splendid legacy that increases in 
value as the centuries roll by. 

My theories on this subject are strengthened by observations 
made by the most original investigator in phrenology which 


THE HEAD. 


995 


America has produced. I refer to J. S. Grimes. He connects his 
observations in this direction with a theory which, however original 
and unique, I do not indorse, for the reason that I have not given 
it sufficient study to do so. At the same time I say nothing in oppo¬ 
sition to it, for to deny what one cannot disprove is unfair, to say 
the least; and, as I have no repugnance to his theory, and nothing 
to offer in opposition to it, I give it to my readers for their further 
investigation. 

Mr. Grimes remarks thus:— 

I have lately made an observation which seems to me to be of con¬ 
siderable importance. It is that the largest and most vigorous lungs are 
general^ accompanied with moderately-sized heads ; the form of the head in 
such cases is also peculiar, the upper parts of the head being less developed 
than the lower, the forehead being generally retreating. On the other hand, 
the very reverse is true of persons whose lungs are small; that is to say, 
their heads are generally larger and the upper parts more developed than 
the lower, being in some degree like those which we call rickety. I strongly 
suspect that this discovery will lead to important results when it comes to 
be fully explained. I will venture to suggest an explanation : The reason 
of small lungs being often accompanied with a large head is that the small 
lungs and imperfect respiration are the cause of the brain growing larger, 
for the brain is the organ of motion , and it can only produce its motions by 
means of oxygen, which oxygen is furnished through the lungs by combin¬ 
ing with the food from the stomach. If the stomach and lungs do not 
furnish blood sufficiently charged with oxygen to enable the brain to pro¬ 
duce the necessary motions, the motions must become less to correspond 
with the quality of the blood. Under these circumstances larger brain 
will be equivalent to larger lungs, just as in galvanic operation a weak and 
adulterated acid, when applied to a large surface of zinc plates, will produce 
as powerful effects as a more concentrated acid applied to a smaller zinc 
surface. Now the question is, Does not the brain tend to grow larger and 
to extend its surface when the blood is weak , adulterated , and imperfect in 
consequence of indigestion, badly-ventilated rooms, and imperfect respira¬ 
tion ? Is not this the cause and explanation of rickets ? It is admitted by 
physicians that rickets originate in indigestion and imperfect respiration, 
but why should this cause the brain to grow so large ? Why do not the 
hands or feet grow large as well as the brain ? I answer that the brain 
being the phreno-galvanic fountain of motion, and being deprived of con¬ 
centrated and oxygenated blood, it extends its surface to avail itself of a 
large quantity of imperfect blood, and thus it is that the same causes which 
produce imperfect blood produce rickety-shaped heads.* 

Mr. Grimes’ theory of the brain as an organ of motion is 
unique, and I here give it as worthy of reflection, at least. He 
observes:— 

My theory of the temperaments is very simple; it is that the office of 
the brain and nerves is to move the bones and muscles, and that the brain 
and nerves are, therefore, antagonistic to the bones and muscles, or, in legal 
parlance, it is bones and muscles versus brain and nerves. The principal 

* Plireno-Geology, J. Stanley Grimes, pp. 68 et seq. 


996 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


bones and muscles, to which I refer, are those especially which constitute 
the limbs and face. Now, I insist that, ceteris paribus , when the brain and 
nerves are weak and the limbs large, there cannot be as much rapidity of 
action as when the reverse is the fact; although there may be more strength, 
it will be manifested slowly. But what do we mean by ceteris paribus , or all 
else equal ? Why is it that the largest brain, compared with the limbs, is 
not always accompanied with the most rapid motions ? Why is it, indeed, 
that we sometimes see a large head and slender muscles on one who habit¬ 
ually moves but little, and then reluctantly and moderately ? Why is it that 
a brain of a given size is not always of a given power ? It ought to be if no 
interfering causes prevented. Phrenologists generally assume that it is so, 
but they are constantly met and annoyed by the fact that the same size and 
form of head on one manifests genius, and on another stupidity; on one it 
produces rapid and vigorous movements, and on another with bones and 
muscles no larger—perhaps even smaller—it produces slow, weak, and 
merely necessary movements; again, we see a small brain with large mus¬ 
cles producing rapid and vigorous motions and an energetic character. 

Here Mr. Grimes follows with his galvanic theory and ends 
this branch of his argument by the following:— 

Here we have a plain and simple explanation of the matter, and the 
proposition now is, that the power of the brain depends upon its size and 
the quality of the blood. A small brain may, therefore, be more powerful 
than a large one, if the small one has the advantage in the quality of the 
blood. This is no contradiction of the proposition that the larger the brain 
and the slenderer the muscles, the greater the relative power of the brain, all 
else equal; on the contrary, it is but an illustration of it. 

Mr. Grimes had probably not observed that the rate of the 
circulation had something to do with energetic movements and 
thoughts. More than one factor assists activity of thought and 
movement; hence, in estimating the power of a given subject, we 
must take into consideration the form of the forehead, the size and 
form of the nose and nostrils, quality of the shin , and the color of 
the complexion, hair, and eyes. 

Mr. Grimes considers the medulla oblongata to be the seat of 
the mind, or consciousness, but thinks the brain to be the organ of 
voluntary motion, and, as this hypothesis has not as yet been suc¬ 
cessfully controverted, it is as trustworthy as any other. All physi¬ 
cians know that the forebrain in animals has been destroyed without 
destroying consciousness, and that the forebrain in man has been 
greatly injured without destroying consciousness; hence it would 
seem a rational belief that consciousness was located elsewhere than 
in the forebrain. The office of the several divisions of the brain have 
not (at the present stage of investigation) been definitely demon¬ 
strated. It is not essential to the comprehension of the practical 
part of physiognomy that this knowledge should be had. It would 
greatly facilitate our conceptions of mind, however, could we be en¬ 
lightened as to the office of every distinct and minute portion of the 


THE HAIR. 


997 


organism. Possibly this may be never known, but it is our duty 
to make the attempt to learn all that may be known of the human 
mind and body. Goethe expresses this idea thus:— 

• 

Man is not born to solve the mystery of existence, but he must never¬ 
theless attempt it in order that he may learn how to keep within the limits 
of the knowable. 

There are five general forms of the head corresponding to the 
five superior systems of functions, viz., the vegetative, the thora¬ 
cic, the muscular, the osseous, and the brain forms. Each of these 
forms of head is dominated by the system each individual shape 
reveals. The vegetative head is globular; like all primitive or 
infantoid structures, the thoracic head is high and angular and the 
forehead receding, and all the features prominent and clear-cut. 
The muscular head is curvilinear; not globular, but more artisti¬ 
cally curved; while the brain form is spherical and the face pyri¬ 
form; the round shape of the latter is different from either the 
vegetative or the muscular heads. 

With this brief mention I shall close the description of the 
head, believing that the student of physiognomy need not pursue 
his investigations much farther in this channel for his knowledge 
of human character. 

The Hair. 

THE EVOLUTION OF THE HAIR. 

In order to fully comprehend the physiognomic signification of 
the hair of the head, the beard, and the hairy covering found upon 
the human body, we are obliged to avail ourselves of the light which 
our sister science—Evolution—throws upon the use and origin of this 
hirsute appendage. The evolution of man proves that the nervous 
system and the hairy covering have a common origin, that both 
are evolved from the outer skin-covering or exoderm of the primi¬ 
tive organisms. This knowledge teaches us why the qualities of the 
skin, hair, nails, eyelashes, and eyebrows are indicators of mental 
conditions, for we find that the finer these appendages the more 
sensitive is the nervous system, and these correlations unfold to us 
the meaning of the strong relationship existing between these 
several hairy characters and the nerves or mental powers. In 
order to give the reader an adequate idea of the common origin of 
the hair and nerves, I shall draw upon the works of both Darwin 
and Haeckel for this purpose. For every physiognomic effect there 
is a precedent physiological or anatomical cause, hence history of 
the latter sort is essential to an intelligent comprehension of the 


998 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


signs of character shown by the hair, beard, brows, and nails. 
Says Professor Haeckel:— 

The most interesting and important appendages of the outer skin 
are the hairs, which, on account of their peculiar structure and mode of 
origin, must be regarded as very characteristic of the whole mammalian 
class. The hairs of man, as of all other mammals, consist simply of epidermic 
cells peculiarly differentiated and arranged. In their first state they appear in 
the embryo as solid, plug-shaped processes of the epidermis which penetrate 
into the undertying leather-skin (chorion) as do the sebaceous and sweat- 
glands. As in the latter, the simple plug consists originally of the ordinary 
epidermic cells. Within this a firmer cellular mass of conical shape soon forms. 
This increases considerably in length and detaches itself from the surround¬ 
ing cellular mass, “ the root-sheath,” and finally makes its way to the out¬ 
side, appearing above the outer surface as a hair-stem, the deepest part 
buried in the skin; the hair-follicle is the root of the hair and is surrounded 
by the root-sheath. In the human embryo the first hairs make their appear¬ 
ance at the end of the fifth or in the beginning of the sixth month. 

During the last three or four months before birth the human em¬ 
bryo is usually covered by a thick coating of delicate woolly hairs. This 
embryonic wool-covering (lanugo) is often lost during the last weeks of em¬ 
bryonic life; at any rate, soon after birth ; when it is replaced by the thinner, 
permanent hair-covering. In the human embryo, the embryonic woolly hair 
usually covers the entire body with the exception of the palms of the hands 
and soles of the feet. These parts remain bare, just as in all apes and most 
other mammals. Not unfrequently the woolly coat of the embryo differs 
considerably in color from the later permanent hairy covering. Thus, for 
instance, it sometimes happens in our own Indo-Germanic race, that fair¬ 
haired parents are shocked to find their children at their first appearance 
covered by a dark-brown or even black, woolly covering. It is only after 
this has been shed that the permanent fair hair, which the child inherits 
from its parents, makes its appearance. Occasionally, the dark hair is re¬ 
tained for several weeks or even months after birth. This remarkable 
woolly covering can only be explained as an inheritance from our primordial 
long-haired ancestors, the apes. It is equally worthy of note that many 
of the higher apes resemble man in the thin coat of hair which covers 
certain parts of the body. In most apes, especially in the higher catarhines, 
the face is nearly or even quite bare, or is covered with hairs as thin and as 
short as those of man. In these apes, also, just as in man, the hair on the 
back of the head is usually distinguished by its length, and the males often 
have much beard and whisker. In both cases this masculine adornment has 
been acquired by sexual selection. In some apes the breasts and the 
inner sides of the joints are very thinly covered with hair—far less abun¬ 
dantly than is the back and the outer sides of the joints ; on the other hand, 
We not unfrequently see the shoulders, the back, and the outer sides of the 
limbs thickly covered with hair in men of Indo-Germanic or Semitic race. 

The form of adaptation which has degraded the growth of hair on most 
parts of the human body while preserving it or even greatly developing it 
on certain parts was, in all probability, sexual selection. In consequence of 
the male anthropoid apes, in selecting a partner, preferring those females 
which were least hairy, and in consequence of the females preferring those 
suitors which were distinguished by peculiarly fine beard or head-hair, the 
general hirsuteness of the body was gradually degraded while the beard 
and the hair of the head advanced to a higher degree of perfection. Cli- 


THE HAIR. 


999 


matic conditions and other circumstances unknown to us may, however, 
also have promoted the loss of the hairy coat.* 

The evidence obtained from Darwin on the subject of hair is 
in direct line with that of Haeckel. He observes:— 

The absence of hair on the body is to a certain extent a secondary 
sexual character, for in all parts of the world women are less hairy than 
men; therefore we may reasonably suspect that this is a character which has 
been gained through sexual selection. 

It is rather difficult to form a judgment how the long hair on our 
heads became developed. Eschricht states that in the human foetus the 
hair on the face during the fifth month is longer than that on the head, and 
this indicates that our semi-liuman progenitors were not furnished with long 
tresses, which consequently must have been a late acquisition. Many insects, 
birds, and animals exhibit beards, manes, and hairy appendages, as, for 
example, lions, horses, goats, cats, dogs, and many varieties of birds.f 


THE QUALITY OR TEXTURE OF THE HAIR. 

Inspection and comparison of the several qualities or grades 
of fineness of hair upon the heads of several individuals or races 
will demonstrate that there are very great diversities of this orna¬ 
ment. The hair of undeveloped races is coarse as compared to 
that found among civilized peoples, and among the latter great 
differences of texture are also to be found. Very coarse hair be¬ 
longs to coarse, strong, stupid, or dull individuals of a low grade 
of mentality; often rude, boisterous, and unsympathetic; while the 
finer qualities show varying degrees of keener mentality, delicacy, 
refinement, and many diverse grades of physiological power and 
weakness. 

Soft, pliable hair is evidence of tractable, amiable, reasonable 
disposition; while coarse, stiff, straight hair shows set, rigid, firm, 
conscientious traits, with more principle than emotion, and in some 
subjects it is accompanied by obstinacy. 

Bears exhibit very thick, coarse, lustreless hair, and are stupid 
and brutal in the extreme. Other signs corroborate this; the 
position of the eyes, as well as the contour of the body and head 
and the slow gait. 

Tiie North American Indian exhibits hair very dark or black, 
very thick, and exceedingly coarse, straight, and strong, and the 
contrast between his hair and that of the African’s curly and 
woolly hair is as striking as are the differences of the characteristics 
of these two races. The Indian is more noted for firmness and 
straightforward action than for sympathy, or at least he was before 
he became demoralized by contact with men calling themselves 

* Evolution of Man, Ernst Haeckel, chap, xx, vol. ii, p. 205. 

I The Descent of Man, Charles Darwin, chap, xx, vol. ii, p. 359 et seq. 


1000 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


“Christians.” The negro, on the contrary, is a “curly 55 character, 
with very little honesty in his composition, not much firmness or 
heroism; unreliable, but sympathetic, generous, and sociable, with 
strong natural affection for offspring, great Amativeness, yet un¬ 
stable in his attachments, being a natural polygamist, as evidenced 
by the almond-shaped commissure of the eyes, which in his face are 
very elongated. 

If the hair be black or dark-brown and very coarse, it denotes 
a lower range of moral and intellectual power than coarse, light 
hair. Very fine, flossy, silken hair, of a light hue, is always asso¬ 
ciated with refinement, relative delicacy, and extreme sensitiveness 
of the nervous system. The same quality, if black or brown, 
denotes more constitutional refinement and more intense feeling 
and greater mental power. 

THE QUANTITY OF THE HAIR. 

A thick, long suit of hair is indicative of considerable consti¬ 
tutional vigor, and is one sign of longevity, great reproductive 
powers, and descent from a long-lived ancestry. 

Thin, scattered, fine hair denotes delicacy of constitution, fine 
and keen perceptions, sensitive and shy nature, and nervous irrita¬ 
bility, and is sometimes associated with brilliant mental powers, 
although other signs must corroborate the latter. No single sign 
will give the entire character of any individual. 

All of those signs of character shown by the hair are to be 
considered with discretion and judgment; without discrimination 
all signs fail. The mole and hare have fine, thin, glossy, short 
coats of hair, and are shy, timid, sensitive, and short-lived, while 
the luxuriant mane of the lion points to his superior power of mind 
and body and great length of life. 

The various deer tribes also possess fine, short, glossy coats of 
hair, and are keen and active, and yet many of them are strong, 
enduring, and long-lived. This combination is one of strength 
and fineness, quite in contrast with the coarse-haired, stupid, long- 
lived bear or Russian hog. 

The difference in the physiognomical meanings of the hair of 
the bull-dog are well illustrated by comparison with that of the 
spaniel or pointer; the difference in their mental and physical 
powers are as great as are the differences observed in their hair. 

THE VARIOUS COLORS OF THE HAIR. 

The hair of the head, like all external appendages, is full of 
physiognomic meaning. Its most conspicuous characteristics are 
its color, its length, its thickness, its quality, and its lustre. Deep 


THE HAIR. 


1001 


colors, wherever observed, denote power, heat, force, and intensity; 
hence, the colors of the hair are indicative of character. 

The colors most frequently met with in civilized races are 
black, brown, red, flaxen, golden, gray, and white, and their 
graduated shades. The several diverse conditions of hair may be 
classified as straight, lank, wavy, curly, kinky, and frizzly. The 
character expressed by long, luxuriant, glossy hair is quite different 
from that which short, thin, and lustreless hair reveals. In youth 
the hair possesses more lustre than in advanced life; hence, is a 
sign of a vigorous condition, as well as of youth and beauty. Good 
care of the hair, as in frequent washing and brushing, will pre¬ 
serve its gloss and youthful appearance, even in old age. The 
colors of the hair reveal meanings similar to those disclosed by the 
colors of the eyes and complexion. Black hair is usually associ¬ 
ated with dark eyes, either black or brown, but in some members 
of the Celtic races we find it accompanied with blue eyes. Black 
hair, if coarse, thick, and devoid of lustre, belongs to coarse, animal 
natures with but slight mental power. If lank, thin, and lustre¬ 
less, it belongs to those of ordinary intelligence and poorly organ¬ 
ized physically. Fine, long, and glossy black hair assures us that 
its possessors are refined, intelligent persons, with ardent and deep 
feelings and enduring affections. If thick, with this combination, 
there is more constitutional vigor than if it be thin; the latter 
shows more delicacy of constitution, as well as more acute senses. 
If with this appearance the eyes are black and the skin clear, or 
if it exhibit a decided red color, the subject will show a very strong 
color-sense, and will be able to combine colors artistically or chemi¬ 
cally, as in dyeing, etc. 

Dark-brown hair, if fine and glossy, indicates normal power, 
both of mind and body, together with refined tastes and excellent 
color-sense. Blue eyes are oftenest associated with brown hair, 
either of a deep-violet hue or of a lighter blue. 

All of the dark-brown shades of hair (if fine) denote a good 
degree of intelligence, amiability, good sense, and a certain depth 
of feeling without acrimony. The light shades of brown hair, 
which are sometimes found in combination with blue or gray eyes, 
are generally indicative of good intellect, and exhibit mental and 
physical powers neither very weak nor very strong. If the hair be 
fine it denotes delicacy of thought and feeling. With a golden 
tinge it betokens excitability and an exalted mind, which often 
eventuate in expression by pen, pencil, or brush. 

Bed hair, if fine and glossy, denotes intensity of feeling, 
ambition, and refinement. Bed hair also shows quick temper, 
lively and intense emotions, great Agreeability and Amativeness, 


1002 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


and a love of outdoor life and active pursuits. The skin of red- 
haired people is generally very fine and clear. Now, whenever 1 
observe a fine, clear skin, I naturally look for clearness of intellect 
and moral inclinations. 

Coarse red hair is seen only on the heads of those possessing 
strong animal passions, with but ordinary intelligence. 

There are many shades of flaxen hair which express a different 
meaning. Very light or almost white hair is often indicative of a 
feeble constitution and a scrofulous diathesis, and is never accom¬ 
panied with intense emotions or capacity for strong attachments. 
The cause of this is physiological; for in these cases the entire 
organism lacks strength, both of transmitted quality and acquired 
vitality. Albinos are illustrations of this class, and they are always 
lacking in vigor and perfection of the senses of sight, hearing, 
touch, taste, and smell. Their color-sense is of the feeblest grade, 
while their mental powers are below the average. 

Very light haired individuals are often showy, sprightly, and 
amusing, but I have never met a profound thinker in this class. 
Of the various shades of light-yellow hair, ranging from molasses- 
candy color to flaxen, I can only say they are not unlike all the 
other very light shades of hair in their significations. All these 
hues are generally found upon the heads of persons more enter¬ 
taining than philosophic, whose emotions are transitory and manners 
gay and lively, with inordinate love of dress and amusement, and 
who exhibit a great fondness for spectacular plays, burlesques, 
and sensational literature. With a cultivated color-sense they are 
very ingenious in many kinds of ornamental work. Such persons 
attract by their vivacity and entertaining manners. Their affec¬ 
tions are neither deep nor lasting, but fickle and capricious. That 
these shades of hair are not indicative of the most developed char¬ 
acters we have only to refer to infants and children of the Caucasian 
races, whose hair deepens in color as the body and mind strengthen 
and develop. We must therefore conclude that very light haired 
adults are relatively infantoid in their natures; that is, they are not 
as profound reasoners nor as strong and stable in their affections 
as those with deeper hues of hair. 

Golden hair , if fine, gives assurance of a better color-sense 
than the very light yellow hues, and also denotes more constitu¬ 
tional vigor, for it is usually associated with blue eyes and clear 
red and white complexion, and this combination produces aesthetic 
tastes, and, if the quality be fine, artistic talents. The associated 
character is more imaginative than philosophic, but refined and 
amiable. Several eminent poets have possessed this combination 
of colors, and many good artists also. 


I 


THE HAIR. 1003 

Gray hair is usually the sign of age, yet many youthful per¬ 
sons or those in the prime of life exhibit hair more or less gray. 

In youth this appearance is caused by some variation or per¬ 
turbation of the nervous system—as in nervous shock—or is trans¬ 
mitted as a family peculiarity. The change of color produced by 
nervous shock is proof of the mental or nervous origin of the hair, 
as shown by Haeckel and Darwin in their works on evolution. As 
the texture of the hair and skin discloses the quality of the nervous 
system—therefore of the mental power—we must infer a strong 
relationship between them. The evolution of man proves that 
the outer skin-covering or exoderm in the primitive organisms 
assisted in forming the nervous system. This discovery in the 
history of the lower organisms teaches us how this relationship 
came about, and proves that the skin, hair, eyelashes and finger- 
and toe- nails were all evolved from the outer skin-covering. This 
knowledge affords a clue as to the cause of gray hair. The hair 
of many persons who have received great and sudden nervous 
shocks has turned gray or white in a short time, and sometimes in 
a single night. This is said to have been the case with Queen 
Marie Antoinette when she was imprisoned. The hair does not 
generally commence to turn gray until the nervous power has 
begun to decline. 


REMEDY FOR GRAY HAIR. 

A very safe and simple remedy for prematurely gray hair is 
found in the following decoction: Take a dozen iron nails and 
steep them in one quart of black tea and apply daily until the color 
changes. In most cases it will prove a perfect remedy and restore 
the hair to its natural color. Individuals of advanced age should 
never try to restore the hair to its youthful color, as it makes them 
look much older than they really are. Nature in her kindness and 
wisdom causes the hair to keep pace with the declining freshness of 
the face, and thus the physiognomy always looks fresher and younger 
when the dark hair of youth begins to be sprinkled with white. 
An aged face wrinkled and pallid, or one that has lost the delicate 
red and white of youth and become fat and coarse, are both softened 
and refined hv gray or white hair. The cosmetic advantage of this 
color of hair will be apparent to any one who will make the experi¬ 
ment of putting a dark or black wig upon the head of a person 
from whose complexion the colors and freshness of youth have 
departed. The greatest secret of the toilet is to make the face seem 
more youthf ul than the surroundings. This cannot be done by 
bonnets and hats too juvenile , nor by the use of youthful-colored 


1004 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


hair. On the contrary, just the opposite effect is produced by 
juvenile head-gear. 

Gray hair is not at all gray as its name would seem to denote, 
but the gray effect is produced by the intermingling of white hairs 
with the darker original shade of the hair, and the gray appear¬ 
ance is present until all or most of the hair has changed color, 
when it appears as pure white. 

VARIOUS SORTS OF CURLY HAIR. 

Besides the straight and stiff and lank varieties of hair, there 
are several others which convey at sight a knowledge of character. 
They may be classed as wavy, curly, kinky, frizzly and woolly. 
None of these varieties are ever found among the civilized races 
in whom the bony system is supreme, nor upon the heads of those 
wild races in whom the osseous system is regnant, for the reason 
that in such subjects lime in some one of its several forms is found 
in greater quantities in all of the fluids and juices of the body as 
well as in the fluid of the hair. A large proportion of this 
chemical constituent creates a firmness or stiffness in the hair of 
osseous subjects which is not present in the hair of muscular 
people and races. The law of the muscular being is the curve, as 
is observed both in animal and human beings, and in order to trace 
the curve to its origin, and from thence to deduce its most subtle 
signification, we must look even to the condition of the hair and 
eyelashes for corroboration of the basic principles of Form. These 
two appendages will be found upon examination to curve most in 
muscular subjects. As the curve belongs more particularly to the 
muscular classes, we shall find that curved or curly hair belongs 
exclusively to the muscular and vegetative individual. 

As the curve is an attribute of muscle, we shall find curly, 
wavy hair upon the heads of the artistic and imitative classes, and 
this includes the negro races as well. Curly hair and waving manes 
are also observed upon the bodies of the muscular animals; the 
lion, among the Felidiae, and among the dog tribes the poodle, 
spaniel, and Maltese varieties are illustrations of the combinations 
of curly hair with the muscular system predominant. The bony 
varieties of dogs do not exhibit curly or wavy hair. The hair of the 
several negro tribes presents the most extreme phases of the curvi¬ 
linear form, and in these races the muscles dominate the bones, as 
is proven by their large, convex eyes, frizzly hair, and flexible limbs. 
The circular form here, as elsewhere, denotes superior constitu¬ 
tional vigor. Pure-blooded Africans, as a rule, possess great physi¬ 
cal strength; but mulattoes are, as a rule, inferior in strength and 
constitutional powers to both the black and white races from which 


THE HAIR. 


1005 


they have descended. The hair of the negro is different in its 
construction from that of the Caucasian, and it is these circum¬ 
stances, added to the fact that it contains less lime and more animal 
substance, which gives it the facility for kinking and frizzling. Of 
this peculiar difference in the structure of the hair of the negro, 
Carl Vogt tells us that 

The hair of the straight-haired human races is cylindrical; the section 
under the microscope appears perfectly circular and provided with a medul¬ 
lary canal. Not so the hair of the negro, which is flattened so that its sec¬ 
tion exhibits an elongated ellipsis in the axis of which no medullary canal 
is seen. It is this lateral compression which effects the peculiar frizzling of 
the hair owing to its not taking place exactly in the direction of the longi¬ 
tudinal axis of the hair, but ascending in spirals so that the hair resembles 
a spiral spring which always returns to its shape when drawn out.* 

This extract reveals and corroborates several important prin¬ 
ciples in my theory of the basic laws of Form, as exhibited by 
the comparison of the hair of the straight-haired races with that 
of the curly-haired races. Not only is the structure of the latter 
inferior in development—in not possessing a medullary tube—but 
it is also an exhibition of imperfect curvation; that is, a departure 
from the true circle , which is characteristic of the form of the hair 
of the straight-haired races. In this microscopic analysis of the 
hair of the negro it is shown that his hair is characterized by an 
elliptical form, while that of the white-haired races is distinguished 
by a perfectly circular formation. In this minute circumstance, as 
well as in the larger details of the human system, the basic laws 
of Form, as set forth in this system of physiognomy, are fully sus¬ 
tained and carried out. And now for the practical exposition and 
application of these principles. Curly hair does not show the same 
high degree of stability, integrity, and moral courage which is 
associated with straight hair; although many curly-haired people 
are strictly honest. There are many grades of integrity between 
common honesty and high moral courage—-between the determined 
perseverance and blunt and direct speech of the straight-haired 
individual and the agreeable, wavering, shifting, unstable methods 
of the wavy-haired, curly-haired being “who is all things by turn 
and nothing long.” 

STRAIGHT HAIR. 

The straightest and stiffest hair is found upon the heads of 
the North American Indians, and in them the osseous system is 
dominant. Their hair is of the coarsest quality, thus showing 
that their mental grade is not so high as that of the straight-haired 
Caucasian races; but they possess great perseverance and an 

* Lectures on Man, Carl Vogt, p. 128. 


1006 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


unflinching devotion to the principles of truth as laid down in 
their code of morals. The negro, on the contrary, is a slippery, 
uncertain, unreliable talker, and seems unable to fully comprehend 
any system of moral ethics, or to live up to the standard of morality 
held by the Caucasian and Indian races. 

Among the Caucasian races curly hair indicates a changeable 
character; often brilliant, vivacious, quick-tempered; usually pos¬ 
sessed of some form of imitative talent or ability; sometimes 
sunny, sometimes cloudy, like April weather. Curly hair is 
usually associated with considerable constitutional vigor (if the 
color of the skin, hair, and eyes is well defined), the circular form 
here, as elsewhere, denoting superior strength. 

Wavy hair signifies amiability, plausibility, and politic 
methods. Hair that lies in waves and graceful rings is found 
upon the heads of gentle, agreeable persons. Many talented 
people have this peculiarity. It is exhibited by many poets, 
painters, actors, and others of the muscular artistic classes, those 
fond of the arts of music, painting, poetry, etc. It denotes ten¬ 
derness of feeling, with more emotion than reason ; hence many 
poets, musicians, dancers, and singers exhibit this sort of hair. 

Men with wavy hair are gentle, refined, and often effeminate 
in their nature, and resemble their mother in their tastes and 
feelings. 

The hair of Byron, Keats, Mrs. Browning, Tlios. Moore, and 
Burns, poets, exhibits several varieties of wavy and curly hair; 
while among orators whose hair is waved or curled we find Ed¬ 
mund Burke, Patrick Henry, Mirabeau, and Wm. Wirt. 

Many great painters exhibit several varieties of curly hair, 
among them the following: Vandyck, Michael Angelo, Bubens, 
Titian, and Poussin. There are also many other painters who ex¬ 
hibit soft, silken waves and ringlets. 

The tighter and closer the hair curls, the more pronounced 
are the physiognomic meanings of the curve. The kinky frizzle 
of the negro discloses his tricky, “curly,” unreliable character; it 
reveals also his strong affections and amativeness, his love of mirth, 
music, and ease, while the long, loose ringlets of the Caucasian 
indicate an easy, yielding, sentimental, emotional nature, with 
aesthetic taste or talent. The tight, close ringlets reveal high 
temper and changeability of moods. The curl and ringlet are 
secondary juvenile signs, and are suitable to youthful heads. 
Nothing, in my estimation, shows- more vanity in woman than the 
wearing of long ringlets in advanced age. Waving hair is becom¬ 
ing to all ages, but long curls on a man’s head are the signs of the 
very acme of vanity. I have shown in the description of Appro- 


THE HAIR. 


1007 


bativeness that the majority of natural hairy appendages, such as 
the beard and moustache, are found upon the masculine sex, are 
secondary signs of vanity, so long curls or ringlets, when observed 
upon men, are the sure tokens of inordinate vanity and conceit. 
When a man is not contented with all that Nature and evolution 
have done for him in the wav of natural adornment, and with the 
assistance she has given him in hiding the defects of lip and chin, 
and he adopts the curls and ringlets which belong to the opposite 
sex, it may be set down as the crowning act of a vain mind desir¬ 
ing to centre upon himself the gaze of the multitude. Such men 
are always one-sided and desirous of public display. I have 
noticed this peculiarity in peripatetic venders of hair-dye and corn- 
salve, and in horse-jockeys, astrologers, and fortune-tellers. This 
showy mode of hair-dressing is adopted by these fellows to bolster 
up their already overweening self-confidence, and to call attention 
to their wares and nostrums. 

Kinglets on the heads of babes, children, and young ladies 
are beautiful and appropriate to their age, and denote youth and 
amiability, and in the latter possibly a spice of coquetry not at all 
unbecoming to them. All natural external appendages, as, for 
example, the hair, the beard, the finger-nails, and ears, have been 
regarded as ornamental members, and hence foster and cultivate 
the several phases of Approbativeness, ranging all the way from 
simple satisfaction in a neat arrangement and condition of these 
several appendages to conceit, vanity, and an offensive and taste¬ 
less manner of dressing and displaying their peculiarities of color, 
quality, quantity, and condition. Civilized races are not one whit 
behind savage peoples in the fantastic modes of dressing the hair, 
while dyeing the nails and wearing them long are customs among 
semi-civilized races. 

CAUSE AND CURE FOR BALDNESS. 

Baldness is almost altogether confined to the civilized races, 
and to the males more especially. There are several causes con¬ 
tributing to this phenomenon, the most influential of which is 
the frequent and short cutting of the hair. All orchardists are 
aware that if a shrub or tree is “topped” too short and too often 
it soon becomes permanently dwarfed or dies outright. The reason 
of this is that the sap does not have a sufficient length for circu¬ 
lation or capillary attraction, and hence the decay at the root. 
Now, the hair has not only a liquid which circulates through tubes 
its whole extent, but it has also a nervous connection which is in¬ 
jured by cutting it too short and too often. The next most active 
factor in the production of baldness in men is the too common 


1008 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


custom of wearing the hat indoors, as is observed in workshops, 
offices, stores, and in other places. Men practice these two habits 
most conducive to baldness, and then are unable to account for 
such depilatory result. Were it their object to bare the head, no 
better means than these could be desired. As long as these prac¬ 
tices are continued, common sense should teach that it is useless 
labor to endeavor to make the hair grow by means of nostrums, 
which only serve to increase the length of the bank-account of 
their manufacturers, but not the length of the hair of the user. 


THE BEARD. 



Like all the hairy appendages found upon the human body, 
the beard and its near relations, the hairs of the head, are strong 

physiognomical significa- 
tors. As the beard ap¬ 
pears only upon the face 
of man (with rare ex¬ 
ceptions), it stands in 
physiognomy for a prime 
sexual characteristic of 
the male sex. It is perti¬ 
nent to inquire how this 
peculiar hairy appendage 
lias come to be the dis¬ 
tinguishing sign of the 
male of the human" spe¬ 
cies, why it sometimes 
appears upon the female 
face, and what is its use 
and physiognomic sig- 

fig. 294 .—vital beard. nification in both the 

(Dwight l. moody.) male and the female 

countenance. 


Fortunately for the science of physiognomy, it has in this age 
the assistance offered by the investigations and discoveries made 
by these great giant naturalists, Haeckel, Darwin, Quatrefages, Carl 
Vogt, and others. From these sources I am able to give my 
readers some valuable information upon the subject of hair gener¬ 
ally, and of the beard in particular. Reference to the “ Evolution 
of the Hair,” in the preceding pages, will assist our comprehension 
of this most important branch of physiognomical knowledge. 
Comparisons of the hairy development of many of the lower 
animals with man.will prove that in this respect at least man 
more nearly resembles these classes than does woman; also that 



THE HAIR. 


1009 


certain characteristics which accompany this peculiarity, viz., Will 
and Amativeness, are more developed in the human male than in 
the female. The following extract from Darwin will be of interest 
in this connection, and will throw some light upon the significance 
of the beard:— 



With respect to the beard, says Darwin, if we turn to our best guide, 
viz., the Quadrumana, we find beards equally well developed in both sexes of 
many species, but in others either confined to the males or more developed 
in them than in the females. From this fact, and from the curious arrange¬ 
ment as well as the bright- colors of the hair about the heads of many 
monkeys, it is highly probable, as before explained, that the males first ac¬ 
quired their beards as an ornament through sexual selection, transmitting 
them, in most cases, in an equal or nearly equal degree to their offspring of 
both sexes. We know from Eschritt that with mankind the female as well 
as the male foetus is fur¬ 
nished with much hair on 
the face, especially around 
the mouth, and this indi¬ 
cates that we are descended 
from a progenitor of which 
both sexes were bearded. It 
appears, therefore, at first 
sight, probable that man has 
retained his beard from a 
very early period, while 
woman lost her beard at the 
same time, when her body 
became almost completely 
divested of hair. Even the 
color of the beard with man¬ 
kind seems to have been in¬ 
herited from an ape-like 
progenitor; for when there 
is any difference in tint be¬ 
tween the hair of the head 
and the beard, the latter is 
lighter colored in all monk¬ 
eys and in man. 


Fig. 295—VITAL MOUSTACHE. 

(Victor Emmanuel.) 

The beard, which is found upon the faces of the men of 
nearly all races, is a feature of great physiognomic significance, 
and accordingly reveals characteristics which are valuable to the 
physiognomist. Our first query in regard to this hirsute appendage 
must be as to its use; the next as to its meaning. The physiolog¬ 
ical uses of the heard upon the chin, cheeks, neck, and upper lip are 
doubtless for the protection of the lungs primarily. The over¬ 
hanging moustache upon the upper lip acts as a sieve 01 filtei, 
in that it prevents the dust, cold air, and other noxious substances 
from making their way into the lungs by way of the mouth as 
readily as they would were the upper lip destitute of hairs. 

04 



1010 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


The beard upon the chin and cheeks protects the throat from 
the inclemency of the weather, and where its growth is long 
and luxuriant it affords an outward defense for the throat and 
lungs. 

Long and full dark-colored beards are signs of vigor and 
strong constitution, the same as are heavy, dark eyebrows. They 
are secondary signs of longevity as well. A thick moustache and 
beard are of great service in certain trades in protecting the lungs 
from the clouds of dust and particles of various chemicals which 
are employed in many trades and professions. 

Now, it must be apparent that an appendage which serves so 
many useful purposes, and which is so pronounced a feature of the 
face (covering up nearly the lower third), and which is almost ex¬ 
clusively a masculine feature, must carry with it very great mental 
meaning. This meaning is not far to seek if we watch for a few 
moments only the habitual gestures of those whom Nature has 
endowed with a fine moustache or a long and luxuriant beard. 
The self-satisfaction expressed by the habitual and oft-repeated ca¬ 
ressing strokes which the owners of long, handsome beards give to 
this appendage unfolds at once the true inwardness of this feature 
and gesture. The constant brushing and twisting of a fine, long 
moustache points in the same direction as does the patting and ca¬ 
ressing given to the beard ; both these gestures denote Approbative- 
ness ; in some men they indicate great vanity. Instinctive or natural 
gestures are as full of meaning as any concrete form can possibly 
be, and all caressing movements, whether directed to one’s self or 
given to another, mean precisely the same thing, viz., commenda¬ 
tion or satisfaction. We pat children on the head when we wish 
to show our satisfaction in them or to commend their conduct, and 
men with a long beard and fine moustache constantly rub, pat, 
fondle, smooth, and caress their hairy ornaments, and doubtless 
think themselves the cynosure of all the feminine eyes in their 
immediate neighborhood, as well as the particularly envied of their 
own sex. 

Darwin has gone into the analysis and meaning of sexual 
characters in the male, extending through the entire animal spe¬ 
cies. In this endeavor he shows that the males of all the animal 
kingdom (with very few exceptions) possess superior external or¬ 
namental appendages, which are used for the purpose of charming 
the opposite sex. In this analysis is clearly proven the position I 
take upon the subject of external ornamental appendages, and it 
is this, viz., that they develop a certain degree of vanity or Appro- 
bativeness, which I hold is greater in man than in woman gen¬ 
erally. (See page 383.) Woman, in order to attract the attention 


THE HAIR. 


1011 


of the opposite sex, endeavors either to improve her bodily form 
according to the standard of beauty held by the men of her race, or 
to improve her mind and disposition, or she seeks to fascinate by a 
masculine expedient, viz., by external ornamentation, by clothing 
so fashioned as to enhance her charms, and thus to attract the atten¬ 
tion of men to her personal appearance. In this attempt on the 
part of woman to increase her beauty a species of vanity is de¬ 
veloped, but, as it proceeds from ornaments which do not grow 
upon the body, the degree of this passion is much less in woman 
than in man, for his vanity is radical , is inborn , and not put on 
and off with his clothes, but stays “put” for all time. The su¬ 
preme satisfaction with which a young man with an infant mous¬ 
tache regards both it and his successes with the opposite sex is 
proof positive of my theory on this subject. It is to be noted that 
his faith in his attempts at fascination increases in proportion as 
his moustache thickens. 

Of the significance of external ornaments in the male, Dar¬ 
win remarks thus:— 

Ornaments of all kinds, whether permanently or temporarily gained, 
are sedulously displayed by the males, and apparently seem to excite or 
attract or charm the females; but the males will sometimes display their or¬ 
naments when not in the presence of females, as occasionally occurs with 
grouse at their balz places, and, as may be noticed, with the peacock; 
this latter bird, however, evidently wishes for a spectator of some kind, and 
will show off his finery, as I have often seen, before poultry, or even pigs. 
All naturalists who have attended to the habits of birds, whether in a state 
of nature or under confinement, are unanimously of the opinion that the 
males delight to display their beauty.* 

Let the reader pay attention to a long-bearded man standing 
before the glass when he is assured that he is not observed, and he 
will soon become convinced that the highest representative of the 
male sex does not require the stimulating effect even of a pig’s 
presence to incite him to display and fondle his beard. 

A full exposition of the scope and action of the faculty of 
Approbativeness is to be found in the preceding chapter under the 
head of “ Approbativeness.” 

Along with every separate and single feature, which is either 
a source of youth or beauty, Nature has attached a feeling of self- 
satisfaction in its possession, and, as a beautiful woman exults in 
her loveliness of face, form, color, or mind, so a man who possesses 
a fine, luxuriant, richly-colored beard glories in this sign of mas¬ 
culine beauty and vigor. When we come to the external append¬ 
ages, we enter a field of subtle meanings, and especially is this 

* Descent of Man, Darwin, vol. ii, chap, xiii, p. 82. 


1012 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


the case when these appearances are pronounced sexual character¬ 
istics. Now, the beard has come to be almost exclusively a mascu¬ 
line feature, yet many females are observed with a slight moustache, 
and less frequently we observe a tendency to hirsute development 
upon the chin and cheeks of women of European extraction prin¬ 
cipally. I think this phenomenon is most frequently met with in the 
Celtic and Celt-Iberian races. In these subjects it is the sign of 
great constitutional vigor, and whenever these appendages are very 
greatly developed an approach to masculine traits of mind may be 
discovered in a decided development of Will and Amativeness. 

In some notable examples a masculine intellect has been asso¬ 
ciated with this hirsute ornament. Many historical beauties have 
sported an incipient moustache, which has not at all detracted from 
their beauty. It is only when the hairy adornment is excessive 
and the features coarse that a slight moustache detracts from the 
feminine appearance of woman. 

The only way we can account for the presence of the beard 
in woman is to refer to a common origin which Evolution shows 
it to have had. It became a secondary masculine character 
through the law of “Natural Selection,” so ably elaborated by 
Darwin in his “Descent of Man,” reference to which the reader 
will find in the “Evolution of the Hair” which precedes these 
pages. 

The uses of the beard in covering up the exposed parts of 
man’s face are not all physiological. If the beard serves to create 
undue vanity in man, Nature makes him a grand compensation 
for this weakness. She very kindly enables him to hide and con¬ 
ceal any weakness or defect in his domestic or moral nature which 
a weak lower third of the face would disclose were it destitute of 
hair. 

The beard is, in short, a sort of masked battery, behind which 
a man of weak principles or deficient domesticity may hide, and 
from this covert gaze understanding^ upon the open face of an 
unsuspecting female and bear her off upon the high sea of matri¬ 
mony without her being at all aware of his true character; and 
herein, again, we see the manner in which Dame Nature favors the 
“brave” though weak male creature. Let us take a little “ac¬ 
count of stock,” and sum up the number of signs of character that 
are hidden from the gaze of the world by the moustache. In the 
first place it conceals the size of the upper lip, thus covering Self¬ 
esteem, Modesty, Amativeness, Love of Young, and Mirthfulness. 
The side-whiskers hide several of the signs of Digestion, Appro- 
bativeness, Hospitality, and Friendship; while the beard upon the 
lower cheeks and chin prevents all knowledge of the amount of 


THE HAIR. 


1013 


development of Firmness, Conscientiousness, Economy, Love of 
Home, Patriotism, Bibativeness, and Alimentiveness, and one sign 
of Secretiveness, viz., small size of the mouth. 

With all the natural advantages for concealment which man 
possesses, it is a little far-fetched for him to accuse woman of being 
“sly” and “vain” because she takes an aesthetic pleasure in fine 
raiment (which, after all, is intended to please his own sensuous 
tastes), or because she uses her ingenuity to discover the character 
of this bewhiskered sphinx. 

Now, I submit that it should be the prerogative of every 
woman to demand and have an examination of the lower third of 
the face of all male candidates for matrimony before giving the 
final answer. Nature, in being kind to man in respect to providing 
him with a beard, has been equally unkind to woman in giving 
him this perfect contrivance for concealment of that portion of the 
face which alone reveals the moral and domestic traits, those traits 
upon the normal development of which all marital happiness de¬ 
pends. Truly, the “ways of Providence are past finding out,” but 
to hear the average man discuss woman’s ways and characteristics 
one would think that this open-faced being was the most inscruta¬ 
ble and impenetrable of all Nature’s works. 

The physiognomic meanings of the several varieties of the 
beard are revealed by the application of the general principles of 
form, color, and texture governing the hair. In almost all cases 
the beard and moustache is lighter than is the hair. No natural¬ 
ist has, so far as I am aware, accounted for this discrepancy. It is 
probable that there are pathological changes which produce these 
variations of color, but as they are not pertinent to our investiga¬ 
tion we will proceed to the discussion of the texture of the beard. 
This peculiarity is common to some of the ape tribes. 

THE TEXTURE OF THE BEARD. 

A coarse, straight, and stiff beard is associated with a coarse, 
stupid, obstinate, or brutal character. If it be a dark-brown color 
the character is more intense than if it be lighter. 

A fine and straight beard betokens more refinement than the 
former, and more integrity, and if it be dark and luxuriant it 
shows energy and vigorous physical powers. A coarse , red beard 
denotes strong animal passions, with only ordinary mental capacity, 
but if it be fine as well as red it indicates ardor, ambition, refine¬ 
ment, and physical vigor. 

A fine beard of light-yellow or red color shows much less 
mental vigor than those which are darker of the same texture, yet 
indicates a refined disposition, but not so much physical power as 


1014 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


those that are dark and curly. A thin, straggling beard, like thin 
hair, denotes feeble vital powers. 

A fine, thick, glossy, dark-brown, curly beard denotes a strong 
constitution, and is usually associated with a fine devolopment of 
the muscular system; this, then, would signify propensity for art 
in some one of its many forms; other signs would show to which 
department the mind would turn. 

Beards which form long curls belong to the most vigorous 
men. The ancient Greek sculptors carved upon some of the busts 
of Zeus, or Jupiter, a long and beautiful ringleted beard, showing 
that they regarded this style of beard as an evidence of virile 
power. 

Large, round, flat curls also adorned the head of Zeus, of 
which the poet says:— 

“Above liis deathless head, 

The Ambrosian curls flowed.” 

Mars, the God of War, is also represented with close-curling 
locks and beard. Hermes, and the Farnese Herakles, the Laokoon 
and Aphrodite all exhibit waves, curls, or ringlets, and all of these 
were in harmony with the excess of muscular power which these 
several characters reveal in their contours. The ancient Hebrews 
were noted for their longevity and virility, as well as for long 
beards; this appendage was held in great reverence by them, so 
much so that their most sacred and binding oaths were taken upon 
their beards, which were so long that in many instances they 
trailed upon the ground. Johan, a German painter, had a beard 
so long that it trailed upon the ground, and he was obliged to tuck 
it into his girdle in order to walk freely. The fashion of wearing 
the beard changes from age to age; sometimes it is worn by a 
sovereign to conceal a defective lip, chin, or cheek; it is then 
adopted by his courtiers and followers. At times a tax has been 
levied upon the beard. Peter the Great imposed one upon the 
Russians, and once in England a tax was levied upon this 
appendage. 

The portraits of many men celebrated for their great age 
disclose a fine, long, curly beard, as well as curling hair. Thomas 
Parr, who died in England in the sixteenth century, aged one 
hundred and fifty-two years, wore a long and handsome curly 
moustache and beard, one of the most beautiful that I have ever 
seen; his hair was wavy and long, descending in rings until it met 
the beard. The picture painted of him by Rubens shows him as 
a very handsome man. Henry Jenkins, another Englishman, 
noted for his longevity (having attained the great age of one hun- 


1015 


THE EAR. 

dred and sixty-nine years), had a long, thick, waving beard. In 
both these men the muscular was one of the dominant systems. 

The beard does not present as many variations of color as the 
hair. We never see a golden beard, nor the various shades of light 
yellow observed upon the head. Gray beards are common, as well 
as pure-white beards, and these usually betoken age. A full, 
flowing, white beard, nicely kept, is a very great addition to the face, 
and serves to soften the features and give them a more youthful 
appearance. 

The physiognomic lessons learned from an analysis of the 
beard are most useful, and show how certain facial features have 
become secondary sexual characters through the operation of the 
law of natural selection. It also shows the physiological use 
and the physiognomical significance of this masculine ornamental 
appendage. 

Reversions to original types have been witnessed in the persons 
of several “bearded women” who have been exhibited in various 
countries; along with these beards these women have inherited 
certain masculine traits and masculine vigor. These instances are 
excellent proofs of Mr. Darwin’s theories of “secondary sexual 
characters,” proving also that faculty and function are always 
associated, and have always a facial representation. 

The Ear. 

The ear is the organ of sound, and as such it is rational to 
infer that its form, size, color, and texture would bear relation to 
its use, and reveal its individual powers and peculiarities. As it is 
the only organ devoted to the reception of tone, or sound, we 
must rely entirely upon it for our knowledge of the aural qualities 
of the individual. 

The ear develops pari passu with the general refinement of 
the body, hence the ears come to be indicative of other conditions 
of mental progress than that of Sound merely; this will be made 
apparent as we proceed in our analysis and description of this very 
beautiful and complex organ. The external ear is of a muscular 
or cartilaginous nature, and the internal ear is mainly of the same 
soft tissues assisted by nerves, fluid, and a chain of three small 
bones, yet the softer tissues of muscle and fluid predominate in its 
construction. 

The evolution of the ear is one of the most interesting pro¬ 
cesses in Nature, whether we follow its course as pursued in its 
development in the human embryo, or whether we trace its rise 
and progress from the fish up to man. To attempt either of these 


1016 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


methods would take up too much of my space, and I leave this 
most interesting branch of knowledge and proceed directly to the 
description of the external ear, together with its physiognomic 
significations. 

The shape, size, and peculiarities of the ear have attracted 
but little attention from observers generally. While many have 
remarked the several features of the face, but few have paid atten¬ 
tion to the contour of the ears; only when an ear has presented 
some very marked peculiarity of size or form, or has exhibited a 
deformity, has it attracted the close scrutiny of people generally; 
and even then the meaning of either the normal or abnormal ear 
has not been thought of. In short, in modern times the ear has 
been regarded as a feature of minor importance, hence the masses 
have manifested but little desire to comprehend its signification. 
The sciences of evolution and embryology followed its method of 
development, but have given no clue as to its meaning. Scientific 
physiognomy now, for the first time, shows its high significance as 
a revelator of character, and also discloses to which system of 
functions each of its divisions belongs. 

The law of the curve is the law which governs the structure 
of the ear both without and within. The figure (296) of the 
internal ear gives the reader an idea of the influence of the curve 
in the formation of the internal parts of the ear. It also shows 
the curvilinear structure of the external ear. As the curve is the 
normal factor of form for the ear, all departures from this form 
would point to defects in the aural organization. Accordingly, 
angular or pointed ears would betray lack of aural power in some 
direction. Now, as all musical and spoken sounds are based upon 
the curve, it would follow logically that an ear which was angular 
or pointed in its outline would not receive musical or spoken sounds 
with the same degree of accuracy as those ears that are normally 
formed; this we find upon observation to be the case, for those 
with abnormal forms of the external ear are not so apt in the art 
of music nor as good linguists as those whose ears are more nor¬ 
mal in form. This peculiarity has been noticed by Willis. I have 
no doubt that a comparison of the inner structure of the ear in 
those whose outer ear is defective in form would be found as defi¬ 
cient as the outer ear. Of course this could be ascertained only 
by dissections. As the ear is exclusively for the function of hear¬ 
ing, we must therefore conclude that Nature has provided it with 
the mechanism necessary to judge of the pitch, intensity, and quality 
of musical and other sounds. That this is really the case has been 
proven by the investigations of anatomists, who have localized the 
several parts of the internal ear engaged in the judgment of the 


THE EAR. 


1017 


several conditions of sound. Scientific physiognomy teaches the 
use of the different parts of the external ear in receiving sound, 
and at the same time interprets the meaning of its several forms, 
sizes, textures, colors, etc. For much useful information on the 
subject of spoken and musical sounds the reader is referred to the 
faculty of “Music” in the preceding chapter. 

To the observant physiognomist the ear reveals a world of 
meaning. If he understand the basic laws of Form, the shape 
of the ear alone will unfold to him a marvelous amount of knowl¬ 
edge; after he has observed this most striking detail, the size, 
texture, color, and elaboration of the convolutions will arrest his 
attention. After these have been scrutinized, the manner in which 
it is placed upon the head will certainly interest him, and as he 
reflects that this is the organ for the reception of sound , vocal as 
well as other sounds, he will naturally give great attention to the 
accompanying mouth, lips, nose, and cheeks, as these are the 
features which assist in the production of both spoken and musical 
sounds. 

The basic laws of Form tell us that curvilinear form denotes 
the capacity for motion, and as sound is a mode of motion, and as 
it is transmitted in wave-like forms through the air to the ear,— 
itself a curved organ, both within and without,—we must hence 
deduce the fact that the shape of the ear is indicative of the 
capacity of the individual to receive and judge of sounds. The 
phrenological idea that the “organ” of tune is exhibited by a bony 
protuberance on the forehead is evidently fallacious, as all parts of 
the organism engaged in the production and reception of tone or 
sound are in the muscular or cartilaginous system; hence a bony 
elevation on the forehead could not reveal musical capacity. This 
phrenological mistake arose probably from the fact that most 
musical people possess round bones as well as round muscles, hence 
this part of the forehead in such subjects would naturally exhibit 
a rounded contour, and, as this was so general in this class of per¬ 
sons, the phrenologists fell into the mistake of localizing the cere¬ 
bral sign of “Tune” at this point. Again, the most musical 
people possess a great share of Constructiveness, and, as this faculty 
inheres in the muscular system, it naturally curves the lateral por¬ 
tions of the forehead where the “organ” of Constructiveness is 
said by phrenologists to be situated. Their system demanded that 
the brain should carry the entire burden of mind, therefore they 
refrained from seeking for signs of character elsewhere; hence the 
phrenological “organ” for Tune is said by Fowler to be 

Very difficult to find except in the heads of children, in whom it is 
generally larger than in adults and easily and accurately observable. Tune 



1018 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


is located in the lateral and lower part of the forehead, over Calculation 
externally from Time, and three-fourths of an inch above and slightly ex¬ 
ternal to Order, and when large fills out the lower frontal portions of the 
temples. Still, being located in a kind of a corner where large perceptions 
crowd it outwardly, large Constructiveness forward, large Ideality and 
Mirthfulness downward, and the temporal muscle passing over it, its posi¬ 
tion varies somewhat, which renders observation more difficult except in 
the heads of children.* 

The so-called “organ of Tune,” which phrenology declares to 
be brain-substance elevated so as to form a bump or protuberance 
upon the outer surface of the forehead, is caused by rounded bones 
and rounded muscles, which are characteristic of many great musi¬ 
cians and composers, and, as the foreheads of children are more 
rounded than later in life, the mistake of saying that this “organ” 
could be easier discerned in children than in adults was made by 
Mr. Fowler. 

Physiognomy is not confined to so small and uncertain a space 
for signs of the musical faculty, but points to the form of every 
feature of the face, and shows that broad and rounded ears, with a 
large and rounded lobe, are the unfailing signs of musical or lin¬ 
guistic capacity, and it also proves that a round head, round body, 
rounding limbs and fingers, as well as arched eyebrows, round 
nose, oval chin, and curved jaws, are also signs of the musical 
mind. With all these signs to assist us in finding the signs of 
musical taste or talent, the physiognomist is not driven to the 
necessity of searching for the one little, uncertain-to-find “ organ ” 
which is located sometimes “three-fourths of an inch above and 
slightly external to Order.” 

THE SIGNIFICATIONS OF THE FORMS OF THE EAR. 

The form of the ear is much more perfectly rounded in those 
in whom the muscular and vegetative systems are supreme than in 
those who are dominated by the osseous system, for the reason 
that muscle and fat always tend to curvilinear formations; hence, 
when we observe the very rounded ear we recognize a character 
in which motion as well as emotion is most decided. The curvi¬ 
linear form of the ear gives us the assurance of the presence of 
art capacities of some sort and of domestic tastes, of Amative¬ 
ness, Love of Young, Mirthfulness, and other primitive traits, 
and also shows (if it be of fine texture) a sympathetic and mag¬ 
netic nature. 

In those in whom the osseous is the dominant or one of the 
dominant systems, the ear (if it be rounding) may have great 
capacity for the judgment of musical and other sounds, yet" it is 

* Human Science, O. S. Fowler, p. 1072. 


THE EAR. 


1019 


never accompanied with a bodily mechanism so well suited to sing¬ 
ing or playing music as where the muscles dominate the bones. 
It never discloses as much talent for music as the muscular 
structure. 

The ears of osseous individuals are never so round as are 
those of muscular subjects. They incline to length and relative 
narrowness. 

The ear of each singer and orator is different from that of 
every other one; moreover, the ears on the two sides of the head 
are, in most subjects, as diverse in form, size, and elaboration as 
though they belonged to two entirely different characters. 

Anthropologists have formulated a law to the effect that the 
right side of the body represents the male ancestry and the left 
side the female ancestral types. If this be a law, then the right 
ear of musical subjects would indicate that the musical inherit¬ 
ance came from the father or his family, and the left ear would 
reveal the musical capacities of the mother or her family. My 
own observations corroborate this proposition. By comparison 
of the bilateral symmetry of the face and ears students will find a 
large amount of ancestral and hereditary knowledge of the subjects 
under observation. Other physiognomists have noted this resem¬ 
blance of the ears to parental and ancestral types. 

In order to comprehend the full significance of the ear we 
must apply to it the basic laws of Form, just as we do to all 
other features. This necessitates an analysis of the material of 
which it is composed, as well as observation of its form, size, color, 
texture, and position. An organ which presents such elaborate 
structure without and such complex mechanism within must 
surely be of great use and carry with it many meanings, notwith¬ 
standing the opinions to the contrary expressed by several eminent 
naturalists, viz., that it is a rudimentary and an unnecessary ap¬ 
pendage. 

The ancient Greek sculptors took great pains in the molding 
of the ears of their statues; the perfect individuality of these ears, 
as I have observed in copies of their greatest masterpieces, is in 
harmony with the rest of the body upon which they are placed; 
and when they modeled the bust of a real character the ears were 
marvels of elaboration, and quite homogeneous with the head 
upon which they were carved. Modern sculptors and painters 
rarely give such precise treatment to the ears of the subjects which 
they imitate or create. 

The ears of the highest types of the Caucasian race, compared 
to those of the lowest races, present many striking differences. 
These organs, upon close scrutiny, will be found to present as many 


1020 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


differences and peculiarities of structure as the facial features of 
these several races. 

There are very many grades of the size of the ear, running 
from the small, delicate pink ear, resembling a sea-shell, to the 
great, coarse, unelaborate, flapping, pig-like ear of the coarse 
peasant. 

Very large ears belong to persons of large frame, and if their 
bodies are round as well as tall the ear will denote the presence 
of the musical taste as well as of commercial capacity. Where 
the subject is tall and square-built and the ear very large, the 
commercial capacity will lead the musical. 

The ears of all the great financiers and successful merchants, 
railroad magnates, etc., are very large, being both long and broad. 
When such ears are found upon large men who possess a good 
quality, they denote a spirit of comprehensive commercialism, a 
talent for money-making, or if—as in the case of Jay Gould—the 
body is relatively small, and the organism of fine quality, with a 
great deal of color, the commercial instinct is powerful. His ears 
were quite large, as are all of the so-called “ Wall-Street magnates.’’ 
For example, the ears of W. H. Vanderbilt, Russel Sage, Sidney 
Dillon, Matthew Vassal*, and other bankers and brokers. In all 
of these men many other signs of the faculty of Acquisitiveness are 
present, as, for example, wide jaws, broad head, capacious chest, 
and large abdomen. The ears are, of course, on the same large 
scale, thus proving the harmony of structure,—a circumstance of 
much advantage to the physiognomist in discerning signs of 
character. 

Physiognomists who are concerned with the meanings of 
external features have attended more closely to the use and signifi¬ 
cance of the ear, among them Professor Willis and Dr. Cross. The 
latter had very extended views of the use of the external ear to 
man, both as to its importance as an assistant to accurate and keen 
audition, and as an indicator of the character and condition of the 
internal aural mechanism. Says Dr. Cross:— • 

This curious structure may, perhaps, become a rich mine of posthumous 
physiognomy, by which the hidden treasures of the mind may be brought 
to view, when the ear shall be deaf to its own praise. 

This quotation is pregnant with meaning. The ear which 
is round and thin is more sensitive to sound than one which is 
round and thick. The ears of most eminent singers and orators 
disclose a fine texture, showing that the skin is fine and thin; 
hence, sensitiveness to sound is present. The ears of thorough-bred 

* An Attempt to Establish Physiognomy on Scientific Principles, J. Cross, M.D., p. 235. 


THE EAR. 


1021 


horses are so finely organized that one may clearly perceive the 
delicate tracery of the veins through the skin, while the ears of 
horses of common stock do not present this appearance. 

THE POSITION OF THE EAR. 

The manner in which the ear is placed upon the head varies 
greatly in individuals. In muscular people the top of the ear is 
not usually as high above the outer angle of the eye as with bony 
people; and those with the vegetative system dominant have the 
ear still lower than the muscular individual. 

Again, some ears are flat and placed closely against the side 
of the head, while others stand out slightly, and others still project 
far out, as is observed in many musicians, singers, physicians, and 
mechanicians. 

In some musical subjects the larger part of the ear rises above 
the concha, or bell; in others it is about evenly divided, as, for ex¬ 
ample, in singers the lobe is long, and this brings the bell of the 
ear about midway of the entire organ. 

The ear, by its position, bears relation to the general structure 
of the head and body, and the ear always shows individual pecu¬ 
liarities that are in harmony with the structure of the subject, both 
as regards size, form, texture, and color. 

DEFECTIVE POSITIONS. 

Ears which set back flat against tbe sides of the head are not 
so well adapted to catching sound, either musical or spoken, as 
those which stand well out and forward. The ears of good musi¬ 
cians and singers set well out and forward. For illustration of 
this look at the ears of Josef Hoffman, violinist; R. Joseffy, pi¬ 
anist; Theodore Thomas, orchestral conductor; P. S. Gilmore, 
conductor; Carl Rosa, violinist; Albani and Valleria, singers; also 
all musicians. Professor Willis has noted this peculiarity. 

The ears of all the famous orators stand well out, as do those 
of the best elocutionists. Nature places the ears in a position to 
assist the vocal powers. Those who fail to catch easily the pro¬ 
nunciation of new or difficult words or sounds have not as great 
facility and flexibility of the vocal organs as have those who are 
better endowed in this respect. The ear and voice are nearly 
always in accord, although it sometimes occurs that one possesses 
a rich quality of voice with but little ear to guide it; but this dis¬ 
crepancy can be often overcome by training. Some persons have 
such difficulty in pronouncing long words, or words which they 
have not been familiar with, that they adopt all sorts of expedients 
to avoid the use of them. One gentleman told me that after hearing 


1022 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


the word “bonanza” pronounced for two years he felt a hesitancy 
in attempting its pronunciation. There are as great variations 
and differences in the speaking and singing capacity as there are 
in the features of individuals. This would arise from differences 
of structure, both of the vocal organs and of the ear. The phys¬ 
iognomic differences of the mouth, lips, cheeks, ear, and nose, 
prove this to be the case, for it is to these features we must look 
for our knowledge of individual powers in the direction of vocality. 

Physicians and surgeons require a very delicate ear for sound 
in order to detect, in the beating of the heart and the movements 
of the lungs, any abnormal variations in these organs. Linguists 
must also possess a keen ear for sound, else they will fail to detect 
the delicate shades of language so essential to perfect pronuncia¬ 
tion. Telegraphers, electricians, and other mechanicians require 
most accurate hearing, and those who have the best hearing are 
the best adapted to these professions. Many persons hear what is 
said, but are not strongly impressed with its true import, just as 
some persons look at objects and fail to grasp all the details of 
form, size, color, quality, etc. The more perfectly the ear and eye 
are organized, the more accurate will be their operation. 

Parents often fasten back against the head the projecting ears 
of their children; this is an unwarranted interference with Nature’s 
ordinance; this thoughtless act deprives the child of much of its 
aural power, and such foolish action may lead to such impairment 
of the sense of hearing as to place the child’s life in jeopardy, or 
unfit him for many trades and professions which require very acute 
hearing. It would be far more sensible on the part of parents to 
set the ears of the child outward and forward slightly, for this is 
the method pursued by aged people to assist them in hearing, after 
their natural hearing has failed. 

THE EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL EAR. 

The anatomical components of both the internal and external 
ears are mainly of the softer tissues, although bone enters slightly 
into the structure of the former. The internal ear is of a most 
complex structure, and its mechanism very curious and elaborate. 
Like the outer ear, it is divided into three parts, viz., the tube, 
termed the external auditory meatus, the tympanic membrane, and 
the labyrinth, or internal ear. Fig. 296 shows the several parts 
of the internal mechanism, also the nature of the several con¬ 
stituent tissues. The amputation of the entire auricle, or ear-shell, 
would not destroy the power for audition, yet it would materially 
impair its keenness , as any one may prove by simply holding the 
ear-shell well back against the head while speaking, or while 


THE EAR. 


1023 


\ 


another is speaking, or by endeavoring to catch distant sounds. In 
the face of this easily-acquired knowledge, I am surprised at the 
declarations of both Darwin and Haeckel to the effect that “ampu¬ 
tation of the external ear would not at all affect the hearing.” 

I must beg leave to differ with both these eminent men, whose 
writings have been in the main highly beneficial to me. It only 



1. The external ear, including the cartilages and 

meatus externus. 

2. The middle ear, consisting of the middle ear 

and its appendages. 

3. The internal ear, or the labyrinth. 

4. The pinna. 

5. The helix. 

6. The antihelix. 

7. The fossa navicularis. 

8. The fossa innominata. 

9. The tragus. 

10. The anti tragus. 

11. The concha. 

12. The lobe. 

13. The meatus auditorius externus. 

14. The tympanic membrane. 

15. The promontory. 


16. The foramen rotundum. 

17. The posterior wall of the tympanum. 

18. The ossicula auditus, four small bones within 

the cavity of the tympanum, namely, the 
incus, malleus, or orbiculare, and the 
stapes. 

19. The Eustachian tube. 

20. A narrow canal, containing the tensor tym- 

pani muscle. 

21. The vestibule. 

22. The thx-ee semicircular canals, viz., the supe¬ 

rior, posterior, and horizontal. 

23. The ampullae. 

24. The cochlea. 

25. The prominence caused by the scala vestibuli. 

26. The scala tympani. 


shows that to this circumstance they had not given the attention 
necessary to prove the truth of their statement. Says Professor 
Haeckel:— 


Men witli the ears cut off can hear as well as they did before. The 
conveyance of sound is not affected by the loss of the ear-sliell. 


This statement can be disproved by holding the ears flat 
against the head while conversing. 









1024 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


THE THREE DIVISIONS OF THE EAR. 


Pliysiognomically I divide the ear into three parts: (1) the 
lobule; (2) the concha, or bell; (3) the helix, or rounded top. 
Each of these divisions represents one of the three primitive sys¬ 
tems of the organism, viz., the Vegetative, the Thoracic, and the 
Muscular. The lower third is indicative of, and belongs to, and 
reveals the development of the Vegetative system; the middle por¬ 
tion, or bell, to the Thoracic system ; and the rounded upper portion 
to the Muscular system. The convolutions are indicative of general 
mental development and refinement. The proof of the correctness 
of the character of these three divisions is found in the correspond¬ 
ence which each of these parts of the ear bears to the related sys¬ 
tems of the body. The pendent lobule at the lower extremity of 
the ear is most developed in those singers who possess the largest 

amount of the vegetative system, as is 
observed in the ears of Madame Parepa 
Posa, Miss Annie Louise Cary, Albani, 
Mad. Sainton-Dolby, Mdlle. Aimee, and 
Marie Geistinger, while it is much smaller 
in size in those in whom the vegetative 



system is less developed. The middle 
portion of the ear, which includes the 
concha, or bell, is broadest as well as 
deepest in those who possess the best 
thoracic development, while the upper 
portion is best developed as to roundness 
and width where the round muscles are 
best defined. The convolutions of the ear 
are more complex, more numerous, and more delicately traced 
when the character is well developed in directions other than 
vocal or musical; hence, it follows that an ear well developed in 
all its departments is indicative of fine character of several sorts. 


Fig. 297.—THREE DIVISIONS 
OF THE EAR. 


The depth of the concha , or bell of the ear, is a great assistant in 
judging of the quality of musical or vocal tones. When this is 
superficial, the hearing of such tones is not as distinct and the 
judgment of sounds of all sorts is not as accurate as when it 
presents great depth and width. 

The concha, or bell, should present vertical depth, horizontal 
width, and perpendicular breadth to have it of the highest efficiency 
in judging of musical sounds. The ear-bell of Master Solomon 
(Fig. 304) is one of the best illustrations of musical judgment 
that I have ever seen. This lad is a phenomenal singer, a com¬ 
poser, and an excellent instrumentalist as well. Nature never 







THE EAR. 


1025 


created such an ear without associating with it a suitable vocal 
apparatus for the expression of musical sounds. The ears of 
many great orators and actors exhibit a bell both broad and deep; 
look, for example, at the ears of Robert G. Ingersoll, Wendell Phil¬ 
lips, Gambetta, Henry Irving, Theodore Thomas, Edwin Booth, and 
Mdlle. Modjeska, and they will be found to exhibit a large devel¬ 
opment of the concha, as well as of other parts of the ear essential 
to the judgment of vocal sounds. The width and roundness of 
the upper part of the ear are also great aids in judging of musical 
sounds, for when this portion is widely expanded and well set out 
from the head, and well rounded, and the helix well curved inward, 
forming an unbroken rim, the judgment of musical and spoken 
sounds is of the best, provided that the quality is fine (Willis). 
The size and thickness of the lobe seem not to have any special 
influence upon sound. I regard it as being simply the indicator 
of the presence of a large degree of the vegetative system, and 
thus largely developed in accordance with that law of homogeneity 
which makes every organ , every part , and every feature indicative 
in some degree of the whole system. The external ear is composed 
of nerves, veins, muscle, cartilage, and adipose tissue, and the 
lobule, 44 which is composed mainly of the soft fold of integument, 
contains only cellular and adipose tissue, possesses but little organ¬ 
ization.” * 

The anatomical structure thus shows the lobule to be the in¬ 
dicator of the vegetative system. The presence of a large degree 
of this system, combined with a fine quality of muscle, in a singer 
gives softness, mellowness, and a sympathetic magnetism to the 
tones of the voice, as the musical performances of the before- 
mentioned singers and actors will testify. 

THE COLOR OF THE EAR. 

Very great differences of color of the ear are observed. Some 
ears are bright red, and the blood seems ready to burst through; 
while others are white and transparent and almost bloodless; 
others, again, are of a delicate pinkish hue. 

All of these several grades of color present distinct meanings. 
The very red shows an active degree of the aural capacity; the 
very white and thin indicate that the hearing is not as powerful 
nor as acute in its quality as the ear that is well filled with blood, 
for a fine circulation of normal-colored blood in any part denotes 
activity of that part, while a bloodless condition betokens an en¬ 
feebled state. The subject of color, in connection with the ear, 


* Practical Anatomy, R. Harrison, M.D., p. 539. 

G5 


1026 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

must be considered as having the same relation to this feature as 
to all others—giving strength, tone, and beauty. 

THE FORMS OF THE EAR. 

The general forms of the ear disclose not only the aural, 
musical, and linguistic capacities, but they also point to other 
characteristics. 

The ear may be divided into several classes; of these the 
musical, the unmusical, the linguistic, the oratorical, the commer¬ 
cial, the refined, the coarse or unrefined, the timid, and the coura¬ 
geous are the principal types. The ears of these several classes 
are easily known after their peculiarities of structure are once 
observed. 

THE MUSICAL EAR. 

This ear has been well described in the preceding chapter, in 
the section devoted to the faculty of “ Music.” It has been de¬ 
scribed by several physiognomists. Lavater gives the least precise 
description of the ear, although he speaks of the “musical ear,” 
while Willis describes its peculiarities as follows:— 

The rounded, well-formed ear, that sets forward and outward, instead 
of being flat on the side of the head, is a pretty good sign of musical taste 
if not of talent. The peculiarity of the musical ear is the thin rim which 
is hollowed out at the edge like the rim of a saucer.* 

The rim of the ear of musicians is a remarkable object; if the 
student will observe any number of them he will find that all have 
this “rim” perfect in its outline around the top, and continuing in 
an unbroken line to the lobe, or very near to it. The rounding 
form and unbroken rim are not all the factors required in order to 
constitute a musical ear; there must be quality of a high order, 
the skin must be thin and fine, and the hell deep and broad, and 
possess great vertical depth . Delicacy of structure is another 
supreme factor in a musical ear, for a thin muscular ear is more 
sensitive than a thick one. Says Dr. Cross:— 

The more the external ear is cartilaginous and elastic, the better are 
the auditory rays conducted to the tympanum and the keener are the sen¬ 
timental feelings. 

It is not at all essential that there should be very great 
elaboration of the fossa innominata and the fossa navicularis in 
order to constitute a good musical ear. The elaboration or 
fluting of this part of the ear denotes a general development 
of the mind, and is not essential to the reception of musical 

* Illustrated Physiognomy, A. E. Willis, p. 27. 


THE EAR. 


1027 



Fig. 298.— Patti. 


Fig. 299.— Gekster. 




Fig. 302—Capoul. 


Fig. 300.—Lucca. 


Fig. 301.—Sembrick. 




Fig. 303.—Annie Louise Cary. 


Fig. 304.—Master Solomon. 


Fig. 305.—Passmore. 



Fig. 306.—Master Gibson. 


Fig. 307—Campaninl 




SEVERAL FORMS OF MUSICAL EARS 







1028 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


tone and do not assist it, as is proven by the ear of Patti, which 
presents a perfectly unelaborate surface of the fossae (Pig. 298). 
Patti’s ear shows that she is more musical than mental, and this 
accounts for her phenomenal voice and its long-continued power, 
no other singer having ever retained her wonderful vocal powers 
to such advanced age. To sum up the peculiarities of a musical 
ear we find that rounding form, fine quality, a deep bell, and a 
perfectly formed rim are its essential concomitants, and to this may 
be added the fact that the ears of all active singers and musicians 
exhibit a good pink or red color, thus showing a good distribution 
of blood to the ear; this gives vigor to this organ and thus assists 
its aural capacity. 

THE UNMUSICAL EAR. 

According to Professor Willis this ear is “pointed or angular 
in its outline,” and, as musical sounds are curvilinear in their pas¬ 
sage through the air, we can readily see 
why an angular ear would not be the best 
adapted to the reception of curvilinear 
sounds; they would necessarily become 
broken into noises upon striking the 
jagged points or angles of such an ear. 
This explains why those with unmusical 
ears often remark that music is nothing but 
“noise”; to them it is really a mass of 
confused, unmelodious sound, for it is 
logical to infer that the internal mechan- 
fig. 308 —unmusical ear. i sm of the ear of those who exhibit 

angular ears is as defective in structure 
as the external physiognomical indicator —the external ear. By 
the same process of reasoning we determine that those animals 
whose ears are long and pointed do not distinguish nor enjoy 
musical sounds as well as those whose ears are rounding. Experi¬ 
ments have been made by investigators upon animals in the Zoo¬ 
logical Gardens of London in regard to their capacity for discrimi¬ 
nating musical sounds. It was found that the zebra and other 
animals with pointed ears disliked the playing of musical instru¬ 
ments, while the apes and certain of the round-eared carnivora 
enjoyed the music, which they showed by lying down quietly and 
listening when it was played, and by becoming uneasy and restless 
when it ceased. 

I have seen several singing mice, and these creatures possess 
a prettily rounded ear. On several occasions when playing the 
violin I received a visit from a wee specimen of the mouse family 



THE EAR. 


1029 


that remained as long as I played and departed when the music 
ceased. 

Some birds have round ear-openings and round throats and 
heads, and the circular formation of these organs is highly condu¬ 
cive to the giving forth and reception of 
musical tones; to prove that their judg¬ 
ment of musical sounds is well-nigh per¬ 
fect one lias only to chirp musically to a 
canary and see how quickly it adjusts its 
voice to the pitch given, while the mock¬ 
ing-bird imitates the tone, pitch, melody, 
and intensity of the air rendered by a 
human voice in its presence. All song¬ 
birds possess round and short beaks. 

See, for example, the linnet, bull-finch, 
magpie, thrush, sky-lark, and mino bird; 
and for speech, the raven and parrot. 

The faculty of Time is well developed in 
horses and other animals, which can be easily trained to keep 
time in music by marching and evolutions. 



Fig. 309.—ORATORICAL EAR. 
(Oambetta.) 


THE ORATORICAL EAR. 


The ears of all great orators and speakers are rounding in the 
outline, and have the bell deep and broad and wide perpendicu- 



Fig. 310 .— COMMERCIAL EAR, (Roswell, P. Flower.) 


larly. See the ears of Henry Clay, Edward Everett, Gambetta, 
and Rev. John Parrish Thompson. 






1030 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


THE COMMERCIAL EAR. 

The ears of this class are long and broad, and in some in¬ 
stances appear elephantine in form and flexibility. 

They are the largest of all classes of ears. As a rule they 
are associated with broad heads, large noses, wide jaws, and broad 
shoulders. Many commercial ears are found to be musical as well, 
for the round, musical body is one of the indications of commer¬ 
cial capacity. In these subjects the ear has all the characteristics 
of the musical ear and possesses large size, thus showing the com¬ 
mercial tendency of its possessor. For specimens of the commer¬ 
cial ear examine the ears of all bankers, financiers, and successful 
merchants, among whom I may mention W. H. Vanderbilt, Jay 
Gould, William E. Dodge, Roswell P. Flower, Henry Villard, and 
Perier, French financier. 

GENEROUS VERSUS STINGY EARS. 

There is an opinion current that the ear, by its size, denotes 
the presence either of generosity or parsimony. 

It is held that small ears are stingy and large ears are indica¬ 
tive of generous instincts. I regard these two ideas as equally 
erroneous. I have known many small-eared persons to be very 
sympathetic, and also many long-eared persons to be very gen¬ 
erous, and I have seen many persons with both large and small 
ears to be penurious and pinching. I should not rely upon the 
form or size of the ear to determine the presence of either of these 
faculties. 

THE COURAGEOUS EAR. 

The ear which is large and stands well out from the head, 
and is possessed of a good red color, denotes physical courage. It 
is usually associated with good muscular form. 

THE TIMID EAR. 

The greatest excess of timidity is found with those who have 
narrow, long, thin, bloodless ears, set closely against the side of 
the head. This type of ear is associated with delicately-formed 
individuals with long, thin faces, generally of a nervous or con¬ 
sumptive diathesis. This type of ear is similar in form to the ears 
of those timid animals, the hare and deer, and reveals some similar 
characteristics, viz., timidity and delicacy of structure. 

THE LINGUISTIC EAR. 

The ear of all who excel in verbal language is similar in form, 
quality, and color to the oratorical and musical ears, for the same 


THE EAR. 


1031 


powers which enables one to receive and reproduce verbal language 
are just those which are required to imitate musical tones. Speech 
is musical to a degree; not as rhythmical as music, but certainly 
civilized language in its intonations, inflections, pauses, pitch, force, 
and intensity is a species of music, and those with good musical 
ears acquire foreign languages with great readiness and use them 
with facility. See, for example, the ears of all good linguists and 
public speakers. 

THE REFINED EAR. 

This type of ear may be large and well-shaped or small and 
well-shaped. The texture is the most important physiognomical 
factor in the construction of this ear. If the skin be fine and 
clear and the ear thin, the color white, pink, or red, and exhibiting 
a number of flutings or convolutions, the character will show 
delicacy of feeling and refinement of manner. 

THE UNREFINED EAR. 

The form of this ear may be large and thick or small and 
thick. The large ear of this class is coarse in texture, of a thick, 
muddy complexion, broad and flapping in appearance, and destitute 
of those delicate convolutions which distinguish the ear of refine¬ 
ment. The small ear of this class is conspicuous by the thickness of 
the shell and the lack of fine elaborate structure; the rim is thick 
and uneven, and the shell destitute of clear and delicate coloring 
and vein tracery. 

THE ABNORMAL EAR. 

There are many malformations of the external ear; also many 
departures from a normal standard, such as pointed, angular, 
and chaotic or irregular shapes. It is logical to infer that the 
internal structure bears some relation to the outer, for I hold that 
all external forms are indicative of* internal structure, and reveal 
power or weakness. The ear must he understood as bearing re¬ 
lation to the vocal organs and oral formation. I base this idea 
upon the law of homogeneity. 

The ears of congenital idiots are often as malformed as their 
other features; so also the features of congenital criminals often 
present departures from the law of perfect curvation , and hence 
are of great physiognomic value, and are corroborative signs of 
character. 

According to statistics there are more congenital defects of 
the aural apparatus in the male than in the female. 

A larger percentage of inherited defects of the organs of 
sight and speech in the masculine sex is noted than in the female 


1032 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


sex in medical works and reports of institutions for the defective 
classes. 

There is probably less change in the form of the ears than in 
that of any facial feature; hence, the ear as a means of personal 
identification would be far more decisive than the face, which 
undergoes many changes within a few years even. The Chinese 
use, as a means of identification, an imprint of the thumb. The 
ear, being less liable to injury, is better adapted for this purpose 
than any other single feature or member. 

The Human Face. 

THE LINES OF THE FACE. 

Says Lavater: “There is nothing more indicative of character 
than lines, unless it be the absence of them.” The lines of the face 

are distinct from the 
wrinkles in the counte¬ 
nance, from the fact 
that they are present at 
birth, or soon after, 
while wrinkles do not 
make their appearance 
until after thought and 
emotion have left their 
impress upon the coun¬ 
tenance. One of the 
principal lines, and one 
which is exhibited in 
every face, is that which 
leads from the nostrils 
downward to the vicinity 
of the corners of the 
mouth. This line is 
highly indicative of char¬ 
acter, and reveals by its length, direction, and vertical depth many 
important characteristics. As mountains by their height create 
valleys, so the height and fullness of the upper cheek (where are 
located the signs of Friendship) make this line conspicuous by 
its depth, for, the fuller this part of the cheek, the more marked 
will this line appear. 

Its depth and width, then, denote Friendship—a secondary or 
accessory sign; if exceedingly deep it is caused by fat cheeks, 
hence denotes a great eater; if it assume a certain direction it will 
add to the beauty of the face by interblending with the wrinkles 



FIG. 311.—NORMAL DIRECTION OF PRIMITIVE 
LINE. (General Anderson.) 





THE HUMAN FACE. 


1033 


and dimples, which are the signs of Mirthfulness, and which are 
situated on the cheek at the corners of the mouth. Lavater lays 
great stress upon the direction of this line, and I am prepared 
from experience to indorse fully all that he says of this peculiarity 
of the countenance. Of this he observes:— * 

The trait or lineament extending from the sides of the nostrils toward 
the end ot the nose is one of the most significant; on its obliquity, its 
length, its proximity to or distance from the mouth, depends the evidence 
of the whole character. 

If it is curved without gradation or undulation it is a certain sign of 
stupidity; it is the same when its extremity joins, without an interval, to 
the corners of the lips; the same when it is a good distance from the 
corners of the lips.* 

Each ol these appearances denotes diversity of character—all 
of them greatly defective; when the curve is without undulations 
there is a certain degree of dullness and want of apprehension; 
when the line joins the corners of the mouth without an interval, 
a great fund of foolish mirth 
is present; when the line ends 
at a great distance from the 
corners of the mouth, absence 
of reasoning power and com¬ 
mon sense are indicated ; when 
normal this line terminates just 
outwardly from the signs of 
Mirthfulness. This is a primi¬ 
tive line, and is situated in the 
vegetative division of the face. 

It appears in childhood, and by 
its vertical depth marks the 
strength of the faculty of Friendship, the sign for which is situated 
in the upper cheek; it also indicates by its depth the strength of 
the intestinal system, as well as the function of digestion. 

The next most prominent line of the face is the little line 
running perpendicularly down the centre of the upper lip, from the 
septum of the nose to the sign for Amativeness in the centre of the 
upper lip. This line denotes modesty; the deeper this line is ver¬ 
tically, the stronger does this trait manifest itself; this line is also 
a primitive feature, and is seen (when present at all) at birth or 
soon after. 

There is a delicately-traced line or depression just opposite 
this, observed in some subjects in the lower lip, dividing it in half; 
this is a sign of wit, and shows often in early childhood. (See 



Fig. 312.—PRIMITIVE LINE IN UPPER LIP. 
(Wm. Ellery Chaining.) 


* Lavater’s Essays, page 474. 


1034 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

Fig. 164.) The lower lip of Prince Gortchakoff, Emile de Gira- 
din, Jules Favre, Dollie Madison, Joseph Jefferson, Voltaire, and 
Phoebe Cary present varying degrees of this line or depression. 
These are all congenital lines of the face, and, being primitive, are 
highly significant of character. Lavater observes, of the lines of 
the face, that 

Nature forms neither contours nor lines whose progression is not pos¬ 
sible, coherent, natural, and homogeneous.* 


THE WRINKLES OF THE FACE. 

There are few persons born with wrinkles upon the face. 
When this phenomenon is observed its cause is found usually in 
some accidental modifications during prenatal life, unless the 
wrinkles appear upon the forehead and remain; in this case they 
denote inherited peculiarities of some sort,, either of weakness or 
of strength, depending upon their depth and direction. As a rule, 
young persons never exhibit wrinkles upon any part of the coun¬ 
tenance, unless they are possessed of much capacity for emotion 
or for reflection. Wrinkles make their appearance first usually at 
the corners of the eyes outwardly, at the signs for Mirth and 
Agreeability. It is only later in life, after thought and experience 
have ripened the mental and social powers, that other wrinkles 
appear. Writers on art have done much to mislead the public 
upon the subject of wrinkles, they having always advanced the 
idea that all wrinkles were indicative of old or advanced age, and, 
therefore, not signs of beauty. Nothing can be farther from the 
truth, for certain wrinkles reveal many beauties of mind and dis¬ 
position. I hold that their forms are indications of beauty quite 
as much as a regular outline of the nose or an oval form of the 
cheek, while certain others disclose malicious, dishonest, knavish 
propensities and practices. 

It is true it takes time to form wrinkles, whether good or bad, 
but youth, it should be understood, is not the only season of beauty; 
a scientific knowledge of the face will enlarge our conceptions as 
to what constitutes true beauty, and will not contract our under¬ 
standing of it to the shortest and most immature portion of life. 
On the contrary, it will teach us that as experience, learning, and 
the exercise of the most beautiful traits of character set these signs 
of their action in the face in the form of wrinkles, these are indi¬ 
cations of greater beauty than the smooth and comparatively ex¬ 
pressionless cheek of infancy or youth. 

The smooth, shining, unwrinkled face of the adult resembles 


* Lavater on Physiognomy, yol. ii, p. 238. 


THE HITMAN FACE. 


1035 


that of an infant, and often is accompanied by relatively infantile 
characteristics; for thought and feeling will leave their impress 
upon the visage of every one avIio possesses these qualities. An 
unwrinkled adult face is indicative of absence of reflection, intel¬ 
ligence, or feeling. Now, a smooth skin may compensate vain per¬ 
sons for absence of all these fine powers, but it is a very poor sub¬ 
stitute later in life for all these qualities which make the character 
beautiful and the mind intelligent. Without thought or reflection, 
and when old age comes on, a smooth skin merely is a very poor 
compensation. When I observe a person past thirty years of age 
who has not formed some creditable wrinkles, I infer either a very 
shallow, selfish, unreasoning character, or a very deceptive, hypo¬ 
critical one. There is an old saying that “gray hairs are honor¬ 
able;” we might say with more accuracy that wrinkles are honor¬ 
able, provided they are in the right place and are the shape which 
denotes goodness or talent. 

A smooth, shining, round face, without any wrinkles, belongs 
to a character suave, plausible, flattering, dishonest, and unprin¬ 
cipled; one who is “all things to all men.” Such characters make 
good speculators and politicians, and are well calculated to get a 
living without working for it. 

As a general rule, deep wrinkles indicate a mind that has been 
immersed in profound study. 

Those persons with the thoracic system dominant do not ex¬ 
hibit as many nor as deep wrinkles as those with other formations, 
for, although they may have good and pure tastes and literary apti¬ 
tudes, yet they are not as profound scholars as are some, nor are 
their emotions as lasting; the buoyancy of their spirits prevents 
long-continued mental labor and long-sustained emotion, hence 
they retain in age a more youthful manner and a smoother face 
than those with other symptoms dominant. 

Each feature has its own peculiar wrinkles ; not only so, but 
each of the five systems of functions produces characteristic 
wrinkles. 

The dominance of muscle causes one sort, the dominance of 
flit another, the supremacy of bone yet another variety; while 
round bones cause wrinkles to assume a form quite different from 
those produced by square bones ; hence it is evident that wrinkles 
are highly significant of character and wonderful adjuncts to a 
complete understanding of the human face. 

The general laws of Form apply with as much force to the 
meaning of the forms of wrinkles as to the meaning of the forms 
of the bones or muscles. Straight and square wrinkles reveal 
straightforward and honorable qualities, while oblique wrinkles 


1036 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


belong to those persons who are the reverse of straight, square, 
and upright. 

Curved wrinkles show emotion, for emotion is the handmaid 
of art, and emotions are exhibited in the face by movements of 
the muscles and by the fullness of the softer tissues. If the bones 
be straight and the action of the muscle normal, the true-purved 
wrinkle is the result; but if the underlying bones be crooked or 
uneven and the muscles not normally developed, the wrinkles will 
be oblique and will testify to oblique, sophistical, or dishonest 
propensities or mental weakness. 

Wrinkles appear about the chin, the cheeks, the lips, the 
sides, and root of the nose, between the eyebrows, and upon the 
forehead. Each of these will be explained and figured. 

WRINKLES IN THE CHIN. 

The wrinkles which form under the chin are curved, and are 
sometimes observed in infants as well as in adults; they are caused 
by a deposition of adipose tissue, and show that good digestion 



Fig. 313.-TALKER’S WRINKLE. Fig. 314.—APPROBATIVE WRINKLE. 


has done its work thoroughly. In some adults will be observed 
two and sometimes three of these wrinkles, and a roll of fat fill¬ 
ing out the space between each. Where this peculiarity appears 
gluttony is usually the cause, or increasing age. 

These wrinkles around the chin must not be confounded with 
the single, long-curved wrinkle which is exhibited by those who 
talk a good deal, often professionally. 

The Talker's Wrinkle .—This wrinkle commences in or near 
the signs for Approbativeness in the lower cheek, and runs down 
under the chin from side to side. It is not so much curved as the 
former; it is observed in the faces of many priests, ministers, 
lawyers, actors, orators, auctioneers, gossips, and clowns. It is 
caused by using the muscles of this part of the face so constantly 








THE HUMAN FACE. 


1037 


that they form a permanent wrinkle, and are a sure indication of 
a constant talker, or one who uses the voice professionally in a 
loud tone; this wrinkle is usually deeper in the countenance of 
professional talkers than in the faces of those in private life; the 
reason of this is that the former classes use more sonorous tones 
than the latter. It is more frequently observed in those with the 
muscular system dominant. 

In old age many deep wrinkles form upon the chin, but the 1 
aged appearance of the possessor indicates their origin; these are 
caused by the loss of the elasticity of the skin. 

WRINKLES IN THE LOWER CHEEKS. 

The Approbative Wrinkle .—There are two sorts of wrinkles 
that form in the lower cheeks; these are the approbative wrinkles 
and the mirthful wrinkles; the longer of these two is almost per¬ 
pendicular, and is caused by the exercise of the faculty of Appro- 
bativeness, as in smiling. These wrinkles are often intersected 
with dimples, either round or cleft, and these are all reliable indices 
of that suave agreeability which is the distinguishing characteristic 
of an approbative disposition. These wrinkles form very early in 
life in those subjects who possess large agreeability, and are situated 
on the lower cheeks about one and a half inches outward from the 
mouth; these add greatly to the beauty of the cheek. 

Mirthful Wrinkles .—These little tell-tales also form early in 
life, and are built up from their predecessors, the infantile dimples. 
The earliest pleasant emotion of the babe is shown by smiling and 
laughter, and these emotions oft-repeated leave an indelible record 
upon the cheeks near the corners of the mouth; these wrinkles 
are also mingled with dimples, according as the subject is fat or 
lean; they create beauty of expression, especially when in animated 
conversation and in smiling. It is a very grim, joyless face, indeed, 
that does not exhibit either mirthful or approbative wrinkles. 

Of the indications of foolishness in wrinkles, Lavater says:— 

Whenever in laughter three parallel, circular lines are formed in the 
cheeks, there is a fund of folly in the character of the person.* 

Clowns “make up” their cheeks to resemble this picture,and 
most of them have the “talker’s wrinkle” very deep. 

/ WRINKLES OF THE LOWER LIP. 

Miserly Wrinkles .—The lower lip rarely exhibits wrinkles 
until late in life; these are caused by the natural shrinkage of the 
skin. If the lower lip discloses many perpendicular wrinkles early 

* Lavater’s Essays, p. 474. 


1038 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


in life, it is usually the token of a miserly disposition, or of ill 
health. In such characters there is deficient glandular develop¬ 
ment, hence the lower lip—the facial sign for that system—is cor¬ 
respondingly deficient. 

If the lower lip becomes suddenly wrinkled after having been 

smooth and full, it has been caused by sick¬ 
ness; but other signs in the face will tell us 
whether this be the cause. 

There are other mirthful wrinkles in the 
face which will be described elsewhere. 

Wrinkles in the Upper Lip. —Very rarely 
do we find wrinkles in the upper lip until 
late in life; some of these (nearly perpen¬ 
dicular) are caused by long-continued efforts 
in endeavoring to suppress the feelings and 
to refrain from expressing the thoughts, 
hence are secondary signs of Secretiveness. 
These occur in the white portion of the 
upper lip. 

Amative Wrinkles. —In some subjects in whom the sign for 
Amativeness is uncommonly large, several transverse wrinkles 
across the red portion of the upper lip will be observed while in 
conversation or in laughing; they arise from an excessive develop¬ 
ment of the facial sign for Amativeness, and this is so large as to 
produce this horizontal wrinkling of the lip. 



FIG. 315.—malicious 
WRINKLES. 
(After Lavater.) 



Fig. 316.—EXECUTIVE WRINKLES. Fig. 317.—CONSCIENTIOUS WRINKLES. 

(Count yon Moltke.) (General Jackson.) 


Wrinkles on the Nose. —Firm, long noses belong to the most 
reliable moral characters, hence the play of the emotions is not so 
marked as in muscular characters. Accordingly, we rarely find 
wrinkles on the sides of the nose in the former; these are found in 
soft, cartilaginous noses. 






THE HUMAN FACE. 


1039 


Malicious or Knavish Wrinkles. —Where several fine, oblique 
wrinkles are observed upon the sides of the nose they indicate 
either a petty nature or a malicious or knavish disposition. 

Executive Wrinkles. —The wrinkles lying horizontally across 
the nose at its root, upon the sign for Self-will, denote ability for 
command, and show that this faculty has been continuously exer¬ 
cised. They are seen in all great executive characters, such as 
generals, statesmen, superintendents, teachers, and all those who 
control and command others. (See Fig. 316.) 

Conscientious Wrinkles. —There are several sorts of character 
indicated by the wrinkles which lie between the eyebrows, just 
above the root of the nose; these wrinkles are caused primarily by 
the shape of the underlying bone and muscle; secondly, by the ex¬ 
ercise of various faculties. Square-boned persons form one per¬ 
pendicular wrinkle between the eyebrows; this is, therefore, a 
secondary or accessory sign both of Order and Conscientiousness. 

Mirthful Wrinkles .— 

Signs of the capacity for mirth, 
fun, wit, and dramatic imita¬ 
tion are found in many locali¬ 
ties in the organism where the 
muscular is one of the supreme 
systems, hence we shall find 
two parallel wrinkles between 
the eyebrows in the faces of 
many actors, as well as in the 
countenances of writers for 
children, and sportive, fun¬ 
making characters generally. 

These wrinkles are caused usually by small, round bones allied to 
round muscles; they reveal the entire structure as well as the 
ruling propensities. 

Persevering Wrinkles. —These wrinkles are usually found 
upon those who possess a good share of bone, along with good 
muscle, for bone gives steadfastness and muscle a love of motion. 
Persevering wrinkles are found between the eyebrows, and some¬ 
times form three or four perpendicular lines at this locality. They 
disclose a plodding, persevering disposition, and those who possess 
them would seek to polish refined gold and paint the lily white in 
their efforts to finish up everything which they undertake. 

The cat exhibits three deep wrinkles between the eyes, and 
all know its character for attentive watchfulness when in pursuit 
of prey. Lavater has noticed this characteristic in the cat, and 
styles it “watchful and rapacious.” 



Fig. 318.—PERSEVERING WRINKLES. 
(William Cullen Bryant.) 



1040 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


WRINKLES ABOUT THE EYES. 

Observing Wrinkles. —Wrinkles about the eyes are found 
above, below, and at the outer corners; each has a distinct mean¬ 
ing; those which run parallel on the upper eyelid appear late in 
life, and proceed from habits of industry and patient observation ; 
these wrinkles develop folds of flesh as well as wrinkles, which in 
those who are first-class observers fall over the eyeball at its outer 
angle. There are two causes for this appearance: In the first 
place, the bone is one of the dominant systems; hence the eye- 
bone projects greatly beyond the eyeball, and this is a sign of an 
aptitude for protracted observation. Secondly, excessive use of the 
eye, as in patient observation, develops the skin and muscular 
tissue about these parts; this appearance is found in various grades 
in the faces of the following-named observers: Charles Darwin, 
Dr. Abernethy, Dr. John Draper, John Smeaton, James Watt, Rev. 



Fig. 319.—mirthful wrinkles. 


Robert Collyer, and William Cullen Bryant. I am the more par¬ 
ticular in giving the names of these well-known characters, for the 
reason that a certain physiognomist has given this appearance as 
one sign of a roguish disposition. This shows, I think, want of 
keen observation, extended generalization, and logical analysis, at 
least; such formation may have been found in the faces of rogues, 
but I have observed it in the countenance of scores of the most 
moral characters and persistent observers. 

MIRTHFUL WRINKLES AT THE OUTER CORNERS OF THE EYES. 

When a number of fine wrinkles are observed extending 
obliquely outward and downward from the outer angle of the eyes 
they are indubitable tokens of a mirthful disposition; they show 
that the subject has been for years very much engaged in laughing. 
These wrinkles are of great assistance to fortune-tellers, for by them 
they can tell what the individual has been doing, and they can 
also foretell what he will do to the end of the chapter, viz., “laugh 
and make merry.” 








THE HUMAN FACE. 


1041 


WRINKLES UNDER THE EYES. 

There is a great diversity of meaning in the wrinkles which 
form under the eyes. Those which are fine, and appear in a cir¬ 
cular form under the eyes in adults advanced in life, are signs of 
having used the faculty of Language in public speaking, and this 
exercise causes the flesh below the eye to bulge out. Deeply- 
formed wrinkles under the eyes in youth are very strongly to be 
suspected as from dissipation and sensual indulgence. 

WRINKLES ON THE FOREHEAD. 

From the father of physiognomy, Lavater, we have many 
excellent observations upon the meaning of wrinkles in the fore¬ 
head. From his work I extract the following:— 

Oblique wrinkles in the forehead, especially when they are nearly 
parallel, or appear so, are certainly a sign of a poor, oblique, suspicious 
mind; parallel, regular, not 
too deep wrinkles, wrinkles of 
the forehead, or parallel inter¬ 
rupted are seldom found ex¬ 
cept in very intelligent, wise, 
rational, and justly-thinking 
persons. A forehead the up¬ 
per part of which is intersected 
witli conspicuous, circularly- 
arched wrinkles, while the lower 
half is smooth and wrinkled, 
is certainly dull, and almost 
incapable of any instruction. 

Wrinkles of the forehead which 
on the slightest motion of the 
skin sink deeply downward are 
much to be suspected of weak¬ 
ness ; if the lines are stationary, deeply indented, and sink very deeply 
downward, entertain no doubt of weakness of mind or stupidity, combined 
with avarice and a lack of sensibility. But let it be remembered at the 
same time that genius most luxuriant in abilities usually has a line which 
curves remarkably downward in the middle under three almost horizontal 
parallel wrinkles. Perplexed, deeply-indented wrinkles of the forehead in 
opposition to each other are always a certain sign of a harsh, perplexed, 
and difficult-to-manage character.* 

The forms of the wrinkles on the forehead depend upon the 
form of the underlying bones and muscles. How significant of 
character, then, must each variety of wrinkle be to the student of 
physiognomy! A straight and square hone causes the formation 
of a different-shaped wrinkle from that produced by an unevenly- 
developed bone. An oblique wrinkle comes from a very differently 
shaped bone from that which is the product of a square and 

*Lavater’s Essays, p. 465 
66 



Fig. 320.—TALENTED WRINKLES. 











1042 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


straight forehead. The wrinkles simply repeat the form of the 
underlying bone and muscle, and are therefore accessory signs of 
character. 

WRINKLES OF THE NECK. 

Deep, circular wrinkles around and under the chin are indi¬ 
cations of too much fatty tissue; they belong to slow, easy-going 
people, not given to much thought, except when the brain is large 
and of high quality; in this case this combination creates character 
of great mental vigor, and capable of profound and protracted 
mental labor; it indicates a combination of the mental with the 
vegetative system. The portraits of Dumas, the novelist; Gibbon, 
the historian; Johnson, the philologist; Arkwright, the inventor, 
and many eminent jurists exhibit this combination. 

Wrinkles running obliquely just behind the ear, on the neck, 
show that age is creeping on. Deep wrinkles at the sides and 
back of the neck, lying in every direction, are signs of advanced 
age, or exposure to the fierceness of the elements. 

GENERAL WRINKLES. 

Numerous and very fine wrinkles all over the face, lying in 
every direction, indicate a life passed in petty cares and petty 
savings; also, a querulous disposition. The same kind of wrinkles, 
when they are deep, reveal the miserly habits of a life-time. 


Dimples. 

THE SIGNIFICATION OF DIMPLES. 

How are dimples caused, and what do they mean \ They are 
caused, first, by a collection of adipose tissue; second, by a peculiar 
formation of certain muscles and bones at the joints and elsewhere. 
Dimples generally form around joints, as well as on parts where 
the soft, fat tissue has accumulated; these are found only on fat or 
plump persons; they indicate ease-loving, mirthful, and affectionate 
natures. Dimpled babes are always mirthful and happy; the 
great store of vital material, as shown by the dimples, gives ease 
and enjoyment. They not only exhibit dimples upon various 
parts of the body, but also upon the wrists, knuckles, cheeks, 
and chin. 

“I was going to kiss the dimples from out the little cheeks, 

Where they ripple and they dance every time she laughs or speaks ; 

She said I shouldn’t do it, but I held her hist and tight, 

And kissed and kissed the very little face with all my might. 


DIMPLES. 


1043 


And then a pair of eyes twinkled very gravely out, 

And a pair of little lips gathered up a doleful pout; 

With little drooping corners,—no wonder, you will say, 
To see such bonny, bonny dimples stolen away. 

I thought I should have kept them for just a little while ; 
But little teeth were soon peeping through a little smile ; 
And then a laugh like sunshine was over all her face, 
And every dimple I had stolen was back again in place.” 


DIMPLES IN THE CHIN. 

The dimples in the point of the chin are of two general 
forms,—the round and deep and the straight or cleft; they are very 
deep in some, less so in other, faces. 

The round dimple in the chin is a permanent feature, and 
does not depend upon the amount of adipose tissue. It is caused 
by, first, the presence of round bones; second, by a peculiar for¬ 
mation of round muscles. This combination causes the levator 
menti muscle to dimple; this dimple is never present when the 
bony system predominates, but only when the muscular system is 
supreme. This sort of dimple is observed frequently among the 
literary and artistic classes; the meaning of this dimple is love of 
the beautiful in the opposite sex. It is found in the chins of poets, 
writers of fiction, painters, actors, singers, composers, and also in 
many who have a taste for the works of all these classes. 

Among those who exhibit a beautiful dimple in the chin are 
the following : Lord Byron, Dean Swift, Sheridan, Mozart, Moliere, 
Horace Vernet, Racine, Christine Nillson, Boccaccio, Aimee, Cam- 
panini, Saintly, Theodore Thomas, Lavater, Liszt, Schumann, 
Schubert, Jos. Jefferson, Henry Irving, Mdlle. Croizette, Mdlle. 
Baretta, Dore, Miss Harriet Hosmer, Robert G. Ingersoll, and 
Wendell Phillips. 

A love of the beautiful in the opposite sex is one factor in 
creative talent; it assists the sculptor, artist, actor, poet, and com¬ 
poser in forming their ideals, and if this trait did not reside in their 
organisms on a large scale they could not exhibit the beautiful 
poems, statues, and melodies which they bring forth. 

The dimple in the chin is often one sign of a voluptuous and 
pleasure-loving person, generally good-natured and inclined to be 
generous. Louis XV possessed a dimpled chin, and was noted 
for his love of beautiful women; he was also a great prodigal. 
Dimples in either cheek or chin are associated with large, full eyes, 
and these tell us of the shape of other remote features and 
members of the body, as well as the accompanying traits and 
talents. 


1044 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


DIMPLES IN THE CHEEKS. 

The dimples observed in the cheeks usually occupy two dis¬ 
tinct localities. The approbative dimples are situated at the outer 
sides of the cheeks, and the mirthful dimples are at the corners of 
the mouth. 

Approbative Dimples .—These dimples form part of the sign 
for Approbativeness, and are accompanied by an agreeable disposi¬ 
tion ; they are often deep and round; in some they are long and 
lose themselves in the “approbative wrinkles.” The round dimple 
in the cheek is associated with large, full eyes, and proceeds from 
the dominance of the muscular system; it is characteristic of 
many artists, and all who possess it are agreeable, flattering, mirth¬ 
ful, and formed for sociability. It is a great beauty, and many 
who possess these dimples are not content that they appear while 
the face is animated, as in talking and smiling, but they very 
foolishly bite the lips and stretch the mouth in order that the 
dimples may be apparent at all times. This movement argues 
great vanity. A coquettish disposition is usually associated with 
these dimples. 

The long, cleft dimple in the cheeks is indicative of Appro¬ 
bativeness and Mirth, not so pronounced as the round one; it also 
is a mark of beauty, and points to a genial, social disposition. 
Approbative dimples in the cheek do not show so early in life as 
do the purely mirthful dimples at the corners of the mouth; the 
former appear along with the exercise of the faculty of Agreeability, 
while the mirthful dimple is shown by the exercise of spontaneous 
mirth on the part of the infant, which is of the nature of 
instinct. 

Mirthful Dimples .—Mirthfulness is a primitive function and 
faculty, and inheres in the glandular system mainly, although it 
asks the assistance of the muscles to carry out its interests, as in 
games, wit, singing, acting, etc. These dimples are situated at 
the corners of the mouth, and, in some very merry subjects and in 
many infants, appear in little clusters of two or three cunning little 
depressions; they add greatly to the variety and beauty of expres¬ 
sion of the face, and indicate a fun-loving, mirthful, sportive, or 
witty disposition. In some these dimples are round, in others they 
are cleft or lose themselves in mirthful wrinkles at this part of the 
cheek. Nell GWynne, an actress and one of the celebrated court 
beauties of England, exhibited dimples on chin, cheeks, hands, 
arms, and shoulders; she was an arch, droll, vivacious, and humor¬ 
ous actress. Her dimples added a great charm to her piquant 
beauty. 


THE TEETH. 


1045 


** Within a nest of roses, 

Half hidden from the sight, 

Until a smile discloses 
Its loveliness aright. 

- Behold the work of Cupid, 

Who wrought it in a freak, 

The witching little dimple, 

The dimple on her cheek.” 

The dimples on the knuckles, wrists, shoulders, and other 
parts of the body are caused by muscular formation and adipose 
tissue, and denote good health, good. nature, and an amative or 
affectionate disposition. 


The Teeth. 

THE PHYSIOGNOMICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TEETH. 

Very little attention has been paid to the meanings of the 
teeth by modern writers on physiognomy, yet they are not only 
highly significant of* mental characteristics, but of physiological 
peculiarities as well. It must be apparent to the thoughtful that 
features which are composed of such solid material—which are 
so important to the human economy, and which are situated in 
such a prominent position—are of great value as physiognomical 
indicators. Although these features are not external facial features, 
they are assuredly strong physiognomical indices of character, and 
as such are properly a part of this science. The entrances to many 
of the great internal organs are situated in the human face. The 
rounded contour or the shrunken appearance of the cheeks and nose 
announce definitely the form and condition of several of the internal 
organs, and these are dependent primarily upon the motion or 
activity of the fluids (as in the circulation of the blood, the juices, 
and secretions) for their shape. 

The teeth guarding the entrance to the digestive tract stand 
representative of its physiological condition, as well as of the men¬ 
tality and morality which have been created largely by physio¬ 
logical activities. The resultant forms of the jaw and teeth, then, 
open up an immense field of physiognomical knowledge. 

The form, size, color, texture, and relative position of the 
teeth present distinct meanings, and one might fill a large volume 
with descriptions and illustrations of these useful and beautiful 
features, but as I am limited in space I can present only a few. I 
have conversed with many skillful dentists upon the physiog¬ 
nomical meanings of the jaws and teeth, and I have not found one 
who had formed any definite idea of them in relation to character. 
I predict that many excellent dental observations will be made 
after a study of this volume. 


1046 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


The teeth are arranged in form after the pattern of the jaw 
into which they are inserted; hence are the reflex in their collect¬ 
ive form of the signification of the jaw, as, for example, a very 
narrow circle of the jaws gives narrow, crowded, or overlapping 
teeth. Each of these conditions presents a secondary characteristic 
sign. A broad circle of the alveolar arch shows that the bony 
system is on a broad scale, and that peculiarity indicates character¬ 
istics quite different from the former. In the section devoted to 
the lower jaw in this chapter will be found descriptions of the 
most usual forms of these features; taken in connection with this 
section they will afford a great deal of physiognomical knowledge 
not to be obtained from any other source. 

The “gums,” as the alveolar processes are commonly termed, 
are also highly significant of character; their color, size, form, and 
relative position are all most positive indices of physical, mental, 
and moral power or weakness. The teeth and gums, taken in 
connection with the associated lips, jaws, and mouth, afford a wide 
field for physiognomical research. They not only reveal the present 
condition of the subject, but also disclose the alimentive conditions 
of his ancestors, for the form of an alveolar arch and a set of 
teeth are not created in one generation, but are the outcome of 
many generations, and betray their dietetic habits as well as asso¬ 
ciated moral powers. 

The teeth of an adult are thirty-two in number; there are 
eight front teeth, termed “incisors,” or cutting teeth, four in each 
jaw. The canine teeth come next, two in each jaw. The molars, 
or grinding teeth, are twenty in number, ten in each jaw. The 
general idea in regard to teeth is that they are bones; this is 
erroneous. A close analysis of their constituents, aided by the 
sciences of evolution and embryology, proves them to be the 
product of the outer skin, and it is from this primitive base that 
the alimentary canal also arises. 

Says Professor Haeckel:— 

The teeth originate from the outer skin-covering, which covers the 
jaws; for as the formation of the whole mouth-cavit3 r takes place from the 
outer germ-layer, the teeth must of course also have developed originally 
from the skin-layer. This can be actually proved by close microscopic ex¬ 
amination of the most delicate structural features of the teeth. The scales 
of fishes, especially of sharks, are in this respect exactly similar to tlieii 
teeth. Thus, the human teeth in their earliest origin are modified fish-scales.* 

Additional evidence of their origin and structure is derived 
from anatomy. Dr. Robinson Harrison makes the following state¬ 
ment in regard to their constituents:— 

* The Evolution of Man, Ernst Haeckel, vol. ii, p. 331. 


1047 


THE TEETH. 

As the teeth are intimately attached to the maxillary bones, and ap¬ 
parently are allied to the osseous more than to any other structure, their 
general anatomy may now be examined. They are not, however, to be con¬ 
sidered as part of the skeleton, as they have not appeared in the very young, 
and are frequently absent in the very old ; neither, critically, do they con¬ 
stitute a part of the osseous system, but rather appertain to the digestive 
apparatus, being the mechanical instruments employed in the prehension, 
separation, and mastication of the food, the incisors cutting and. dividing 
it, the canines tearing it, and the molars bruising and grinding it. In zoo¬ 
logical science the teeth serve as an important element in the classification 
of the animal kingdom ; their peculiar form and structure indicate the nature 
of the food on which the animal is to subsist; and as the digestive organs 
must be so modified as to convert the numerous varieties into chyle, and as 
the limbs must be adapted for its prehension, so the teeth must bear an in¬ 
timate relation to the entire organization as well as to the habits of the 
animal.* 

From the foregoing statements we may take it for granted 
that the teeth are very important physiognomic significators. 

The Form of the Lower Alveolar Arch .—The alveolar process 
is that part of the jaws into which the teeth are inserted, and in 
connection with the entire jaw-bone defines the form which the 
arch or circle of the teeth exhibits in different subjects; in some 
this circle is very narrow and the teeth crowded and overlapping, 
revealing an abnormal development of the jaw-bone; in others it 
is proportionately broad and the teeth even and regular. 

The normal size of the jaw-bones is such as to allow space 
for the teeth to enlarge to their proper form, and present a regular 
row of perfectly-formed teeth. All departures from this condition 
may be considered as variations from a normal standard. The 
regularity of the teeth, then, it will be seen, depend primarily upon 
the form of the jaw-bones, and an exterior inspection of the size 
of the jaws will often reveal the condition of the teeth. The pro¬ 
jection of one row of teeth beyond the other is shown exteriorly 
by the protrusion of the lips, and when this is very great it pro¬ 
duces “ prognathism,” and, as this condition is normal in animals 
and in some savages, we must regard all excessive prognathism as 
indicative of inferiority of some part of the mental or moral make¬ 
up. A physiognomical analysis will in every subject demonstrate 
this to be the case. From the foregoing we may deduce the fact 
that evenly-set, regular teeth denote a more-even disposition and 
a better-developed mind than where the opposite condition exists. 

As before stated, the forms of the circle of the teeth will 
naturally repeat the form of the jaw-bone ; hence, those with an 
oval lower jaw will present a circuloid arrangement of teeth, while 
those with a square lower jaw will exhibit a squared or rectangular 


* Harrison’s Anatomy, p. 596. 


1048 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

appearance of the features. Those with a sharp-pointed lower jaw 
will present teeth rather crowded or overlapping. 

Breadth of the circle argues a broad mind, as compared to 
those with a very narrow circle; and if this circle be inclined to 
the rectangular form, that is, when a decided angle is formed at 
the canine teeth, there exists the inherent principle of the angle, 
viz., conscientiousness, fidelity, order, perseverance, morality, and, 
if the angle be extremely marked, severity also. Washington’s 
lower jaw is a good illustration of breadth and angularity. This 
must not be confounded with the contrary angular jaw, which has 
its angle farther back upon the lower jaw ; the angle in the former 
case is in its normal place. 

Narrowness of the circle , when extreme , is accompanied by 
crowding and irregularity of the teeth. This form is indicative of 
a narrow mind and weak moral nature, and if the front teeth over¬ 
lap each other, as in the rodent, it is an infallible sign of an acquis¬ 
itive or miserly nature. 

The curving of the teeth, either inward or outward, tell a 
story. If they curve from the gum inward there is a certain de¬ 
gree of feebleness of digestion, accompanied with rather ordinary 
mental powers; that is, where the curve is excessive. 

The outward curving or projection of the upper teeth, if it be 
excessive, so that the teeth project forward and fall upon the lower 
lip, denotes a certain degree of generosity and kindness, which is 
the compensation for some mental or moral deficiency. So glaring 
a departure from the normal or highest standard of position argues 
a corresponding defect somewhere in the mind; a physiognomical 
reading of the face will reveal it, but as it differs in different sub¬ 
jects its meaning must he sought for in each individual face. 

The outward projection of the lower teeth, if excessive , is in¬ 
dicative of stupid, brutal, or other undeveloped conditions. (See 
section on the “ Lower Lip,” in this chapter.) 

Form and Size of the Teeth. —The teeth may be divided gen¬ 
erally into broad and narrow and long and short, with the combi¬ 
nations resulting from these qualities. As a rule, teeth which are 
both broad and short indicate strong vital powers, allied to the car¬ 
nivora in the taste; that is to say, a taste for flesh diet. 

Long and narrow teeth belong to weak people. Consump¬ 
tives often exhibit this form. These belong to the granivorous,—* 
fruit and grain eaters. 

Medium-sized teeth, if regular, even, and normally placed, de¬ 
note a good constitution and even temper, provided they are white 
or slightly yellowish-white. 

A regular and even set of teeth announce a normal develop- 


THE TEETH. 


1049 


ment of the bones of the upper and lower jaws ; hence, signify 
evenness of disposition and a normal construction of the digestive 
tract. 

Irregular teeth, if large, show a commonplace mind, or ab¬ 
normal condition of mind. Irregularities of the teeth and jaw are 
most frequently met with in those who have inherited weakly or 
abnormally developed minds and bodies. The following I quote 
from a reliable source as strengthening my position upon this 
point. Tusks, or tushes, are caused by the abnormal development 
of the canine teeth, and are a reversion to carnivorous types. 
Wherever found they reveal a modicum of cruelty or malig¬ 
nancy :— 

By examining the mouths of 19?7 idiots, there were found to be 159 
with protrusion of the superior maxilla and 92 with protrusion of the 
inferior maxilla. These deformities do not exist to such an extent among 
healthy individuals.* 


Very white teeth of a pearly whiteness are found associated 
with black eyes and hair and a brunette complexion. 

Yellowish-white teeth appertain to the blonde and cliatain 
type. As a general principle, the more the teeth and gums are 
displayed in conversation, the less profound the mind. 

Children, negroes, and other undeveloped races show a great 
proportion of the teeth in conversation. The teeth of the upper 
and lower jaws of most even-tempered and thoughtful persons 
meet exactly or nearly so; those whose upper or under teeth pro¬ 
ject greatly the one beyond the other are uneven in temper and 
not so much developed in intellect as in the passions and emotions. 

The only physiognomical observations by a dentist which I 
have been able to find on the physiognomical meaning of the teeth 
are the following :— 

In studying the disposition and general physical make-up of man, in 
connection with his teeth with regard to artificial dentures, I find six gen¬ 
eral outlines as indicative of certain characteristics theoretically subject only 
to modifications in gestation, education, and culture with heredity. 

First, those teeth that naturally curve from the gum-margin in toward 
the mouth represent the penurious disposition. Second, those that protrude 
toward the lips and cheeks, the inquisitive disposition. [He might have 
added the generous also.] Third, those that are vertical or having a slightly 
outward slant represent the even tempered. [Very good indeed.] Fourth, 
those having a horseshoe curve from molar to molar around the grinding 
and cutting°surfaces denote the fleshy and jolly. Fifth, those teeth nearly 
in a straight line from cuspid to cuspid, and thence to last molar having the 
cuspids prominent, indicate angularity of disposition and features, and a 
slender body and face. Sixth, an easy oval, between the round and angu¬ 
lar, indicates full habit and evenly-balanced organization.! 


* American System of Dentistry, Litcli, 1887. 
f Dental Independent, p. 122, April, 1883, J. M. Hurlt, Peoria. 


1050 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


All this is excellent, and if more dentists were to use their 
powers of observation and comparison in this direction they could 
supply a rich fund of dental physiognomy. Emerson, a close 
observer of facial characteristics, observes: “What power and 
what limitations the teeth betray!” And Lavater, with his keen 
observation, says:— 

Whoever leaves his teeth foul, and does not attempt to clean them, 
certainly betra}^s much of the negligence of his character, which does him 
no honor; as are the teeth of man, that is to say, their form, position, and 
cleanliness (so far as the latter depends upon himself), so is liis taste. 

Much, indeed, might he written on the meanings of the teeth ; to be 
convinced of this, were we but to observe the teeth of an individual during 
a single day, or contemplate with reference to this particular an apartment 
crowded with fools, we should not then for a moment deny that the teeth 
in conjunction with the lips are very characteristic, or that physiognomy has 
gained another token, which triumphs over all the arts of dissimulation.* 

ANIMAL TYPES OF TEETH. 

The beaver and squirrel exhibit teeth which are indicative of 
the acquisitive and saving faculties; the bear shows destructive¬ 
ness and malignancy in the form of its teeth, while the tusks of 
the wild boar and rhinoceros reveal ferocity. The rattlesnake 
exhibits long, inward-curved fangs, denoting both weakness of 
mind and brutal disposition. Even in the animal world the form 
and size of the teeth reveal mental, moral, and physiological pecu¬ 
liarities, as comparison of the carnivorous with the granivorous 
animals will prove. 

The Gums. 

That portion of the alveolar process in which the teeth are 
encased is commonly termed the “gums;” this part of the mouth 
is of great importance as a significator of character, for it not only 
reveals the mental status, but it also discloses congenital physio¬ 
logical conditions of the alimentary tract. These appearances 
announce not only the inherited alimentary status of the subject, 
but also disclose the dietetic habits of his ancestors. 

In a normal condition of the mouth the gums should not 
show at all in conversation. When the gums show to a great 
extent when the mouth is in repose, or while engaged in conver¬ 
sation, it is indicative of either a scrofulous or consumptive tend¬ 
ency; this peculiarity arises from a deteriorated condition of the 
system, transmitted from ancestors who have for generations been 
subject to very poor or insufficient diet and deprivation of social 
and mental advantages, as is well illustrated by the lowest classes 

*Lavater’s Essays, p. 396. 


THE GUMS. 


1051 


of the Irish, for example, among whom good, nourishing food has 
been wanting for generations, as well as social and educational 
facilities. This long-continued deprivation has caused physical 
degeneracy to that extent as to produce a face formed quite differ¬ 
ent from the normal standards, and nowhere does this degeneracy 
appear as conspicuous as in the formation of the gums, lips, teeth, 
and jaw-bones. Emerson, in his “English Traits,” remarks 
thus:— 

In Irish districts men deteriorated in size and shape. The nose sunk, 
the gums were exposed, and brain diminished.* 

It does not follow that there has been in all cases great poverty 
in the ancestors of such scrofulous subjects as expose their gums; 
on the contrary, many persons who are blessed with plenty of 
nourishing food habitually make use of the least nourishing diet, 
either from a depraved taste, or from utter ignorance of sound 
dietetic principles. The ignorance of many otherwise intelligent 
mothers on the subject of diet is perfectly amazing. I have 
observed a mother feeding a young child at evening with a dinner 
of roast veal, with perfect unconcern, who was quite sure that a 
dish of blackberries would be very unwholesome for the child. 
So long as such ignorance prevails in regard to food, we shall find 
plenty of individuals who expose the ignorance of their parents by 
their display of gums. Another curious case of dietetic sinning 
came under my observation; in this instance an entire family sub¬ 
sisted mainly on bread and butter, pie, cake, and tea, rarely eating 
meat and vegetables; this course had been pursued for several 
generations, but in this case vanity was the motive which prompted 
this course. In the first place, they sought to avoid labor and 
expense by this method of living, and thus saved money with 
which to buy fine clothing; another motive involved was the idea 
that such food gave them a thin, delicate, and “aristocratic” 
appearance, according to their mode of thinking; but this “aristo¬ 
cratic ” look is, to the eyes of the physiognomist, a sign of degener¬ 
acy—of impoverished minds and bodies. 

I have seen many fairly well endowed subjects who, upon 
opening the mouth, exposed a certain part of the gums, both 
upper and lower, but I have never yet seen a genius or person of 
surpassing talent who exhibited this peculiarity. Those who expose 
a great portion of the gums, together with a mouth which never 
quite closes, are wanting in mental power, and are not possessed 
of great constitutional vigor, for this peculiarity is indicative of 
physical degeneracy; that is, a reversion to embryonic types. 

* Emerson’s English Traits, p. 299. 


1052 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


I have met this peculiarity among the poorly-developed of all 
races. It is quite common among all the undeveloped races of the 
world, and points in all cases primarily to long-continued depriva¬ 
tion of nourishing food. 

Those mouths which entirely conceal the gums while in con¬ 
versation or in singing belong to the better-bred (I use this term in 
a physiological and scientific sense), and often to the thorough-bred, 
the signs of which I will give later. 

Those mouths that exhibit very little of the gums in conver¬ 
sation do not indicate so great a degree of degeneracy of body 
and mind as where an inch or more is exposed. 

The color of the gums is another significator of character. If 
they are dark red, they denote an unhealthy condition of the 
blood. If of a beautiful, clear, pinkish hue, they are indicative of 
pure blood. If they are very pale, or of a whitish hue, they show 
an anaemic condition, and this is associated with great impoverish¬ 
ment of the entire system. 


The Tongue. 

The tongue is pre-eminently an organ of motion; as such it 
is adapted to a great variety of uses, all of which require rapidity 
of movement and delicacy of sensation. The tongue, although 
not an external feature, is yet of sufficient physiognomic impor¬ 
tance to justify some description of its structure and signification. 

It is a muscular member, free on all sides except at its 
root, which is connected with the os hyoides (a small bone) by 
muscles and ligaments. It is an organ of touch and taste, as well 
as of language. In infants it aids suction, and man uses it some¬ 
times in prehension, as do the lower animals. 

Its primitive use is for taste, and this function is best devel¬ 
oped in the top, sides, and the posterior parts of the upper surface. 
The central portion possesses less delicacy of taste than the other 
parts. The following description of the function of the tongue is 
most complete and instructive:— 

Placed at the entrance of the alimentary apparatus, the great object 
of the tongue and of its special endowment is the choice of food—to reject 
what is nauseous and noxious, and select and retain what is grateful and 
nutritious, and it may be affirmed as a general law (though with some few 
striking exceptions) u that what is good to the taste will prove nutritive to 
the system.” The tongue also in most animals is an active agent in suction, 
prehension of food, mastication, insalivation, and deglutition; and in man 
it is the great instrument for speech. In the animal series it presents great 
variety in form and structure, which are always in accordance with the 
functions it is to execute, and with its endowments and limitations. To 
fulfill its several functions, the tongue must possess a very complex struc- 


THE TONGUE. 


1053 


ture ; it is accordingly highly organized ; six cerebral nerves are distributed 
to it; it is freely supplied with blood-vessels. It is covered by a sentient 
and very sensitive papillary surface, and is essentially composed of muscular 
and very irritable fibre, which form an intricate interlacement, not unlike 
the wall of the left ventricle of the heart. This muscular structure can 
change the form and consistence of the organ with wonderful rapidity; can 
move it in every direction, so as to bring and retain its sentient papillae in 
contact with foreign matter; can strike its point with agility against the 
lips and teeth, to produce the articulate sounds of speech; can press and 
bruise the food against the palate, gums, and teeth ; can with great dexterit}" 
collect the particles together, pick them out of every recess, and compress 
them into one mass, and then force the whole backward through the fauces. 

The tongue is described as of various forms—triangular, oval, irregu¬ 
larly square; from the nature of its structure, however, it cannot present 
any uniform shape.* 

The tongue, as well as the teeth, the lips, and mouth, reveal 
internal states and conditions of the digestive tract. Its form, size, 
and flexibility vary greatly in different individuals. It is one of 
the chief indicators of the pathological condition of the stomach, 
bowels, and liver, and of the general system; and is relied upon 
by physicians for knowledge of many abnormal conditions of the 
body. 

As the tongue is one of the principal organs of speech, we 
naturally infer that its peculiarities of structure would reveal moral 
and mental conditions. The normal structure shows more capacity 
for truthfulness than where it is abnormal; the latter shows less 
integrity than the former, as in tongue-tied subjects, while relatively 
inferior intellect or weak morality is disclosed by lisping, stuttering, 
etc. Other peculiar methods of speaking, as though the mouth 
were full of saliva, for example, point to some defect of the mental 
organization. Those who lisp betray a relatively childish condition 
of the intellect, and are to be suspected (if the lisp is very 
pronounced) of want of strict veracity, or, at least, of childish 
judgment. 

In some subjects the tongue is broad, thick, and short. This 
form is associated with a wide mouth, and usually with a short, 
stocky, muscular frame. 

A long, narrow, thin, flexible tongue is associated with a tall, 
thin, sinewy body; often lithe, agile, and graceful. 

As the tongue is the chief agent in vocal expression, its 
normal or abnormal structure would point to mental and moral 
peculiarities, as well as reveal a sound or unsound physical condi¬ 
tion of this member. The mind and body being a unity are so 
closely interwoven that it is impossible to separate function from 
faculty; hence, whichever part of the organism reveals abnormal 

* Practical Anatomy, R. Harrison, M.D., p. 492. 


1054 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


structure reveals at the same time some defect of the mental or 
moral power, and nowhere is this better proven than in the pecu¬ 
liarities of the organs of speech. 

Physiognomy of Smiles and Laughter. 

Smiles and laughter are parts of one act, the one passive, the 
other active. Smiling expresses a great deal, yet not so much as 
laughter, for in smiling the muscles of the lips, cheeks, and eyes 
only are concerned; in laughing the muscles of the lips, mouth, 
cheeks, eyelids, as well as those of the diaphragm and the respira¬ 
tory organs, are involved. 

Laughter is not always the expression of simple pleasure and 
amusement, although that is its primitive motive, as in the inno¬ 
cent, mirthful smiles of the infant. 

Laughter may be sarcastic, sardonic, malignant, scornful, de¬ 
moniacal, maniacal, hypocritical, brutal, coarse, idiotic, silly, sensual, 
amative, sensuous, loving, joyful, affectionate, approbative, or 
mirthful. In endeavoring to express such a variety of emotions 
and sentiments, it is to be supposed that all of the features of the 
face are brought into use, as well as many of the glands, muscles, 
and organs of the body; hence, smiles and laughter are most potent 
indices of character, and to the physiognomist reveal much of the 
character. The intonations alone of each individual carry with 
them great knowledge of his mental, moral, and physical status, 
and this aside from the mere expression of the face. Smiles and 
laughter are as individualized and characteristic as are the eyes, 
nose, or mouth; how can it be otherwise when we see that each 
diversely shaped mouth and cheeks produce movements in accord¬ 
ance with their own peculiar form, and each voice produces audible 
sounds in harmony with its own peculiar pitch and development of 
internal organs \ 

Laughter may he exhibited by a snicker, giggle, or chuckle, 
by musical tones, or by a rude haw-haw-haw, or by a hearty and 
spontaneous ha-ha-ha, coming right from the depths of the dia¬ 
phragm, and expressing honest, frank, good-natured fun and 
mirth. Each of these methods conveys a distinct meaning. So, 
too, smiling may be shown by a smirk or simper, or by a scornful, 
sarcastic look; or it may express approval, or quiet, suppressed 
mirth, or the passive simplicity and innocence of infancy. Each 
of these announces different meanings and motives. A man smiles 
quite differently to a female than to one of his own sex; he moves 
different muscles for this purpose—some, at least—and puts 
into his eyes quite a different expression than when he is address- 



PHYSIOGNOMY OF SMILES'AND LAUGHTER. 


1055 


ing another man. A woman, too, looks up into the face of a man 
with quite a different smile from that with which she greets her 
sister-woman. Says one of Whittier’s lovers:— 

“You tempt me witli your laughing eyes, 

Your cheek of sundown’s blushes.” 

The muscles which surround the mouth and eyes, and which 
promote laughter, are purely human; no animal has a similar 
muscular development. 

The muscle which surrounds the eye—the orbicularis (see 
figure at the head of this chapter)—is for the purpose of protecting 
the eyes in laughing, crying, and in the exercise of other functions; 
hence its development conveys physiognomical meaning. Its uses 
are well defined by Sir Charles Bell. He observes thus:— 

The orbicularis muscle of the eyelids acts powerfully in certain kinds 
of expression. In laughing and citing, the outer circle of this muscle, as 
it contracts, gathers up the skin about the eye, and at the same time it 
compresses the e3'eball. A new interest is given to the subject when we 
inquire into the subject of that compression; it has a distinct relation to 
the circulation of the blood, within the eye. During every violent act of ex¬ 
piration, whether in hearty laughter, weeping, coughing, or sneezing, the 
eyeball is firmly compressed by the fibres of the orbicularis, and this is a 
provision for supporting and defending the muscular system of the interior 
of the eye from a retrograde impulse communicated to the blood in the 
veins at that time. When we contract the chest and expel the air there is 
a retardation of the blood in the veins of the neck and head ; and in the 
more powerful acts of expulsion the blood not only distends the vessels, 
but is even regurgitated into the minute branches. Were the eye not 
properly compressed at that time irreparable injury might be inflicted on 
the delicate texture on the interior of the eye. Hence we see a reason for 
the closed state of the eyelids and wrinkling of the surrounding skin and 
twinkling of the eye in hearty laughter.* 

It is the active and habitual exercise of this muscle which 
causes the puffy and wrinkled appearance of the sensualist; this 
appearance tells in language unmistakable that sensuality is one 
of his dominant vices. It is found in the faces of both young and 
old, but is most noticeable in the faces of males. 

An individual who is observed to have always a smile, simper, 
or smirk on his face evidences an overweening degree of appro- 
bativeness and desire to be approved of others, and this argues a 
want of independence of character—one who relies more on the 
opinion of the world than on his own conduct for satisfaction. 
Such characters are never great and broad, but show small capacity, 
and, by endeavoring to please every one, divert attention from their 
real character,—or, rather, want of character,—and so get judgment 
in their favor. So superficial is the estimate of the world that foam, 

* Anatomy of Expression, Sir Charles Bell, p. 89. 


1056 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


froth, and nonentity often excite more commendation than the 
most substantial traits of characters which do not present quite so 
attractive and startling an exterior. 

A loud, boisterous laugh belongs to a rude, unrefined person. 
A clear, mellow, ringing laugh, not too loud, announces a clear- 
minded, harmonious character. The chuckling or suppressed 
laugh tells us that we have a secretive nature to deal with. 
Laughter which is spontaneous and full of merry tones, “like the 
jingling of sweet bells,” discloses a frank, merry person, not yet 
spoiled by the world and the greed of mammon. A rude, short, 
loud “horse-laugh” tells us of a most disgusting, rude, unfeeling 
brute. The hollow, affected laugh discloses an empty skull and a 
hollow heart; its exhibitor will do neither good nor harm to any 
one. A sharp, shrill laugh is evidence of a thin physique and an 
excitable temper, with an unbalanced and commonplace mind. 

The laugh, like the tone of the voice used in speaking, is an 
unmistakable signification of sexual conditions and powers, as well 
as the exponent of other functional states. This fact assists still 
further in the proof before stated in this chapter, viz., that “all 
those parts of the organism which depend upon the same organ 
system for their power exhibit unity of action and similar results.” 
The proof of the above-stated principles are, perhaps, better un¬ 
derstood by the majority of the people than many other physio¬ 
logical laws, because all persons have observed what is called the 
“change of voice,” which is very marked in hoys approaching the 
age of puberty. A change also takes place at this time in the 
voice of females, hut is not so perceptible. This change of voice 
is correlated with a marked change and development in the re¬ 
productive system. Now, all the organs involved in reproduction 
are mainly muscular and fibroid, as are also the organs involved 
in the use of the voice. 

Those persons who are the most gifted in vocal expression, in 
song and oratory, such as our first-class opera-singers, prima 
donnas, tenors, and basses, and the great orators and elocutionists 
of the world, must possess sound and powerful reproductive sys¬ 
tems. I believe that the record of their lives will bear me out in 
this statement, as well as the principle that creative art derives 
assistance from the procreative function. It is shown, in the 
“Evolution of Man,” by Haeckel, and others, that intelligence in 
the animal species did not progress greatly until after a marked 
development of the reproductive system took place; and that from 
that time on until man was evolved the intelligence of the animal 
kingdom progressed in the ratio that the reproductive system de¬ 
veloped. We cannot separate the mind from the body, nor mental 


THE NECK. 


1057 


faculties from physical functions; they are bound together by the 
God of Nature, and what God has joined together no man can 
put asunder. 

There is another physiological fact known generally, and that 
is, that as the sexual powers decline the voice also loses its vigor 
and richness. 

From these observations I think we are justified in consider¬ 
ing the voice one indication of sexual conditions and powers, and 
the laugh, by its tones, enlightens us on this point just as well as 
does the voice in speaking and singing. Still another proof of the 
connection between the remote parts of the muscular and fibroid 
system is had in the voices of eunuchs, and in the soprano voices 
of the male singers in the Pope’s choir. Emasculation in both 
cases has produced great and radical changes in the voices of these 
two classes of males. Any unprejudiced person can trace out 
these connections and correlations in the human organism—these 
which are so apparent to the senses. Most of the laws and prin¬ 
ciples laid down in this system of physiognomy are so susceptible 
to demonstration to the senses alone, that one is hardly called upon, 
as Tyndall remarks:— 

To picture with the eyes of the mind those operations which entirely 
elude the eyes of the body. 

Observation and reflection, added to a love of truth and a 
candid mind, are all that are needed for this study. 

The Neck. 

The physiognomical language of the neck is one very great 
aid toward the comprehension of character. The neck of each 
human being, and of each animal and species, is a revelation of 
the entire organism. As each leaf, twig, and branch are indices 
of the tree upon which they grow, and the leaf in many instances 
repeats the form or outline of the tree, so the neck of man or beast 
is highly significant both of the head and body which it connects; 
not only is it an expounder of the physical structure of man, but 
it most conspicuously reveals his mental and moral conditions and 

qualities. 

The neck is a member of motion, and is used in nearly every 
act of the individual; it is capable of great diversity as well as 
great rapidity of movement. 

The physiognomical importance of the neck must be apparent 
when we come to consider its position and its office. It connects 
the head with the trunk, and within its area it holds the organs of 
the voice; it assists in conveying air to and from the lungs, and 


1058 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


the food from the mouth to the stomach; it is also the member 
that incloses the muscles of veins, arteries, and nerves which fur¬ 
nish the brain with power to act. These air-passages and a food- 
tube, which are situated in the neck, connect directly with the two 
principal facial features, viz., the mouth and nose; hence, the neck 
must, by its size, form, and length, stand in direct relation, not 
only to the alimentary and respiratory powers, hut it must also be 
characteristic of the face and entire body and mind. 

The nearer the organs of alimentation and respiration are to 
the brain, the more rapidly is that organ supplied with nourishing 
blood. And as the thick, short neck is associated with a relatively 
broad body , this combination would produce a large supply of 
blood; now, a large quantity of blood moving rapidly to the brain 
would give the greatest power for the mental process, and if, with 
such formation, there be a brain of high quality , we shall find the 
most sagacious and profound minds. Napoleon I is an excellent ex¬ 
ample of this construction; his body was barrel-shaped, his brain 
was large, of high quality, and his neck was so short that his head 
seemed resting on his shoulders; his legs were short, and this gave 
him the appearance of being short, and gained for him from his 
soldiers the title of the “ little Corporal.” 

The elephant among animals is the most able reasoner; its 
head sits Napoleon-like on its shoulders; it is so sagacious that it 
has no need of either long legs or long neck to protect itself. 

The length of the neck is a most significant indicator of char¬ 
acter. Long, thin necks are associated with narrow, sloping 
shoulders, and usually with a flat chest and angular, high head. 
The character of such form is either timidity, or sensitiveness, or 
both. The greyhound, deer, and giraffe among animals illus¬ 
trate these qualities. Now, timidity is not the accompaniment of 
great mental power; Nature, therefore, endeavors to compensate 
her long-necked children by either excessive caution, which makes 
them watchful and alert, or she gives them length and leanness to 
make them fleet in their movements. To some she gives sensitive¬ 
ness, which is a great protection, as it enables them to see, hear, 
feel, and intuitively perceive dangers which might overpower them 
were their senses dull; in their case, sensitiveness of the senses is 
a great compensation for deep and profound thought or slow 
movements. 

The following analysis, by Dr. Cross, of the significance of the 
long neck is most admirable, and in this connection quite apt. He 
remarks thus:— 

The length of the neck is principally subservient to the ears, the sen¬ 
tinels appointed to watch over personal safety. Accordingly, those animals 


THE NECK. 


1059 


which are exposed to danger from their stronger neighbors have elevated 
ears and long necks, and all animals, when under apprehension of danger, 
stretch the neck for the purpose of elevating the ears. The strength of the 
neck, on the other hand, is devoted to the service of the mouth as a grasper. 
The prompt, predaceous e} r e can dispense with elevation for the sake of 
strength; accordingly, strong, courageous animals are endowed with short, 
thick necks, and in making an onset actually contract the neck so that they 
may be able to impel their teeth against the prey. In the endowment 
of weak, timid animals with long, mobile necks, and of strong, coura¬ 
geous animals with short, thick necks, may be seen a slight specimen 
of divine wisdom and beneficence. Where strength is largely bestowed 
rapidity of movement and of discernment is withheld, and where strength 
is withheld compensation is almost made by rapidity of movement and of 
discernment, whereby that danger which cannot be withstood may be for 
a time eluded. Accordingly, the short neck is generally the muscular neck, 
as the rough and well-marked processes and ridges at the base of the skull 
testify, and is also generally accompanied by the large head and the 
energetic intellect.* 


Many of the most profound scholars, able generals and com¬ 
manders, astute statesmen, and far-sighted merchants exhibit the 
short, thick, muscular neck. 

The principal traits revealed by the size, form, color, texture, 
motion, and position of the neck are as follow:— 


Will, 

Amativeness, 

Sensuality, 

Self-esteem, 

Attention, 


Sagacity, 

Timidity, 

Gracefulness, 

Coquetry, 

Hypocrisy, 


Avarice, 

Veneration, 

Youth, 

Old age. 


THE WILLFUL NECK. 

The willful neck is short and thick, and is indicative of a 
large endowment of the muscular system, hence is associated with 
broad shoulders, deep chest, large abdomen, and round head; this 
build gives large force and resistance. With a good quality of 
brain in combination we have the intellect of a Napoleon, a Lu¬ 
ther, a Bismarck, or a Cleveland. Those with this form of neck 
partake somewhat of the nature of the bull and the bull-dog, and 
are capable of great resistance and aggression as well; they are 
the kind of men that “carry the war into Africa” when neces¬ 
sary. This trait is essential in executive positions, also in sea- 
captains, engineers, etc., and many of the latter are of this short, 
stocky, sturdy build; it requires a good short neck for these po¬ 
sitions. Henry the VIII’s portrait is a most striking illustration of 
Self-will; to this trait he added large Amativeness, and under the 
influence of these two mighty passions he threw off the yoke of the 


* An Attempt to Establish Physiognomy on Scientific Principles, John Cross, M.D., p. 144, 


1060 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Roman hierarchy; his tremendous will enabled him to successfully 
cope with that then powerful institution. Martin Luther illustrates 
another sort of will, a will allied to large moral force, and he, too, 
was successful. Bismarck, the great German statesman, has shown 
what will allied to statecraft can do. Grover Cleveland has made 
a striking exhibition of will, associated with executive power, and 
was quite able to resist the onslaughts of all the “ cross-road ” 
politicians in their endeavors to “ run ” the government for him. 
This neck is indicative of apoplectic tendencies. 



Fig. 321 .— THE WILLFUL NECK. (Henry VIH, King of England.) 

Born 1441. This portrait illustrates in a remarkable manner the presence of Self- 
will. This is shown not alone by the structure of the neck, but also by the entire 
organism. The combination of the facial signs reveals a selfish, despotic will and 
unbridled Amativeness, which, backed by such a tremendous will, made his char¬ 
acter detestable. He possessed a good degree of learning for his time. It was said 
of him that “he never spared man in his anger nor woman in his lust.” He was an 
able statesman, bold and defiant. He opposed successfully the powerful Roman 
hierarchy and assumed control of the Church of England, which has since been 
held by all succeeding sovereigns. 

The Amative Nech .—Amativeness is another attribute disclosed 
by the short, thick, muscular neck, for those in whom the mus¬ 
cular is one of the superior systems are the most amative and 
passionate. The amative neck in females is often very beautiful, 
soft, and white; it is never long and thin, but has considerable 
adipose tissue in combination with the muscular development. 

The vegetative neck is not to be confounded with the muscu¬ 
lar neck; the vegetative neck is composed mainly of soft, fat tissue, 
with numerous deep folds; it denotes the glutton, also negative 
character, neither active, artistic, nor mental, except in a most 
limited degree. 


THE NECK 


1061 


Sensualists’ necks partake somewhat of the muscular and the 
vegetative; they are relatively short, somewhat wrinkled, and red. 

The Neck of SeJJ-esteem. —Self-esteem is shown more by the 
manner of carrying the head than by the shape of the neck; when 
this trait is large the head is carried in an erect and lofty man¬ 
ner, firm, rather long than short, and on a line with the backbone. 



Fig. 322.—THE AMATIVE NECK. (Marchioness de Pompadour, 

of France.) 

Born 1715. A handsome and talented woman, and favorite of King Louis XV. 
This lady was skilled in statecraft, and exerted a controlling influence over the king 
until her death. The head is slightly turned aside, thus showing the affable approba¬ 
tion of the woman of the world and of society. The Marchioness was noted for her 
tact, graceful manners, and astuteness. It is said by historians that she took a lead¬ 
ing part in bringing about the war of 1756. 


If it be excessive the head will incline slightly backward, exhibit¬ 
ing a pompous, egotistic attitude; a glance at these ceremonious 
“ turvy-drops” will show that the facial sign for Self-esteem (length 
of the upper lip) is very marked. 

The Attentive Neck .—The power for close and prolonged 
observation is one attribute of a very good intellect, and is the 



1062 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

characteristic of all really intelligent persons. Indeed, so highly is 
this trait ranked by the greatest minds, that Lord Bacon has 
remarked of this faculty, that “genius is only protracted patience,” 
and Lord Chesterfield observes: “The power of applying the 
attention steadily and undissipatedly to a single subject is the sure 
mark of a superior genius.” 

The physiognomical language of attention is shown by a 
forward and slightly sidewise direction of the neck and head. 
The portraits of Watt the inventor exhibit this position; also the 



Fig. 323.—THE ATTENTIVE NECK. (James Watt, Inventor and Author.) 

Born in England, 1769. The long-continued thought and close observation which 
the subject of this sketch practiced have left their impress upon every feature and 
line of the face. The head, bent forward in the pursuit of knowledge, is quite dif¬ 
ferent in its aspect from that of the miser, Elwes, in pursuit of gold. James Watt 
was one of the world's benefactors, for his discoveries have enriched posterity by 
labor-saving principles. He will live in the memory of man as long as great and useful 
minds are appreciated. 


portraits of Captain Cook, Sir Joseph Banks, Dr. Jenner, and 
Thomas Alva Edison. Dr. Cross has made most just observation 
of this peculiarity, for of it he remarks thus:— 

As the neck is the stalk upon which the senses are held up to take 
their survey of the necessaries and comforts of life, so the posture or atti¬ 
tude of the neck must mark the earnestness of the character in the pursuit 
after these necessaries and comforts. The earnestness of the animal is 
indicated by the direction of the neck; the more the neck is bent forward, 
the more are the senses bent upon these objects.* 

The heads of careless, thoughtless persons never present this 
forward inclination. 


* An Attempt to Establish Physiognomy on Scientific Principles, Jofin Cross, M.D., p. 146. 


THE NECK. 


1063 


The Sagacious Neck .—The most sagacious men and animals 
exhibit muscular necks ol large size, but so short as to make the 
head appear connected with the shoulders. 

The elephant is a good illustration among animals of this 
peculiarity and its associated sagacity. 

7 he Timid Neck .—Those animals which exhibit long and 
thin necks are characterized by extreme timidity and sensitiveness, 
as witness the deer tribes, the greyhound, and the giraffe. 



Fig. 324.—THE SAGACIOUS NECK. (Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor 

of France.) 

Born in Ajaccio, Corsica, 1769. Bonaparte was an able military commander and 
rose to the highest positions from the humblest ranks. This subject is one of the 
most fascinating characters in history. His life has been written by many authors, 
and, however they differ on minor points, all award him the palm for sagacity, 
breadth, and astuteness of intellect. The nearness of the vital organs—the heart, and 
lungs—to the broad and high head gave a great quantity of well-oxygenated blood 
to that organ, and caused him to be both prompt and profound in his mental opera¬ 
tions. He possessed what I term a “chess’’ head ; that is, a brain suited to making 
grand combinations with ease. The physiognomical as well as physiological signifi¬ 
cation of the form of his neck, and the manner in which it is set upon his shoulders, 
are quite apparent to the physiognomist, for they disclose enormous Will and Amative¬ 
ness, as well as Sagacity. The moral sense of Napoleon was sadly deficient. Of him 
Emerson wrote: “He is a boundless liar; he has not the merit of common truth 
and honesty.” His treatment of women, particularly of Madame de Stael, can only 
be explained on the ground of jealousy of her superior mental endowment. With 
all his ability, he did not know how to attach this great woman to him and use her 
talents for the nation’s good and glory. Napoleon’s vigorous intellect was inherited 
from his mother, who possessed uncommon strength of character. 


The long and thin neck in the human being denotes timidity, 
and if the inherited quality be of a high grade extreme sensitive¬ 
ness will be exhibited as well. This type is apt to be a prey to 
consumption or dyspepsia; the giraffe is often afflicted with dys¬ 
pepsia even in a state of nature. 

The Graceful Neck .—The graceful neck is not to be con¬ 
founded with the long and thin neck. The graceful neck must, 





exhibit graceful, white, and rounded necks. The graceful neck 
may be long or short, but it must be proportioned to the shoulders 
and body which it connects; it must be molded in a circular form, 
of a clear white or clear olive or black color, smooth and polished in 
texture, and intelligent and graceful in motion. These necks are not 
rare, but the present fashions give little opportunity for their dis- 


1064 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

indeed, be rather long, yet one element of its gracefulness is found 
in its correct proportion ; it must harmonize with the shoulders and 
bust as well as with the head. This neck is a mark of an affable 
disposition. The portraits of Queen Alexandra, Ex-Empress 
Eugenie, Mrs. Langtry, Lady Blessington, the Duchess of Leinster, 
Pauline Bonaparte, the Empress Josephine, and Mary Anderson 


Fig. 325.—'THE GRACEFUL NECK. (Josephine, Ex-Empress of France.) 

Born at the Island of Martinique, 1703. Wife of the Emperor Napoleon Bona¬ 
parte. This subject was one of the most beautiful women who ever graced a throne. 
She was noted for her graceful manners, her affable and ingenuous disposition, and 
her generosity. She was one of the best sovereigns of France, and retained until her 
death the high esteem and respect of all who knew her. 






THE NECK 


1065 


play—which is to he regretted, as practical observation of the most 
beautiful parts of the human frame tends to create a high ideal ot 
beauty; for this reason natural beauties should be constantly before 
our eyes. The customary freedom in dress, as practiced by the 
Greeks, gave to them a universal conception of the beauty of the 
human form, and this cultivated taste evolved those immortal 



Ftp qor_THE NECK OF COQUETRY. (Marguerite, Countess of 

Fio.326.-IM^1!a^ oN ; Au ^ hor and society leader.) 

• t i i v7qq t'Iip HvpIv fwhich accompanies this sketch is that of 
Born in Ireland1» The lively H er talents, beauty, and agreeable 

one of the most charming ot society Q ere Home, London, the most emi- 

manners and conversation drew t was witty and droll in conversation, to which 

nent men and well became her style. The carriage 

Pbysiosnomic meaning. 


masterpieces of the ancient Greek sculptors which are found in 
the galleries of Europe, and which are the models ol artists and 

the admiration of the ages. . , 

The Language of Coquetry .— The coquette reveals her dis¬ 
position by tossing and nodding the head sidewise and forward 
while in conversation with the opposite sex, and b} holding lei 
head sidewise while in conversation. 















1066 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


The Language of Hypocrisy. —This is shown by an appear¬ 
ance of deference and humility, by a too conspicuous bending of 
the neck forward, and the casting down the eyes with a sort of 
“Uriah Heep” expression in the face. 

The Avaricious Neck.—Avarice stretches the long, shriveled 
neck far forward with all the eagerness of a hound in pursuit of 
its prey. 

The Language of Veneration. —Veneration bends the head 
downward toward the breast in a devout attitude. 


Fig. 327.— THE AVARICIOUS NECK. (John Elwes, M.P., of England.) 

This subject was not only a most avaricious character, but was also a great 
miser. These traits he inherited from both bis maternal and paternal ancestry, 
hence he received a large and most intensified degree of both traits. A comparison 
of his neck with that of Watt will disclose very diverse characteristics: both reach 
forward, but it is easy to divine that they reach for very different objects. This 
gentleman was a great gambler, but so saving was he that after sitting up a whole 
night to play for thousands of pounds he would walk seventeen miles to one of his 
estates rather than pay for riding. Mr. Elwes was a wealthy man and had the manners 
of a gentleman, but lived in filth and penury. His entire living cost but fifty pounds 

S er year. He left to his two natural sons eight hundred thousand pounds sterling. 

[is face wears a very sharp, keen, alert expression, but all his quickness of appre¬ 
hension was turned to gaining. 



The Youthful Neck. —Youth moves the neck with animal-like 
freedom in order to constantly bring the surroundings into view. 
The white, smooth, rounded neck of a healthy child or infant is a 
beautiful object, yet it only expresses youth and has no other 
meaning. 

The Gluttonous Neck. —Two or three deep wrinkles running 
completely around the neck of an adult bespeak a large degree of 
the vegetative system and gluttonous tendencies. 

TJie Aged Neck, —Old age droops the neck forward until at 
last the chin rests upon the breast. 




the hand. 


1067 


The Hand. 

A work on physiognomy would be incomplete without a 
description of the physiognomical meanings of the several funda¬ 
mental sorts of hands. The hand has been with truth termed 
“ the second face,” for it not only corroborates what the face indi¬ 
cates, but it also reveals some things which the face does not; and 
whenever I am perplexed or in doubt as to certain indications in 
the face, a reference to its associated hand clears away the mystery. 
The hand is the most wonderful member of the human body; the 
language expressed by its movements, aside from its size, form, 
color, and texture, is marvelously clear, explicit, and eloquent. 
Says Montaigne:— 

With the hand we demand, we promise, we call, dismiss, threaten, 
entreat, supplicate, deny, refer, interrogate, admire, reckon, confess, repent, 
express, feel, express shame, express doubt, we instruct, command, write, 
encourage, swear, testify, accuse, condemn, acquit, insult, despise, defy, dis¬ 
dain, flatter, applaud, bless, adore, ridicule, reconcile, recommend, exalt, 
recall, gladden, complain, afflict, discomfort, discourage, astonish, exclaim, 
indicate silence, and what not with a variety and multiplication that keep 
pace with the tongue. 

The human hand is unique; no member of the animal king¬ 
dom has a grasper which is at all comparable to the human hand 
and its opposable thumb ; even the members of the ape tribe, which 
are the nearest to man in structure, have a hand entirely devoid 
of the subtle powers which characterize the human hand. One 
might fill a large volume with descriptions of the hand and its 
characteristics, and then not enumerate the half of its powers. 

In form every hand is at once the indicator and epitome of 
the body and brain to which it belongs. The face and brain of an 
artist have associated with them an artist’s flexible, muscular hand. 
The natural mechanic has, with his square-boned hand, the bony 
body, the square forehead, and the rectangular face, which indicate 
his dominant capacity; for “ Nature never made a man with the 
form of one person and the character of another.” The first 
phalanx, that is, the end joint of the finger, ought, to a good physi¬ 
ognomist, to reveal the shape of the body, the head, the face, and 
features, as well as the dominant traits of character. If the tip 
be tapering the muscular system dominates, and the subject is 
governed by the law of the circle or curve. If the tip be square 
the mind tends to mechanism or science, and exemplifies the law 
of the straight line and angle. So exactly do the basic principles of 
Form apply to the hand, finger, and finger-nail, that any observing 


1068 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


person, after having mastered these principles, ought to be able to 
describe the main characteristics of any subject under observation, 
as well as the shape of his face, his bones, his jaws, his chin, and 
his nose, by inspection of the first phalanx and the nail of a single 
finger. 

A great deal of compilation and translation has been made 
within the past few years on the subject of 44 The Science of the 
Hand,” in which many truths have been elaborated as to the 
meanings of the forms of the hand and fingers, but without the 
sound scientific basis afforded by the basic principles of Form and 
comparative anatomy and comparative physiognomy. My obser¬ 
vation on this subject will afford the reader the scientific bases 
which the works of D’Arpentigny and Desbarolless lack, albeit 
their works contain a fund of excellent information, but present 
the subject in its infantoid phase as an art and not as a science, and 
mingled with a vast amount of mediaeval superstition. 

The spirit of patient research, close comparison, and accurate 
observation of these two eminent writers on the Hand is most 
admirable, but, when they assert that certain forms of the hands 
are the results of the influence of an 44 occult astral fluid,” it 
reminds one of the many fanciful and exploded theories of the 
mediaeval age. The practical, common-sense age in which we live 
demands a demonstrable basis upon which to build a science of the 
hand as well as of the face of man. In this harmonious and 
orderly system of physiognomy this common base is elaborated, as 
I believe, in a practical and scientific manner. In my treatment 
of the physiognomy of the hand I shall use the basic principles 
of Form for my guide, as developed in Chapter II, Part I, for the 
explanation of the meanings of the several fundamental types of 
hand. The basic elements of Form, viz., the line, the angle, the 
square, and curve, apply to the hands, the fingers, and nails, in the 
translation of their forms into character, just as they do to the forms 
of the features and body. 

The color and texture of the skin of the hands and of the 
nails are subject to the same general interpretation as are the same 
qualities found on other parts of the organism. 

In reading character by the hand, it will be found to be in 
harmony with the face, and they will mutually interpret and cor¬ 
roborate each other; where the bone is the dominant tissue in the 
hand, and it be a square bone, the observer may be sure that the 
law of the straight line, the square, and angle governs the shape 
of the face, and this informs him that the ruling powers of the 
mind will be turned in the direction of science or mechanism, and 
that the strongest traits will be a love of order, thoroughness, and 


THE HAND. 


1069 


observation, and that morality and conscientiousness will be the 
most conspicuous principles in the character. 

Should muscle be the superior tissue in the hand, and the 
muscles be of the round class, a taste for music, sport, and domestic 
life will be present, as well as commercial and artistic powers. The 
same laws which reveal character in the face also rule in the 
delineation of character by the hand. Every minute appearance 
in the hand is as significant as when observed in the face, and 
close observation is essential to obtain the full import of these 
variations. Desbarolles says:— 

Hands may resemble one another, hut Nature never repeats herself, 
and in objects apparently the most similar she places, sometimes by an 
imperceDtible touch, a complete diversity of instincts.* 

Every combination which can be made by the mingling of 
round muscle with square bones, or by the blending of round 
muscle with round bones, or by the joining of square bones with 
flat muscles, reveals a different character, and their anatomical 
diversities are just as potent in disclosing character by the hand as 
by the face or body. The form, size, color, and quality are not 
the only factors to be taken into account in reading the hand. We 
must observe the habitual movement, gesture, repose, proportions, 
hardness, softness, elasticity, extension, tension, curvation, and 
squareness of the several points and phalanges, and of the hand 
as a wdiole. Hard labor and certain kinds of labor often change 
very materially the hand and shape of the fingers, but it cannot 
change all of the natural characteristics so as to completely trans¬ 
form the appearance and produce the form of another distinct 
type; hard labor may thicken and widen the palm, it may enlarge 
the joints, but it cannot flatten the nail, nor make an oval nail 
square, nor make spatulate the square tip, nor make a round 
muscle flat, nor a square bone round. It cannot destroy the pro¬ 
portion of the phalanges; in short, it cannot so far modify the 
type-characteristics as to prevent the physiognomist from compre¬ 
hending the accompanying character. 

THE CONSTRUCTION AND DIVISIONS OF THE HAND. 

The hand is divided primarily into three parts, viz., the carpus, 
metacarpus, and fingers. The fingers are divided into fourteen 
phalanges or joints, the thumb having but two phalanges. The 
joint which joins the hand is termed the first phalanx, the succeed¬ 
ing one the second phalanx, and the end joint the tip. The palm 
has two surfaces,—the back, or outside, and the inside, commonly 

*Tlie Mysteries of the Hand, A. Desbarolles, p. 176. 


1070 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


termed the “palm.” The finger-tips are provided with abundance 
of fine and sensitive papillae, or organs of touch, which give such 
exquisite tactile sense to the tips of the fingers; this sensitiveness 
has led to the expression that the tips are the “eyes of the hand.” 

The latter will be fine and sensitive, or coarse and insensitive, 
according as the skin is fine and thin, or coarse and thick; the 
texture of the hand coincides with that of the rest of the body, 
and in this manner the physiognomist decides upon the mental 
grade of the subject. 

The hand may be soft and muscular, or soft and fat; the 
former indicates strength and artistic sense, the latter a dull, nega¬ 
tive, vegetative nature. Warm hands denote good circulation, 
hence active mental powers, lively emotions, and sympathy; cool 
hands belong to those whose circulation is not rapid, hence they 
are not so quick mentally nor so strongly sympathetic as the 
former. Moist hands, except in warm weather, announce pathog¬ 
nomonic disturbances, and indicate an abnormal condition. I 
have felt in one day the hands of a number of insane persons, and 
without exception I have found them cold and clammy, with a 
disagreeable moisture on them, thus showing disordered physical 
conditions. 

The form of the hand always agrees with the form of the body 
or brain; that is to say, a long, thin hand will accompany a tall, 
thin body, and a short, thick hand belongs to a short and thick 
person; a short, fat, “dumpy” hand goes with the vegetative body. 

There is no such thing as an “aristocratic” hand. Aristocracy 
is a human institution, while the shape of hands are a mark, of 
Nature. Beautiful hands are not confined to any particular rank 
of life. True, the idle aristocrat can spend his time with the mani¬ 
cure, polishing his nails, and thus improve their looks; while the 
poor plebeian, born, perhaps, with the mind of an artist, or a 
metaphysician, may not devote as much time as the former to the 
cultivation of his finger-nails, yet exhibit a more beautiful hand. 
Hands which betray only superstition and imagination are often 
designated “aristocratic” by the ignorant, simply because they are 
white and soft, of small size, and of pleasing form; in this small, 
characterless hand the “aristocracy” is shown by less mentality 
or morality than is disclosed by more highly developed hands. I 
cannot imagine a more characterless hand than that of a Chinese 
woman, yet her hands are of the useless type termed “aristo¬ 
cratic ” by those who know nothing of the inherent meanings of 
the forms of Nature. 

The palm of the hand and the lowest phalanx of the thumb 
resemble the form of the trunk, or body, while the tips of the 


THE HAND. 


1071 


fingers and thumb are indicative of the shape of the brain, and by 
their form and texture announce its quality and poivers. A small, 
tapering thumb on a large or medium-sized hand denotes instinct, 
sentiment, passion, and a lack of strong reasoning powers, while 
a large, square-boned tip of the thumb indicates order, logic, and 
considerable firmness and perseverance. 

THE POSITION OF THE HAND. 

The habitual mode of holding the hand is a strong indicator 
of character. Avaricious people carry the hand with the fingers 
slightly curved, as if ready to clutch something; hence the term 
“close-fisted.” The very secretive close the hand, or nearly so; 
while the heedless have the hands dangling loosely at their sides. 
Generous, frank, and open characters carry the hand wide open, 
and turn the palm or face of the hand outward toward the spec¬ 
tators; whence the term “open-handed.” 

THE LINES OF THE HAND. 

The palm and the back of the hand present two diverse 
aspects of the character. The back is mainly bony, the palm is 
muscular or fat. Some of the lines of the palm of the hand appear 
at birth, others are caused by the development of the muscle or 
fat thereon. These lines are quite different in every individual, 
and the lines of the two hands of each individual are in most in¬ 
stances as diverse in appearance as are the two ears on the head 
of a given subject. 

To a good physiognomist these lines (at least some of them) 
reveal much of the structure of the body, but whether they reveal 
one’s destiny , as is claimed by palmistry, I am not able to say. It 
would not seem to me at all improbable, but it must have taken 
hundreds of observers and ages of research and comparison to 
have developed a practical system of this science. Some of the 
lines —those around the base of the thumb and on the inside of 
the knuckle-joints—are caused by the movements of the thumb and 
fingers; whether they have another and more occult meaning I 
know not. In fat hands these wrinkles would be deeper than in 
bony ones, and thus reveal physiognomical meanings. The hand 
seems to me a marvelously complex and subtle member, and 
pregnant with meaning m its numerous developments of foini, 
size, color, texture, and motion, second only to the face as a physi¬ 
ognomical indicator, and often disclosing what the face does not 

reveal. 

The primary or fundamental forms of the hand are four, and 
accord with the vegetative, the muscular, the osseous, and the 


1072 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


brain and nerve systems. All other forms are composites or blends 
of these four primitive types. 

THE VEGETATIVE OR INFANTOID HAND. 

The hand of a healthy infant is soft, fat, and almost destitute 
of any expression of character; it is in this stage only a picture 
of innocent, peaceful beauty, yet withal a symbol of undevelop¬ 
ment, like its associated forehead and mouth. 

The hand of the vegetative adult is short, rather than long; 
thick, soft, and fat; the palm short and thick, the fingers fat and 
wrinkled, the knuckles dimpled, and with scarcely any more ex¬ 
pression than the hand of the infant, yet lacking the beauty of the 



babe. This form of hand discloses absence of force and activity, 
and the signs of both negative and positive character are as 
apparent in the hand as in the face. 

The vegetative hand announces love of ease and repose, 
together with fondness for eating, and particularly for liquid diet; 
also love of amusements (if others make the effort), together with 
scant moral and intellectual powers, small self-control, and an ever- 
changing, fickle disposition, contented and good-natured until 
opposed, and then as wrathful as a rhinoceros in its rage. Domestic 
tastes (of a negative sort) are disclosed by this type of hand. 









THE HAND. 


1073 


MUSCULAR CLASS OF HANDS. 

Spatulate Type .—The main peculiarity of this type is found 
in the tips of the fingers, and the manner in which the nails are 
placed upon them. The word “spatulate,” from which the term 
“spatulated” is derived, is used to designate the implement which 
the apothecary uses in mixing his compounds. It has been applied 
to those fingers which in a manner resemble that implement, 
which makes an excellent description of them. (See Fig. 329.) 

The spatulate hand belongs to the muscular class, because, as 
is observed, the joints are not prominent, but straight at the sides, 
and hidden by muscle. There are several varieties of this type of 
hand, some of which have the thumb large, while others are small. 
The complexities and subtleties of the various combinations of 
form, as seen in diverse varieties of the same class of hand, are 
manifold. I have not space to delineate all of them, and can only 
give the associated characteristics of the primitive types. 

The spatulate hand is the useful or practical hand within the 
muscular class. It shows by its flattened-out tip that the brain 
system is not one of the supreme systems of the associated organism. 
This form of hand is one which loves labor—hard, patient, manual 
labor—and enjoys comfort rather than luxury; its possessors pre¬ 
sent the most practical phase of the muscular classes; they exhibit 
an every-day, common-sense spirit, and enjoy the logic of facts 
rather than poetry; they are a combination of the mechanico- 
scientism of the square-boned subjects, with a slight degree of the 
artistic powers of the muscular hand, of an ordinary quality. 
Among them, therefore, we may look for good calculators, arith¬ 
meticians, and builders, those who are willing to do the real work 
of architecture, as well as able to superintend it; many carpenters 
and architects are found in this class. 

They do not possess ardor and enthusiasm, but rather a cool, 
plodding, patient, and obstinate disposition, faithful to love and 
home, enjoying the liberty that others have created for them, and 
assisting to conserve and maintain a liberal government, yet lack¬ 
ing the push and enterprise to found such a one; hence, we do 
not find this form of hand among religious fanatics, governmental 
reformers, pioneers, and discoverers. 

Commercial Type .—There are two distinct forms of hand in¬ 
cluded in the muscular class ; one is short and thick, with fingers 
and thumb short and thick, and the joints smooth and concealed 
by the muscles, the fingers inclined to taper without being small at 
the tip, and the nails moderately broad and oval; this description 

shows that the round muscles are present. 

68 


1074 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


The character which accompanies such a hand is commercial, 
amative, social, sportive, musical, and domestic, with a great deal 
of vitality, will, force, courage, vigor, and magnetism. W. H. 
Vanderbilt’s and Roswell P. Flower’s hands belong to this class. 

Executive Type. —One of the varieties of this class is caused 
by a combination of the round muscles and square bones; with a 
large brain of high quality this modification shows capacity for 
politics and government, and exhibits ambition to fill executive 
positions. Many distinguished statesmen disclose this form of hand; 
Grover Cleveland’s hands and those of the late Ex-President Thiers, 
of France, are examples of this class. This type of hand has a short, 
thick palm, with moderately short, thick fingers, of fine texture and 
color, a rather thick thumb, the joints of about equal length, and 
a wide, squarish nail. The dominant traits are Will, Force, Execu¬ 
tiveness, Logic, and Ambition, with a subdominance of domestic 
tastes. This hand has a powerful grip, and is characterized by a 
quality neither very hard nor very soft. 

Artistic Type (Round Muscles). —Another variety of the ar¬ 
tistic hand is caused by a combination of round muscles with 
round bones and a subdominance of the vegetative system; this 
blend produces the best form for artistic efforts, for it gives 
strength and flexibility, with capacity for rapidity of movement; 
the qualities are essential to artists, singers, painters, instrument¬ 
alists, poets, and athletes. The palm exhibited by this struc¬ 
ture is moderately thick, soft, and flexible, the knuckles often 
dimpled, the fingers of moderate size and length, and the joints 
entirely hidden; the fingers taper from the knuckles to the tips, 
which are conical. Many of the most eminent singers, poets, 
and painters possess this form of hand,—with individual differ¬ 
ences, of course. With this hand is associated a character 
possessed of more emotion and affection than reason or logic ; it 
discloses inspiration and magnetism, considerable Approbativeness, 
domestic tastes, particularly love of the young and love of the 
opposite sex. 

Superstitious Type (Round Muscles). —Metaphysics is an art, 
not a science; sophists, idealists, and fanatics illustrate this type, 
for they deal in theories, both secular and religious, which are 
unsupported by facts. They can easily swing around the circle of 
faiths if only they be sufficiently fanciful, sentimental, and imprac¬ 
tical, and tinctured with a mystically-religious spirit. This class 
of persons exhibit a small, thin hand, of fine texture, with long, 
slim, and flexible, tapering fingers, pointed at the tip; a slim’ 
medium-sized thumb, also tapering; and a narrow, longish, oval 
nail, of an elegant appearance. This type of hand "is found 


THE HAND. 


1075 


mainly among tropical races,—in Asia, India, and among the 
Celts of Continental Europe. The religions of these people are 
founded on miracle and mysticism; their doctrines are of a dreamy, 
listless, negative nature; they possess emotion and affection rather 
than reason, justice, or morality. This form of hand is rare in 
northern countries, where practical common sense and reason 
abound. It illustrates the law of the curve rather than the law 
of the straight line and square, and thus reveals an artistic, sensu¬ 
ous nature. 

The Hand of Deceit and Dishonesty .—Fingers very slim and 
very flexible, if pointed, indicate error, falsehood, sophistry, trickery, 




and deceit. The hands and fingers of many sneak-thieves are a 
modification of this type. I have observed many Chinese men 
and women in California with the superstitious hand; also a few 
of Anglo-Saxon descent. If the stature is tall the hand will be 

long in proportion. 

MUSCULAR CLASS, NO. II (ROUND MUSCLES). 

Artistic Type .—This type of the muscular hand is longer and 
thinner than the preceding, with longer fingers, the tips of which 
are hidden by the muscle; the fingers very slim, flexible, and end¬ 
ing in a conical tip, and a longish, oval nail, the thumb long and 
thin. The character associated with this hand is intuitional,— 
much given to romance and music; to religion of an occult and 










1076 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


superstitious nature; to poetry; to sentimental love and friendship. 
The eyes associated with this hand are large, flat, and round, but 
not convex ; the neck, waist, and limbs are rather long. Ole Bull, 
the celebrated violinist, possessed hands of this type. Paganini, 
another wonderful violinist, had a most exaggerated form of this 
type; his hand had a weird, wizard-like expression, and harmo¬ 
nized with his face, which was of an almost unearthly appearance. 
Both of these artists were very tall, thin, and elastic, and resembled 
the bow of the instrument from which they drew strains of seraphic 
melody. Many poets exhibit this type of hand; also skillful 
jugglers, prestidigitateurs, and clowns. 

THE OSSEOUS CLASS (SQUARE BONES). 

Mechanical Type .—This class of hands exhibits three diverse 
types, and is revealed by the square-boned hand and square, flat 
nail; the second by the round-boned hand; the third by the square¬ 
boned fingers, knotty joints, with the tip not so square as the 
purely mechanical hand, and the nail curved outward instead of 
being flat, and with more of an oval form than the first mentioned. 
The square-boned hand of the mechanic has the bone predomi¬ 
nant. It is characterized by a long palm; fingers with large, square 
bones, knotty joints, and square tips, and rather broad, flat nails. 
It is the hand of practical common sense, and is associated with 
observation, order, and morality, with faithful rather than ardent 
love, and is inclined to logical reason and religion founded upon 
the demonstrable rather than upon the miraculous. This hand is 
adapted to the heavier mechanical pursuits, to iron-work, plumb¬ 
ing, ship-building, carpentry, blacksmithing, etc. With this hand 
the bony system is slightly in excess of the muscular, with the 
muscle second in development; where there is a good brain and 
nerve system in combination the subject is capable of superintending 
mechanical works and of buying and selling mechanical implements. 

Mechanical Type .—The second variety of the osseous hand 
is shown where the bones are round rather than square ; this form 
of hand reveals the artisan rather than the artist or mechanic. It 
is a hand which has in a certain degree the power of both artist 
and mechanic. This type discloses a short and rather broad and 
strong palm, with short, round-boned, flexible fingers, and nails in¬ 
clined to the oval; also a delicacy of touch suited to the finer works 
of mechanism, such as pattern-making, wood-carving, upholstery, 
type-writing, piano-playing, photography, millinery, and decora¬ 
tive art. With a good brain system in combination, ability for 
surgery will be often manifested, as surgery requires a small, strong, 
flexible, constructive, muscular hand. 


THE HAND. 


1077 


Scientific Tt/j >e .—The character which shows a decided taste 
Or talent for the natural sciences has a hand more bony than mus¬ 
cular ; the palm not so thick as the muscular hand, but long and 
bony; bony knuckles; large, square-boned thumb, with the two 
phalanges equal in length, or nearly so ; longish, square-honed 
lingers with knotty joints, the tips more square than pointed, and 
the nails more oval than square and curving outward from side to 
side, instead of being Hat and square, like the mechanical hand. 
The characteristics which accompany this hand are a love of truth 
and the facts and laws of Nature, and an insatiable desire to 
investigate them; a logical, rational mind; an even temper and 


Fig. 332 .—SCIENTIFIC HAND. 



•«»?!»• 



FIG. 333.—PHILOSOPHIC HAND. 


the emotions well under control; the affections more tender than 
violent, and faithful rather than capricious. Those of this type 
desire reform, progress, elevation, learning, and liberty; they enter 
cordially into plans tending to advance these principles, and are 
original in opinion, firm, amenable to law and order, and inde¬ 
pendent in thought. 

Philosophic Type .—Philosophy is one of the branches of 
science, and its expounders are characterized by hands which con¬ 
tain a good deal of bone, with perhaps an almost equal amount of 
muscle; this gives the art side of science. 

The palms of these hands are noted for their thickness and 
smoothness; the joints well marked, but hidden beneath the muscle; 
the fingers incline slightly to taper from the knuckle-joint, and the 














1078 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


tips are a compromise between the square and oval; the nails are 
of the same compound form. The mental powers associated with 
this hand are of the logical order, and manifest themselves by a 
study of political economy and the fundamental principles of mind 
and matter; they evince a taste for realities rather than for ideals. 


BRAIN CLASS. 

Mental Type .—Those in whom the brain system is dominant 
disclose relatively small, thin hands, with a thin and rather feeble 
palm; very slim, tapering fingers, with the tips pointed and the 
nails small and oval; joints scarcely perceptible, and which seem 
as though composed of gristle rather than bone. The peculiarities 
of this class are manifested by power for protracted thought, and by 
great sensitiveness and delicacy of the emotions; the affections are 
platonic or sentimental rather than sensuous. If the form of the 
bones of the fingers be round the mind will incline to metaphysics 
and the belles-lettres , and if they be square the mind will turn to 
the study of the laws of Nature—of science and mechanism. 

MIXED HANDS. 

There are many hands which cannot be classed with any of 
the before-mentioned primitive types; they are the mixed hands, 
those which are not purely of one or the other of these types, but 
which partake somewhat of the nature of more than one. 

It is impossible, within my present limits, to enter into a de¬ 
tailed description of this mixed multitude; I shall leave to the 
student an opportunity to exercise his comparison upon them; it 
will afford a fine field for physiognomic study, and an exercise of 
comparative anatomy as well. 

There is one hand of the mixed varieties, however, which it 
is well to describe, inasmuch as it is often found in this country, 
but not so much among natives as among immigrants from Europe. 
These hands are seen mostly among the Russians, Hungarians, 
Poles, and the natives of other countries who have been working 
like “ dumb-driven cattle ” for ages. This hand is about evenly made 
up of bone and muscle of coarse quality. The palm is thick, 
hard, and broad, and spreads out as it nears the thumb in a rude 
outline; the fingers are long and thick, not flexible, with a slight 
inclination to taper; the joints are large, but not knotty; the nails 
are short and broad and of a rounding form; the thumb is not 
large in proportion to the fingers, and in its habitual position it 
curves outward. 



'THE HANb. 


1079 


The Useful Type .—The mind associated with this hand is 
obtuse, wanting in sensitiveness and imagination; the possessors 
of such are born drudges of the most common type; they are 
lacking in enterprise, progress, or artistic appreciation, and are 
indifferent to everything beyond their own material interests, and 
their ambition is satisfied with enough for the present. They care 
nothing for fame, reputation, nor religion, except one which ex¬ 
empts them from thinking, and are never zealous or enthusiastic 
in this direction; in short, it is the hand of stupidity, of drudgery, 
of dullness, and negative morality. This class of persons are very 
useful in all civilized communities as hewers of wood and drawers 



FIG. 334.-MENTAL HAND. 



Fig. 335.—USEFUL HAND. 


of water for those more finely organized; they fill the most lowly 
positions, and such as require little thought and judgment, such as 
wood-choppers, canal and railroad laborers, miners, scavengers, 
hostlers, etc. Should fortune favor them, as it often does in this 
country, and they obtain wealth and luxuries, they make a most 
unintelligent use of them, and are the laughing-stock of all, on 
account of the ignorant and tasteless manner which they exhibit 

in the use of them. 


BEAUTIFUL HANDS. 

Types of beautiful hands may be found within all of the fun¬ 
damental classes, viz., among the vegetative, the muscular, the 
osseous, and the brain classes. A bony hand, if not too bony or 
scrawny, discloses one kind ol beauty, a muscular hand another 








1080 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


sort, and thus of each class of hands. A study of physiognomy 
will enlarge our understanding of beauty, and teach us that there 
are beauties to be found in hands other than those that are merely 
small, soft, and white, for beauty of character is often revealed by 
hands that are not small, soft, and white. A hand with the osseous 
system predominant, if associated with high quality, i.e., with a 
fine skin and a healthy color, is certainly a beautiful hand, or ap¬ 
pears so to one who has enlarged his understanding of beauty by a 
study of the inherent meanings of Form. 

The hand of an adult which is soft, white, and dimpled, with¬ 
out much decided form, is almost as devoid of character as an in¬ 
fant’s; any person who could consider this more beautiful than a 
bony hand, which reveals fine and noble characteristics, must cer¬ 
tainly be wanting in physiognomical sense. 



Fig. 336.—BEAUTIFUL HANDS. (Empress of Russia.) 


Various Types. —Hands in which the bones and nerves pre¬ 
dominate arouse in me the utmost enthusiasm, inasmuch as they 
reveal the height of moral grandeur and heroism; such hands 
must have belonged to Andrew Jackson, and, slightly modified, to 
Abraham Lincoln and William Ewart Gladstone. 

Hands seem to me to be beautiful that express capacity, either 
of a moral, mental, artistic, or useful nature. 

I cannot consider a hand beautiful that is disproportionately 
small. When seen on a man it gives one an unpleasant feeling, 
and we instinctively feel that there is some littleness or a dwarfed 
condition of the associated character; a physiognomical investigation 
will show this to be the case. 




THE HAND. 


1081 


Harmony of proportion in this, as in all features, constitutes 
real beauty. A hand or foot disproportionately small is no more a 
sign of beauty than is an undeveloped nose, mouth, or chin. 

A well-proportioned hand is one which harmonizes not only 
in its several parts, but also with the arm and body to which it is 
attached. 

In my estimation, large hands or feet on a man are signs of 
manly character , for such members express 'power of some sort; 
men whose hands and feet are large do nothing on a, small scale. 

The most beautiful object in this world, next to the human 
face, is a baby’s hand; it is the embodiment of grace, innocence, 
and beauty. 

Small wonder that the Palmers of old gazed into the hand in 
order to foretell the future. It is a wonderful and interesting 
object, and the next most striking feature to the human face, 
which I regard as the most marvelous object inexistence; it is the 
epitome or sum of all things in the universe. 



Fig. 337.—BEAUTIFUL HAND. (Taglioni.) 


THE TEXTURE OF THE HAND. 

A great deal of knowledge both of the mental and physical 
nature of individuals may be ascertained by the textuie of the skin 
covering the hand. If it be fine-grained and thin, with the pores 
invisible to the naked eye, the mental powers are very keen, acute, 
and sensitive, the physical functions actn e, and the emotions 
intense bv reason of the high organization of the biain and 
nervous system. If the pores are large and the skin thick, a 
common order of intellect is present and the functions and emo¬ 
tions are much less active than in the former subject. An excel¬ 
lent plan to ascertain the real condition of the skin is to inspect 
the under part of the wrist and arm, for this part is.protected and 
usually retains its natural color and texture when labor and 
exposure have changed the texture and color of the skin of the hand. 







1082 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


A fine, brilliant color of the outer portion of the palm is a great 
beauty. This is seen only in the hands that express considerable 
intelligence; it is caused by a fine, thin skin and a healthy quality of 
blood. 

The under part of the finger-tips should be a pink or of a 
healthy red color to come up to the normal standard. 

THE COLOR OF THE HAND. 

In a normal hand the skin should be white and clear, or 
brown and clear, and a roseate hue should be seen under the nails, 
the tips of the fingers, at the outer sides of the palm, and on the 
tip of the thumb. Hands that are well colored are warm, and 
this shows a good circulation and indicates great vitality, warm and 
active feelings, and strong sympathies. 

Very thin, colorless hands denote a fragile, sensitive mind and 
body, not long for this world, because the stock of inherited vitality 
is not sufficient to continue life to an extended period. 

Some hands are olive-colored, as we observe among the 
Spanish, Italian, and French. If the skin of these hands be clear 
in appearance and fine in texture, it is indicative of a high grade 
of quality and of mentality. If, on the contrary, they are thick 
and muddy in color and coarse in texture, it denotes a much 
coarser grade of feeling and inferior mental powers. 

The Nails. 

There are very great differences of form, size, color, and quality 
in the nails of the fingers; these diversities are as rich in physiog¬ 
nomic meaning as are the same qualities in the face. 

The forms and sizes of the nails have been described along 
with their associated classes of hands and fingers. The texture of 
the nails discloses character. Nails of fine, thin, smooth appear¬ 
ance belong to the fine and refined, to the mental rather than to 
the unrefined and stupid; while nails thick and coarse in texture 
belong to the coarse, strong, and unrefined, with more capacity for 
manual than for mental labor. There are various grades between 
these two extremes which only careful observation and comparison 
of each subject can reveal; the nails will agree with the quality of 
the skin, and will indicate the mental status of its possessor. 

Nails that present a flat appearance indicate dyspeptic and 
consumptive tendencies, or) at least congenital weakness of the 
nutritive system. Nails that are highly arched from side to side 
disclose not only good assimilative powers, but also large lungs 
and an arched chest. 


THE NAILS. 


1083 


THE COLOR OF THE NAILS. 

The color of the nails reveals internal powers, both physio¬ 
logical and mental. Colorless nails, if congenital, denote a feeble 
condition of the circulation—hence absence of strong, ardent 
sympathies—and a brain incapable of profound and protracted 
labor. If flat as well as colorless, they denote consumption or 
dyspepsia, and foretell an early decline. 

A bright, pinkish color of the nails denotes a good quality of 
the blood, hence warm feelings and capacity for activity. If flat, 
with good color, the disposition is not as aspiring and energetic as 
when well-colored and arched from side to side; the latter belongs 
to the most energetic and ambitious minds, capable of profound 
thought-of executive powers, and desirious of leadership. 

This combination of form and color shows that the thoracic 
and nutritive systems are well developed, hence the arched nail , 
combined with a healthy color, denotes just what the arch does 
wherever found, viz., power, vigor, activity, health, and longevity. 

It is by these minute appearances that character is determined, 
for they rest on the basic laws of Form, and are governed by 
the laws of homogeneity and harmony, by the action of which one 
such minute portion of the body as the finger-nail is able to reveal 
the structure of the interior organs, the mode of action of the 
mind and feelings, and in many cases the probable duration of life. 

Nails that are sallow in color disclose biliary weakness or 
jaundiced conditions. 

Those that are dark in color announce imperfect aeration of 
the blood, hence imperfect action of the heart may be inferred. 

Nails that bend over the tops of the fingers denote feebleness 
of the lungs or organs of digestion, or both. 

The nails in some races, notably among the Chinese, are cul¬ 
tivated in lengths and are considered signs of high breeding, as 
showing that those who exhibit them are not obliged to do manual 
labor. I have seen many Chinese merchants with several of the 
finger-nails three or four inches in length, and I once met a man 
who trimmed the nail of his little finger to a point and wrote with 
it in place of a quill. 

A nail arched and rosy, whether square or oval, is a sign of 
health and normal development; hence is a mark of beauty. The 
nails can be improved in shape, smoothness, and brilliancy by 
polishing and careful cultivation with brush and scissors. 

“ Hang-nails,” as the loose bits of skin are termed which 
appear about the rim of the nails, should be removed, as they 
detract both from comfort and beauty. 


1084 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Biting the nails is a habit which in children should be cor¬ 
rected ; this can be done by making an application of myrrh or 
quassia to them. Ulceration of the stomach has resulted through 
swallowing the fragments of nails bitten off. 

The preceding description of the several facial features and 
physiognomic indications gives most valuable knowledge of the 
human face, not only in regard to the significations of the form 
and color of the features, but also in regard to the subjects of 
beauty , morality, and intellect. I shall be rewarded if my ideas are 
understood and practically applied in the daily life of my readers. 


CHAPTER IV. 


Signs of Health and Disease, Strength and Weakness, Beauty 
and Ugliness in the Human Face and Body. 

I T would seem, at first mention of the subject, almost a work of 
supererogation to point out the signs of health and disease, 
strength and weakness, beauty and ugliness in the face and 
body of man, but I find quite as great a lack of this knowl¬ 
edge in the minds of the masses as I do of physiognomical 
indications. I shall therefore devote a space to the discussion of 
these subjects. 

Without a knowledge of scientific physiognomy and the basic 
principles of Form it is impossible to know what appearances in 
the face reveal either health, beauty, or feebleness, unless they are 
very decided, and even in this case there are many who could not 
state decisively what these indications were. The densest ignor¬ 
ance in regard to beauty is so prevalent that it is small wonder 
that its corresponding signs of health are as little understood, for 
strength, health, and beauty are synonymous. 

The majority of people regard as beautiful only those faces 
and forms in which the curve abounds. Some do not have as high 
a standard of beauty as this, even, and regard as beautiful those 
features in which the concave outline is present. 

Now, we have learned in the preceding chapters that the con¬ 
cave outline in any feature or member ever denotes relatively 
enfeebled conditions; hence, the concave nose, cheeks, or chest 
cannot rightly be considered beautiful because they are departures 
from the normal standard of Form, and denote relative weakness. 
In order, therefore, to have a correct idea of beauty, health, 
strength, or weakness, we must apply the laws of Form to every 
feature of the face and to every part of the body. In this way our 
comprehension of beauty, health, etc., will be much enlarged, and 
our knowledge of the powers of the human mind and body be 
greatly increased. Had we no standards of form by which to test 
our forms and powers, personal opinion would be the only criterion 
as to what constitutes beauty and health. The fact that one likes 
or prefers a certain formation or a certain face does not make that 

( 1085 ) 


1086 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


form or face beautiful, any more than disliking a face makes it 
ugly. The application of the laws of Form alone will reveal true 
beauty , as well as good health, strength, feebleness, or ugliness of 
features. 

That face is healthful and beautiful which denotes a balanced 
condition of the several visceral organs and other systems of the 
body, provided the organism be of a normal quality and in a normal 
condition. A balanced state of the visceral organs is shown in the 
face by general development of all the features , together with a 
bright eye and a clear skin, a healthy color of the complexion, and 
well-colored eyes and hair, a good-sized nose, large nostrils, full 
cheeks, a well-proportioned chin, curving lower jaw, a forehead 
broad and wide (rather than narrow and high) and developed at 
the sides and front, well-shaped cheek-bones, a well-proportioned 
upper lip, gums not visible, regular teeth, broad (rather than long 
and narrow) and red, moist lips. These indications are all signs 
of beauty, whether observed separately or associated in the same 
physiognomy. 

An unbalanced or weak organism is shown in the face by 
relatively small or imperfectly-constructed features, as, for example, 
a chin very short and narrow, hollow cheeks, perpendicular jaws, 
a mouth too small or misshapen, exposed gums^ ii'regular teeth, or 
teeth long and narrow; thin, bloodless lips; a very short upper 
lip; nose very thin or extremely short or concave in its outline, 
or turned too far downward at the tip, or narrow nostrils; upper 
cheeks very flat; eyes extremely small and sunken or excessively 
large and bulging, or exhibiting a very narrow commissure or open¬ 
ing between the lids; hollows in the forehead at the temples or in 
the front of the forehead. 

A thick, leaden-colored skin, or one that is colorless, or one 
too florid or purplish in hue, or covered with pimples and discolored 
spots; eyes and hair very light; narrow, high, spherical forehead ; 
dull eyes, or those in which the sclerotic or “ white ” of the eye 
has turned yellow or is bloodshot,—all of the above-mentioned 
signs of weakness are all signs of ugliness or lack of beauty, of 
talent and mental ability. 



SIGNS OF STRENGTH. 


Great strength is not always the attribute of the largest bodies 
and faces, any more than the largest heads are the indicators of 
the greatest minds. As a rule, very large persons are not so strong 
and capable of endurance as those of medium size. One of the 
best indications of strength of body is breadth, not only of the 


SIGNS OF STRENGTH. 


1087 


s louldeis, but of the head and features. A broad, compactly-built 
man, of medium height, who possesses a good, healthy skin and 
complexion, and well-colored eyes and hair, is more apt to be strong 



Fig. 338.—THE FARNESIAN HERCULES. 


This grand statue, now in tlie Museum at Naples, was executed by Glycon, an 
Athenian, with the exception of the right hand, which is modern. The artist must 
have made a long and comprehensive study of both anatomy and physiognomy, for 
the face corroborates and repeats the body.' It is a specimen of ancient art and was 
discovered in the Baths of Caracalla. It is a model of manly strength and beauty, 
and embodies Lavater’s signs of strength given in following pages. Were all mothers 
to follow the laws of Nature, such manly figures might be living realities, instead of 
being seen only in a marble statue. 






than a very large man with pallid skin, very light eyes, flabby flesh, 
and muscles loosely put together. 

The circumstance of color greatly influences the muscular 













































1088 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


power and capacity for endurance. Color gives strength and in¬ 
tegrity to the tissues, and a good complexion is one indication of 
good arterial circulation. 

There is a wide difference between mere muscular strength 
and the ability to endure long-sustained labor or deprivation of 
food and sleep. A good muscular development is required for great 
efforts in lifting, etc., but for endurance one must have a good diges¬ 
tion, normal nerves, strong and square bones, pure blood, and good 
lungs, as well as a fair endowment of muscle, and all of high 
quality. Form and Quality are the two most important factors in 
detecting signs of strength and weakness. Lavater has given so 
good a description of these indications that I here reproduce them, 
with his remarks thereon, for the benefit of my readers. He 
remarks thus:— 

What we call strength of body is that natural faculty of man in virtue 
of which he acts powerfully and without effort upon another body, without 
easily yielding himself to a foreign impulsion. The more a man operates 
immediately, and the more difficult it is to move him, the stronger he is; 
the less he is able to operate, and the less resistance he can make to the 
shock of another body, the more weak he is. 

Strength may be divided into two sorts,—the one, calm , the essence of 
which consists in immobility; the other , lively, which has motion for its 
essence; that is, it produces motion without yielding to it. 

The latter may be exemplified by the elasticity of the spring; the 
former, by the firmness of the rock. 

I put in the first class of strong persons those whom 3^011 ma3 r denomi¬ 
nate Herculeses , in whom evei^thing announces the most robust constitu¬ 
tion; they are all bone and nerve; their stature is lofty, their flesh is firm 
and compact; they are pillars which cannot be moved. 

Those of the second class are of a complexion which has not the same 
firmness nor the same density; they are less corpulent and massy than the 
preceding, but their power unfolds itself in proportion to the obstacles which 
oppose them. If } r ou struggle against them, if you attempt to repress their 
activity, the3 T stand the shock with a vigor and repel it with an elastic force 
of which persons the most nervous would hardly be capable. 

Solid and calm strength manifests itself by a well-proportioned stature, 
(rather too short than too tall), a thick nape, broad shoulders, a face rather 
bony than fleshy, even in a state of perfect health. 

I add some other signs which announce this species of strength:— 

A forehead short, compact, and even knotted; frontal sinuses well- 
marked, not too prominent, and which are entirety smooth in the middle, or 
with deep incisions, but whose cavity ought not to be limited to a simple 
flattening of the surface; eyebrows bushy and close, placed horizontally, 
and which approach near the eyes ; sunken e}^es, and a determined look ; a 
nose broad, firm, bony near the root; contours straight and angular; the 
hair of the head and that of the beard short, curled, and thick ; small teeth, 
somewhat broad and well set; close lips, and the under one jutting out, 
rather than drawn in; a broad, prominent chin; the occipital bone knotty 
and projecting ; a bass voice ; a firm step. 


SIGNS OF STRENGTH. 


1089 


The signs of weakness given by Lavater are as follow:— 

Hie following indications are those of weakness : A tall stature with¬ 
out proportion ; much flesh and little bone ; tension of the muscles; a timid 
countenance; a flabby skin; the contours of the forehead and of the nose 
rounded, blunted, and, above all, hollowed; a little nose and small nostrils; 
a short and retreating chin; a long, cylindrical neck; a motion either very 
rapid or very slow, but, in either case, no firmness of step; a gloomy look; 
depressed eyelids; an open mouth; long, yellowish or greenish teeth; a 
long jaw, with a Joint close to the ear; the flesh white; fair, tender, and 
long hair ; a shrill voice.* 

My own observation indorses all of these signs. 

Signs of weakness in the face are related to and point out 
defects of bodily organization , as, for example, a small nose and 
pinched nostrils show that poor ventilation and lack of nourishing 
diet, continued through several generations, are the cause of these 
facial appearances. 

Pimples and blotches on the face are the result of dietetic 
sins of the one exhibiting them, or of his ancestors, or both him¬ 
self and those preceding him. One of the most prolific causes of 
a defectively-organized liver and small, weak lungs is compression 
of the waist; and this baleful fashion, now happily almost entirely 
discarded, but which was habitual for many generations in all 
so-called civilized communities, will in time result in facial 
ugliness, and its effects are shown by a small nose, pinched nostrils; 
sallow, or leaden, or pallid complexion; dull eyes, hollow cheeks, 
perpendicular jaws; pimpled, blotched, and discolored skin, and 
other facial abnormalities. 

These defects appear in both sexes, although compression of 
the waist is practiced almost entirely by the female sex. The sons 
as well as the daughters born of a long line of females who have 
practiced this terrible habit show both in their face and physique 
the direful effects of a custom which leaves its unmistakable signs 
upon the body and face. Its influence upon the mind and moral 
sense are equally apparent, for, as I have shown that mind and 
body are a unity, and that physical function and mental and moral 
faculties are closely related, and that the signs of these functions 
and faculties are registered in the face and upon the body, so it 
must be apparent to the thoughtful that in order to have true 
beauty, true goodness, real strength of mind, of morals, and of 
body, attention must be paid to making every organ and function 
of the body as nearly perfect as possible. 

The exterior of the body is dependent for its form upon the 
size, shape, and activity of the interior organs mainly ; hence, it 
will be seen that, in order to have a beautiful exterior,—in order to 

* Lavater on Physiognomy, edition 1877, London, vol. iv, p. 131 et seq. 

69 


1090 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


have a handsome face and a fine bodily organization,—due atten¬ 
tion must be given to the condition of the internal organs. 

Exercise in a gymnasium may develop the muscles to a degree, 
but, unless proper attention is given to diet and rest, to ventilation, 
etc., real, enduring strength will not result. The power comes 
from within . 

COMPRESSION OF THE FEMALE WAIST.. 

Many women entertain the idea that moderate compression 
of the waist is not at all hurtful. 

Now, moderate compression is wlcat produced all these de¬ 
formities , for, according to accounts, no woman ever laced tightly; 




Fig. 339—NORMAL FEMALE WAIST. Fig. 340—ABNORMAL FEMALE WAIST. 

and thin, weak, ugly figures and faces were quite numerous in 
every civilized community. 

This species of deformity has never been attempted by savage 
races; indeed, no barbarous race has ever exhibited a variety of 
deformity at all comparable to this in its disastrous effects upon 
mind and morals. The compression of the brain by the Flat 
Head Indians, it is said, does not at all injure the intellect, 
while we know that lacing the waist not only injures the intellect, 
but it also produces immorality, disease and ugliness. Since 
“ la mode ” has decreed that the wasp-like waist was neither 
artistic nor stylish, a wonderful improvement has been noted in 
the development of our young people and especially do the girls of 
our better class families who enjoy many out-door sports, show a 
marked gain in height, weight and strength. 













COMPRESSION OF THE FEMALE WAIST. 


1091 


Moderate lacing, as well as tight lacing, induces the following 
disorders: Liver complaint, dyspepsia, uterine disorders, rush of 
blood to the head, weakness of the lungs, shortness of breath, and 



fig. 341.—THE VENUS DE MEDICI. 


This transcendently beautiful statue was 
xecuted by Cleomenes ? who lived over three 
undred vears B.C. It is on view at the Ufhzi 
lallerv Florence. Copies of this statue are to 
e found in all the academies of art throughout 
lie world, where it is made the basis of design, 
’he fine development of the waist enlightens 
s greatly as to the normal contour and mus- 
ular development of the female form. It will 
e observed that the measurement of the waist 
5 nearly as great as that of the shoulders. A 
ew geneStfons of mothers with such bodily 
utlines would usher in a race of wonderful 
eines far surpassing any known to history, 
or the high development of the mind and 
,orals depends upon the normal condition of 
very organ and function. The mind and body 

re a unity. 



Fig. 342.—EGERIA. 


Egeria, one of the goddesses of ancient 
Rome, discloses a bodily development which is 
a marvel of strength and beauty. It would be 
well if our modern goddesses possessed such a 
development of the waist, body, and limbs. 
Under a correct regimen there might be large 
numbers of women thus beautifully developed. 
In her countenance, attitude, and contours the 
qualities of female beauty, strength, and loveli¬ 
ness are observed. An analysis and comparison 
of the several parts of the body will prove a 
grand lesson in the correct proportion of the 
female form. Comparison of the girth of the 
thorax below the bust with that of the waist 
line just above the hip-joint will give a just 
Idea of the relative size of these two parts; 
the waist size will prove to be the larger. 

























1092 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

other disorders. It makes the face sallow, ashen-colored, pimply, 
and pallid; makes the end of the nose red or purple; creates small 
nostrils, a concave nose, and shows in the walk and voice, which 
latter it eventually reduces to a thin, piping, shrill, or nasal tone. 
A constant pressure upon the interior organs causes them to be¬ 
come more and more constricted in their action, and, as there is 
not sufficient room in the cavity of the body at the waist for them 
to act, they press some of the organs downward, and this displace¬ 
ment of organs in woman gives rise to congested conditions, which 
in turn lead to hysteria and other immoral states. Obstructed 
circulation prevents the blood from being properly purified in the 
liver and oxygenated in the lungs, and these two circumstances 
combined prevent the brain from receiving its share of nutriment, 
and brain exhaustion, feeble-mindedness, and loss of memory fol¬ 
low. Not only did the subject of this dire practice suffer in her 
own person all of these terrible consequences, but she transmitted 
all sorts of enfeebled conditions to her offspring, and all these 
. evils ensued from 44 moderate lacing.” 

SIGNS OF BEAUTY IN WOMAN. 

The illustrations (Figs. 339 and 340) of the normal and 
abnormal waist of the female figure show to what extent this 
deformity had gone, while the beautiful illustration of the Venus 
de Medici shows to what degree of beauty and strength the female 
figure may attain under right conditions. 

Of all the indications of beauty in the female, I rank, first, a 
proportionate waist; that is to say, a waist of from twenty-four to 
twenty-six inches for average-sized women in youth: smaller sizes 
for slight, thin women. The second greatest beauty of woman is 
a clear and fine skin and a brilliant complexion i the third, a 
handsome mouth; the fourth, a well-shaped nose; the fifth, 
bright, well-colored eyes. 

A girl who has been encouraged to spend much time in the 
open air is quite likely to have a fine complexion, as well as a form 
normally developed. Many other beauties of face, body, mind, 
and sentiment are sure to follow the development of the physical 
powers, for the normally-constructed woman will evolve a normal 
condition of emotion, sentiment, and intellect; hence, I recommend 
all women who wish to enhance all their charms of mind, body, 
and aftectiou to avoid anything which might prove detrimental to 
health; for a woman who develops her physical powers up to their 
highest degree, evolves a magnetic power which no hot-house plant 
can acquire, and which has also the good quality of permanency. 


SIGNS OF BEAUTY IN WOMAN. 


1093 


HEALTH hints. 

There’s a skin without and a skin within, 

A covering skin and a lining skin ; 

But the skin within is the skin without, 

Doubled inward and carried completely throughout. 

The palate, the nostrils, the windpipe and throat, 

Are all of them lined with this inner coat, 

Which through every part is made to extend, 

Lungs, liver, and bowels from end to end. 

The outside skin is a marvelous plan 
For exuding the dregs of the flesh of man; 

While the inner extracts from the food and the air 
What is needed the waste of the flesh to repair. 

Too much brandy, whisky, or gin 
Is apt to disorder the skin within ; 

While, if dirty and dry, the skin without 
Refuses to let the sweat come out. 

Good people all, have a care of your skin, 

Both that without and that within ; 

To the first give plenty of water and soap, 

To the last, little else hut water, we hope. 

But always be very particular where 

You get your water, your food, and your air; 

For if these be tainted or rendered impure, 

It will have its effect on the blood, be sure. 

The food which will ever for you be the best 
Is that you like most, and can soonest digest 
All unripe fruit and decaying flesh 
Beware of, and fish that is not very fresh. 

But of all things the most I would have you beware 
Of breathing the poison of once-breathed air. 

When in bed, whether out or at home you may be, 

Always open the windows and let it go free. 

• 

With clothing and exercise keep yourselves warm, 

And change your clothes quickly if caught in a storm. 

For a cold caught by chilling the outside skin 
Flies at once to the delicate lining within. 

All you who thus kindly take care of your skin, 

And attend to its wants without and within, 

Need never of cholera feel any fears, 

And your skin may last you a hundred years. 

Joseph Power. 


THE FACIAL FEATURES AS REVELATORS OF STRENGTH AND BEAUTY. 

The practical value of scientific physiognomy is nowhere 
more apparent than in the exposition it makes of the construction 
and conditions of the internal organization of the human body. 
By the face alone we are able (if we read it scientifically) to dis¬ 
tinguish differences in the form, power, and ability of the several 
visceral organs and systems. Physicians have long understood 
the value of the pulse as an indicator of health and disease; the 


1094 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


tongue, also, discloses both healthy and diseased conditions of the 
various organs, tissues, and systems hidden from the sight and 
touch of man; the face, too, has been relied upon to some extent 
in diagnosing the changes and conditions incident to disease. Yet 
the face, as an exponent of the form, size, and natural power of 
the different organs and systems of functions which constitute the 
organism as a whole, has never been understood until this system 
presented it. This knowledge, added to an understanding of the 
facial signs of health and disease, will be of incalculable advantage, 
particularly to physicians and mothers, and, indeed, to all who 
are desirous of understanding and conserving their mental and 
physical powers. I design, in this chapter, to give a few of the 
prominent signs by which diseased and healthful organs and 
conditions can be ascertained. 

To a thoughtful and observant person the face will seem 
naturally to be the exponent of the entire organism. It has 
evolved just in the same way that the various organ systems have 
developed. From the expressionless faces of the lower animals, 
the human face has gradually assumed its present degree of per¬ 
fection of form; as the evolution of the race continues, it is prob¬ 
able that there will be additions and changes of the physiognomy 
to suit the altered mental and physical conditions which evolution 
will entail. There has been a constant change and addition of 
expressions in connection with the evolution of the physical and 
mental powers. The physiognomies of the most advanced peoples 
are much more expressive than those of the lowest races; the 
physical powers of the former are more highly specialized than 
those of the latter; in fact, we find that the mental powers keep 
pace with physiological development all along the line of pro¬ 
gressive growth. 

The forehead, chin, and defined nose are the latest acquisi¬ 
tions to human physiognomy; none of the lower animals possess 
either, neither have they the same degree of reason, conscientious¬ 
ness, and mechanical ability as the developed man; and the signs 
for these faculties are found in the forehead, chin, and nose. 

THE NOSE. 

The nose, as has been shown elsewhere, is an indicator of 
both lungs and heart; and, as man depends upon his breathing 
and circulatory power for his ability to perform almost all of the 
useful and great acts of life, the importance of the high develop¬ 
ment of the nose in regard to size and form must be apparent to 
the reader; therefore, any peculiarity in this feature which would 
indicate a deficiency in the action of either the lungs or the heart 



THE NOSE. 


1095 


would necessarily afford the clue to the grade of mentality of the 
possessor of such peculiarity. 

When we wish to discover the natural construction of the 
lungs and heart and the power and vigor of the circulation, as 
well as the ability of the lungs to oxygenate the blood, we must 
look to the size and shape of the nostrils and nose. If the nostrils 
be small, the lungs will be small also; and the heart, not receiving 
a large supply of well-oxygenated blood, will not, of course, be as 
powerful as where the supply is greater. The natural or inherited 
quality of the individual is useful in estimating the strength or 
weakness of the internal organs and the power of their functions; 
this, too, must be taken into account in forming an opinion in 
regard to their action. The texture, color, and clearness of the 
skin and eyes, as remarked elsewhere, will assist in arriving at the 
quality of the physiology of the individual. 

These characteristics of the natural physiological conditions 
give us an understanding of the mental powers, for mind is only a 
question of physiology. Although we have been taught that it is 
something superior to the body, we know that it cannot exist apart 
from it, and cannot be regarded as an entity. Now, when we 
observe a person whose nose lies flat, or nearly so, against his face, 
we know directly that his mental construction is of a very low 
order, from lack of the physical assistance which a developed 
state of the lungs, heart, and stomach renders. A low, flat nose 
denotes a low grade of intellect—low, because there is not the 
proper apparatus for assimilating enough of the constituents of the 
atmosphere to give noble aspirations and lofty and vigorous thought. 
A hollow or “ scooped ” nose—that is to say, a nose which is very 
low at the centre and lies nearly level with the plane of the face— 
is always accompanied by a weak stomach, or a tendency to such 
weakness. Hollow, retreating eyes and depression of the orbits 
or surrounding parts disclose a deficiency of power in the muscular 
system. If the bones of the forehead do not project well out over 
the eyes, the bony system is comparatively small; that is to say, it 
is small in proportion to the other systems in the body. If the 
sign for Weight be small, the individual will not be able to balance 
himself so well in walking, climbing, dancing, etc., as where it is 
found largely developed. But as my design in this chapter is to 
treat particularly of the facial signs and indications of health and 
disease, both natural and acquired, as well as of beauty and 
ugliness, I shall pass by the meanings of mental significations in 
the countenance, and confine myself to the purely physiological 
or pathognomonic aspect of the physiognomy. 

If the nostrils are narrow and long, the lungs will correspond 


1096 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


in formation. The strength of the lungs will depend upon their 
inherited quality, regardless of size , although the large round lungs 
are usually the stronger. The strength and power of the lungs 
may be known by a healthful color of the skin, as well as by a 
healthful brightness and clearness of the eyes. 

In deciding upon possibilities of lung-power, the condition of 
the digestive system must be taken into account. Where assimila¬ 
tion is easily performed, the lungs will be well supplied with good 
blood; but if the nostrils are narrow, the skin pale or blue, and 
the cheeks thin or hollow, great care must be taken to provide the 
stomach with the most nourishing food, else that dread scourge, 
consumption, will make its appearance. Persons with weak diges¬ 
tion set little value on food, and often neglect themselves in this 
respect, and in this way the lungs become impoverished and soon 
decay. Such persons should make a business of eating and cul¬ 
tivate the appetite by eating all that the taste calls for. Appetite 
can be cultivated, just as any other defective function or faculty. 
Poor feeders do not have so strong a hold upon life, nor are they as 
capable of friendship, as those who nourish the body well. Con¬ 
sumption can be cured in its first stages by pure air and a dietary 
suited to the individual. Medicine cannot cure it. It may some¬ 
times mitigate the severity of the cough, but medicine cannot 
supply good, rich blood in the right proportions. Nothing but 
good food made into blood, and this blood oxygenated by the purest 
atmosphere, can replace the diseased and worn-out tissues. Medi¬ 
cine never created either blood or tissue; food and air alone perform 
this miracle. 

Narrow or pinched nostrils are evidence of weak lungs. This 
formation also shows a sluggish arterial circulation. Weakness 
of the lungs gives other indications of their inability to perform 
their office properly; a pale, bluish cast of the skin, with blue or 
pale lips and nails, arching of the nails over the fingers, sighing 
and yawning frequently, shortened respiration, narrow and droop¬ 
ing shoulders, and a flat chest, are all symptoms of an imperfect 
thoracic system. 

The thoracic or lung system is dependent upon the normal 
action of the intestinal system to provide nutrition,—to supply the 
lungs with a sufficient quantity of blood of a suitable quality to 
keep them in normal action. If the bowels fail to perform their 
share of work,—fail to provide suitable materials for the manufacture 
of blood,—the lungs become impoverished and decay; and the 
hectic flush denotes an abnormal condition of the intestinal system, 
and show that the lungs have not received their right proportion 
of good blood to supply their necessities, 


THE CHIN, CHEEKS, AND LIPS. 


1097 


THE CHIN, CHEEKS, AND LIPS. 

Physicians in all ages have understood many signs of disease 
and health as shown by the various expressions and changes of 
the human face. Hippocrates and Galen, the most ancient medical 
writers, have left us some opinions in regard to signs of diseases 
which they had observed. Hippocrates tells us that it is a bad 
symptom 

When the e}'es of the patient shun the light, when they begin to 
squint, when one appears smaller than the other, when the white begins to 
redden, the arteries to grow black, to swell, or to disappear in an extra¬ 
ordinary manner; 

And, he adds:— 

The more the posture of the patient approaches that which was 
habitual to him in a state of health, the less the danger. 

The natural predisposition to many diseases can be known by 
the peculiarities of facial construction. With this knowledge once 
gained, the individual will be able to ward off disease by using 
such precautionary measures as hygienic law dictates. All hollows 
in the countenance denote weakness. If these hollows are natural, 
the defect is constitutional; if temporary, then they are acquired, 
and may be easily remedied. A small, narrow, retreating chin, or 
one which hollows inward near the under lip, discloses constitu¬ 
tional weakness of the kidneys. Hollow cheeks in the lower part 
show weak digestion, or poor assimilative capacity. Hollow places 
in front of the ear-opening, where the parotid gland is situated, 
also exhibit less of assimilative power than where this portion of 
the face is full. I have observed this gland so emaciated as to 
form deep wrinkles all over it. This appearance shows that the 
salivary glands are inactive and small; hence, they cannot secrete 
and supply as much saliva as is necessary for the perfect insaliva¬ 
tion of the food received. A thin, pale, and dry upper lip bears 
testimony to a weakness in the reproductive system ; extreme short¬ 
ness of the upper lip signifies a tendency to weakness ot the spine. 
Shortness of the septum of the nose, so that it is level with the 
ala?, or wings, or where it is observed to be shorter than the sides, 
evinces a predisposition to bilious disoideis. Disease ot the heart 
is indicated by a blue skin, fatty cornea ot the e^e, and led and 
white spots on the face. I have observed, in severe cases of heart 
disease, the lips and gums nearly black and the skin as dark as if 
smeared with ink. Another sign of weak lungs is shown by the 
hectic flush on the upper part ot the cheek, just o\ei the malai 
bones; this flush is an indication of an abnormal condition of the 


1098 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

intestinal system, and is observed just where one sign for the intes¬ 
tinal system is situated. 

A weak or defective state of the nutritive system prevents a 
suitable quantity and proper quality of the blood from being manu¬ 
factured and sent to the lungs and brain; hence it is that those 
whose nutritive system is feeble are not only feeble breathers, but 
they are also feeble thinkers. These two conditions are shown not 
only by the pallor of the cheeks, or at other times by a flushed 
condition of them, but the nostrils, in many subjects, are nar¬ 
row ; thus, one defect induces another, and are all registered 
unmistakably upon the face. 

THE COMPLEXION. 

The complexion and color of the skin, eyes, and hair have a 
moral as well as intellectual and physical signification. Where 
the organism is deficient in the coloring pigment (as I have ex¬ 
plained elsewhere) a weakness of the glandular system is usually 
indicated. This deficiency is shown by milk-white or very light 
eyes, weak hair, and skin of a pallid hue. This appearance is 
often accompanied by imperfect vision, deafness, tubercles, a scrof¬ 
ulous diathesis, chlorosis, white swellings, and many other diseased 
conditions of the glands in various parts of the body. 

Now, if the sight or hearing is imperfect, the individual cannot 
gain correct knowledge of material objects, nor of speech and ideas. 
Persons with defective senses fail to apprehend the perfect and en¬ 
tire import of what occurs about them; hence, they are liable to 
take in erroneous or partial understandings of things as they 
appear. They are, also, by reason of such defective senses, less 
able to perceive and avoid dangers, and, by reason of their weak¬ 
ness, less able to resist the attacks of disease and more liable to be 
affected by immoral temptations. 

The glandular system being both absorbent and secretory in 
its nature, assisting by absorption the function of digestion, would 
fail, in case of defective action, to absorb and convey the materials 
essential to supply the coloring pigment which the foods extract 
from the minerals contained in the earth upon which they are 
grown. The glands would also fail in the chemical action neces¬ 
sary to furnish new tissues and animal heat to the organism. Un¬ 
less all these operations are perfect, Friendship, for example, cannot 
exist in its highest state. If the secreting glands—the lymphatics— 
are too weak to properly perform their office, and fail to absorb the 
impurities of the system, the body becomes charged with waste 
matter, and a condition of moral impurity will be the result. Can 
it be doubted, by any observant or logical person, that a sound and 


THE COMPLEXION. 


1099 


pure body is more capable of morality and integrity than one 
which is weak, diseased, and impure 1 There must be equilibrium 
in the several functions of body and faculties of mind in order to 
produce harmonious conditions of the moral and mental faculties. 
The more I investigate the human organism, the more I am con¬ 
vinced that the moral nature is dependent for its purity and strength 
upon physical conditions, and not upon theories, beliefs, or dogmas, 
although cultivation of the moral sense is necessary for the progress 
and preservation of the race. 

There are many other ways in which the moral and mental 
faculties are made to suffer by absence of coloring matter. Its 
deficiency causes people to be suspicious. Lacking the warmth 
essential for great friendship, they are ever ready to suspect their 
friends. Ask any very light-eyed person if this is not one of his 
characteristics. A candid answer will prove this statement. On 
the other hand, too much coloring pigment induces another class of 
diseases, and evidences other moral and mental peculiarities and 
defects. Persons with very dark skin, hair, and eyes are liable to 
disorders of the biliary system, to fevers, and inflammations. As 
with great depth of color intense heat is always found, so we must 
infer that the passions and emotions of very dark races, such as 
love, jealousy, hatred, revenge, and the like, are more violent, in¬ 
tense, and heated than those of the white races. This fact is well 
illustrated in the Negro and Indian, as well as in the Spanish, 
Portuguese, and Celtic races generally, and in the inhabitants of 
the tropics as well. Sufficient color is a necessity and a preservative 
of life and health. It also gives tone and strength to the moral and 
mental faculties. Too little coloring pigment, as I have shown, 
renders the individual weak morally, mentally, and physically, and 
induces shortness of life. The knowledge of these facts should be 
an incentive to the study of hygiene, and the application of its laws 
to the human organism. Diet suited to each individual, proper 
exercise and clothing, with sunlight, pure air and water, should 
be considered as first in the scale of human necessities, and the 
effort to procure them the first and highest of religious duties. 

A hollow in the centre of the forehead announces a weakness 
of that part of the memory which is devoted to the memory of 
events, facts, incidents, and biography. Memory has as many 
parts as there are faculties. One may possess an uncommonly 
good memory for names and not for dates, or a memory for colors 
and not for forms, a memory for tune and not for figures or time, 
or a memory for faces and not for names. Many forms of nervous 
diseases weaken the general memory. Nervous shocks will some¬ 
times impair the memory for names of things, for nouns and not 


1100 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


for adjectives and other parts of speech, thus proving that memory 
has almost infinitesimal subdivisions. 

Memory is far more complex and minute in its operations than 
is generally understood. The learned and ingenious Hooke is said, 
in his speculations, to have estimated “that the mind is capable of 
containing three thousand one hundred and fifty-five million seven 
hundred and sixty thousand ideas.” Each of these ideas has its 
own memory, as a matter of course. I think this estimate under¬ 
rates rather than overrates the divisions and capacity of memory. 

The prevalent custom of the almost universal use of tobacco 
and alcoholic drinks is not only demoralizing the present genera¬ 
tion, but is laying the foundation for a large increase of criminal 
and defective men and women in the next. Wherever we find the 
renal or kidney system constitutionally defective we shall be sure to 
find the moral nature correspondingly weak. The children born 
of drunkards have often very narrow, retreating chins,—the first 
stage toward idiocy. Many, if not most, idiots show similar forma¬ 
tion, and this indicates enfeebled moral perception and power. 
The reports of the superintendents for several Homes for Inebriates 
have fallen under my observation; on comparing them, I find that 
they are unanimously of the opinion expressed by one of them, Dr. 
Haynes, of San Francisco, viz., that 

In chronic cases of alcoholism there is a general impairment of all the 
so-called moral faculties , and a corresponding increase of the animal 
instincts and nature. 

He also adds:— 

From our own observation, as a general rule, there seems to be a 
change in the very morale of the mind. All continuous mental effort 
soon becomes difficult or impossible; not only are the perceptions blunted, 
but the intellectual faculties and reasoning powers are impaired. This 
tendency, which plays a very important part in the production of prema¬ 
ture mental decay, has been attributed chiefly to three causes, viz., hyper¬ 
trophy of the left ventricle, chronic disease of the kidney, and degeneration 
of the coats of the cerebral arteries. 

Some parts of the memory are affected and weakened by long- 
continued catarrh ; other divisions by nervous shocks. Thus we 
see the importance of keeping the several parts of the body in 
repair if we would be mentally qualified to use our highest powers. 
The general memory, as I have shown, may be strengthened, im¬ 
paired, or wholly obliterated by certain physical conditions. It may 
be strengthened by a judicious use of it in the following manner: 
First, by a slow and deliberate perusal of whatever subject one 
desires to retain; afterward, by a careful review each night of the 
events of the day, week, or month. A few moments devoted to 


THE COMPLEXION. 


1101 


this exercise will produce a decided increase in the memorizing 
capacity. It may also be strengthened by the use of proper foods 
and the non-use of stimulants in any form. Alcohol and malt 
liquors, tea, coffee, pepper, and too much animal food all tend to 
stimulate the mind; but all exalted and stimulated conditions are 
sure to bring reaction, and this reaction will produce exhaustion of 
the nerve-forces. Hence, it is apparent that this process called 
Memory, which, above and beyond all others, has been considered 
a purely mental function, is dependent for its power and sustenance 
upon dietetic and stomachic conditions. Another proof of this 
dependence is given us in the fact that a deficiency of color in the 
physiognomy—in the skin, hair, and eyes—is evidence of a weak 
memory. Now, if the stomach were supplied with suitable ma¬ 
terials from which the right proportions of color could be extracted, 
and if the chemical action of the systems of the body which assist 
the process of digestion and nutrition were normal, and if the body 
received sufficient sunlight, the memory would be strengthened, 
and this “ mental ” process would be correspondingly improved. 
The habitual use of tobacco assists not only in changing the color 
of the complexion, but sometimes almost entirely obliterates the 
memory of colors, as well as other departments of Memory; and 
this defect is intensified where this habit is hereditary,—where 
grandfather, father, and son have been habituated to the constant 
use of this terrible poison. Not only is the color-sense defective 
and sometimes obliterated, but other physical functions and mental 
faculties lose their normal power and vigor. The functions of 
secretion and absorption are obstructed by the presence of nicotine 
(an active principle in tobacco); hence, the tissues are neither 
purified of their waste particles nor are they properly rebuilt, in 
consequence of the lymphatics failing to perform their office. 
These glands are affected in such manner by the active poison of 
tobacco that normal action is impossible. The proof of this position 
will be better understood when it is shown that the color-sense, or 
memory of colors, is very defective in men,—far more so than in 
women. This arises principally from the fact that men are gen¬ 
erally consumers of tobacco, while women seldom make use of it. 
The percentage of color-blindness in men, as compared with the 
same defect in women, is astonishing, and almost surpasses belief 
Had we not the statistics of eminent and reputable physicians and 
scientists on this point it would be incredible. 

Now, upon the integrity of the memory of color the lives of 
thousands of human beings daily depend, as, for example, in com¬ 
prehending colored signals and lights on steam-ships and railroad 
trains; and, as these positions are filled exclusively by men, it is 


1102 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

• 

apparent that the safety of the traveling community is jeopardized 
by the use of a narcotic which destroys this most important depart¬ 
ment of Memory. The facial signs of this defect are shown in 
the livid faces and the colorless, lustreless, and yellow hue of the 
eyes of those who are under the effect of the poison of tobacco. 
It impedes respiration, and thus decreases lung and arterial circula¬ 
tion ; it weakens the digestion ; it impairs the reasoning faculties; 
it unmans the individual, producing a weakness of the moral sense 
the same as alcohol, and gives rise to timidity and irresolution in 
principles and practice; and all these defective conditions, when 
transmitted to posterity, are intensified and increased many degrees. 
It is one of the greatest obstacles to the march of civilization, inas¬ 
much as society countenances the perpetuation of the race by those 
who are degraded and vitiated by the use of narcotics. If drunk¬ 
ards and tobacco-consumers were prevented from transmitting their 
defective organisms the advance of civilization would be most 
rapid. An enlightened self-interest on the part of governments 
would seek to prevent such abnormal beings from inflicting their 
perverted conditions upon the unborn, for I claim that they have 
rights which justice should accord; but, as I have elsewhere 
remarked, men stupefied and besotted are not masters of them¬ 
selves, and should be coerced into regarding the rights of others 
by the strong arm of the law until spell time as they become 
reasoning beings. 


USE OF STIMULANTS. 

The facial signs of the diseased conditions induced by the use 
of stimulants are almost too well known to need notice here, but, 
as they are strong and convincing proof that all bodily or func¬ 
tional conditions are registered in the face, I will state some of 
them. The reader will have no difficulty in verifying these signs, 
for they are to be seen in every grade and phase of society. Blood¬ 
shot eyes, the white of the eyes turned yellow; full, puffed, and 
swollen cheeks, particularly of the lower part, near the mouth; 
puffed appearance under the eyes; sunken eyes; inflamed con¬ 
dition of the entire countenance, but particularly of the cheeks, 
where the signs for digestion and the intestinal system are located, 
thus disclosing the inflamed and abnormal condition of the digest¬ 
ive apparatus; swollen and purplish-colored nose, exhibiting the 
perversion and blunting of all those fine qualities, the signs for 
which are located at the end of the nose. Human Nature, Ideality, 
Sublimity, Hope, Analysis, Constructiveness, are all vitiated and 
sometimes wholly obliterated, as we see by the conduct of the 
drunkard, from long-continued use of alcoholic beverages. In the 


DISEASE OF THE EYES. 


1103 


face of these facts, can any one doubt the reliability of physiog¬ 
nomy as a recorder of bodily conditions'? The signs here described 
show also diseased liver, lungs, heart, kidneys, nerves, and brain, 
and entire digestive apparatus. 

DISEASE OF THE EYES. 

The eye shows many pathological changes. If blood-shot, 
as is often seen in those who are habitual drunkards, it denotes 
cerebral and intestinal congestion. AVhere the whites of the eyes 
are very yellow, long-continued biliary disturbance is indicated. 
Puffed appearance under the eyes tells of diseased kidneys. A 
mixed and mottled eye, where spots and specks of yellow, brown, 
black, and green are found intermingled, invariably denotes scrofu¬ 
lous tendencies, generally pertaining to the reproductive system or 
the kidneys; usually, both systems are affected where this appear¬ 
ance is observed. Where a large portion of the white of the eye 
is very perceptible under the retina, while the eye is in its natural 
position and not cast upward, gluttony or inordinate lust is indi¬ 
cated. A sunken appearance of the orbit of the eye announces a 
deficient muscular system, as does also a very small eye. 

THE FOREHEAD. 

The facial sign of healthy and diseased conditions of every 
feature of the physiognomy has been treated of in this chapter, 
with the exception of the upper part of the forehead. This part 
of the face requires no particular investigation as to health and 
disease. The upper part of the forehead has no movable or soft 
parts, and it is in those parts where expressions can be observed 
that diseased conditions are most apparent. The natural forma¬ 
tion of the forehead, however, denotes tendencies to healthful 
thought or to sluggish and stupid action, not only of the brain, 
but of the functions of the viscera. A forehead the upper part of 
which shows a not too abrupt line of inclination from the eyebrows 
backward discloses a common-sense, mechanical, and rather quick- 
motioned person. This formation accompanies the osseous and mus¬ 
cular systems and an active liver, hence its practical and mechan¬ 
ical ability. This combination of systems indicates quick, active 
persons, both in their mental and physical powers, and this quick¬ 
ness results from an active arterial circulation and strong lungs. 
In this way we get the clue to the construction of the internal 
viscera simply by the outline of the forehead. Comparative anat¬ 
omy is infallible in deciding character by form alone, and in this 
instance, as well as in all the indications in regard to character, 
we must rely upon comparisons made and proved. 


1104 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


A forehead the upper part of which is very full, and which 
projects forward and outward from the eyebrows, is evidence of a 
dreamer, a theorist, a slow, impractical person,—one who must be 
helped by others or do with little of this world’s goods. This 
formation of the skull belongs, of course, to a body which corre¬ 
sponds in its build to the brain; that is to say, the secretions will 
all be slow in forming, the lungs relatively small, the arterial circu¬ 
lation consequently not vigorous, and every movement of the body 
will necessarily be slow and deliberate. 

All these differences, and many others, can be predicated by ob¬ 
serving just this portion of the face alone, even if the entire body and 
the rest of the lace were shrouded from view. When physiology 
and anatomy are taught thoroughly in our schools and colleges, the 
amount of useful knowledge they will render to the public will not 
be equaled by any other department of science. These studies, 
added to scientific physiognomy, practically applied, would, in two 
generations, go farther toward regenerating the world than any 
system of ethics of which I have knowledge. I hope that those 
mothers into whose hands this book may fall will commence to 
teach their children the meanings of the forms, colors, and features 
of those about them and those with whom they associate; the 
localizing part of the science and the forms, colors, etc., can be 
taught to children as easily as geographyA The localizing of signs 
in the face is somewhat similar to descriptive geography and far 
more interesting. The philosophical or theoretical part is for 
more mature minds. 

If time permits I shall endeavor to write a primary work for 
school-children. I have been encouraged in this project by the 
solicitations of many eminent educators. In the meantime parents 
and teachers can draw the attention of children to the subject by 
asking them what they think is the meaning of certain forms of 
the nose, for example; and so on, of other features; and then 
proceed to explain the meaning of natural formations, such as the 
arch representing superior power and strength wherever found; 
the beak of the birds of prey,—the vulture, the condor, etc.,— 
representing rapacity, love, and power for overcoming, desire to ac¬ 
quire the resources of others, etc. Then take up the meanings of 
other formations of the nose—the scooped or flat nose, representing 
weakness; then proceed to the indications and meanings of other 
features and colors. The majority of children can be thus taught 
by special effort on the part of parents. My*own children have 
learned a great deal of physiognomy from hearing me discuss the 
science, without any attempt on my part to teach them, and, when 
quite young, could select suitable associates and companions by 
this knowledge. 


THE FOREHEAD. 


1105 


If physiognomy were taught as a part of our educational 
curriculum, our children would be able, when they became of 
marriageable age, to select suitable companions for marriage, both 
as regards physical powers and mental and moral characteristics, 
and thus be spared the great unhappiness which falls to the lot of 
many—I might say of most—married couples. This is the result, 
mainly, of being unsuitably mated; this unsuitableness, in most 
instances, is caused by ignorance of the disposition and of the 
mental and moral character of each other. 

The interests of morality, true religion, and true civilization 
would be enhanced by the practical application of scientific prin¬ 
ciples to the reproduction of the race. Persons suitably mated— 
that is to say, harmoniously united in regard to the right combina¬ 
tions of forms and traits—would insure greater perfection in their 
children than if the whole matter of reproduction were left to 
chance and ignorance or inharmonious conditions. I cannot con¬ 
ceive of a nobler ambition in a woman than the desire to be the 
mother of superior or perfected offspring, but the mother alone 
cannot achieve this result; the father, as well as the mother, must 
make himself amenable to righteous law—to hygienic law—if this 
result would be attained. I believe this ambition will be woman’s 
some time in the future, and, by bearing fewer children and better 
ones, true progress will ensue. By this method humanity and 
civilization will advance—the real, genuine civilization; not this 
wretched, barbarous, unjust, immoral condition of society, which 
is with such supreme satisfaction denominated “ civilization,” but 
a higher, more just, moral, and truly religious grade of develop¬ 
ment will evolve in the order which the law of evolution or pro¬ 
gressive growth dictates. This law can be assisted in its operation 
by the co-operation of man,—by the exercise of his reason and 
moral sense; or, it can be retarded by the ignorant and supersti¬ 
tious. The law of evolution can be traced by any observant per¬ 
son who will take time to consider the growth of organized beings, 
and the progress of tribes, races, nations, and peoples, as recorded 
in animated nature and historical record. 


My idea of civilization would be shown in that condition of 
humanity which seeks to make the laws of God the great aim of 
life. By this I mean that the laws of Nature should be practically 
applied in every department of life,—to the domestic and social re¬ 
lations, to marriage, to hygienic living, and the reproduction of 
the race, and in all ways that natural law can be applied to elevate 
the human family. 1 he term u civilization, applied to the semi- 
barbarous condition from which we are slowly, yet surely, emerg¬ 
ing, seems like a grim satire, and would be ludicrous did it not 

70 


1106 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


reveal an age of superstition, ignorance, immorality, injustice, and 
irreligion, from which a knowledge and application of the laws of 
science can alone free us. 

Beautiful faces are those that wear— 

It matters little if dark or fair— 

Whole-souled honesty printed there. 

Beautiful eyes are those that show. 

Like crystal panes where heart-fires glow, 

Beautiful thoughts that burn below. 

Beautiful lips are those whose words 
Leap from the earth like songs of birds. 

Yet whose utterance prudence girds. 

Beautiful hands are those that do 
Work that is earnest, and brave, and true. 

Moment by moment the long day through. 

Beautiful feet are those that go 
On kindly ministries to and fro— 

Down lowliest ways, if God wills it so. 

Beautiful shoulders are those that bear 
Ceaseless burdens of homely care 
With patient grace and daily prayer. 

Beautiful lives are those that bless— 

Silent rivers of happiness, 

Whose hidden fountains fey may guess. 

Unknown. 


BILATERAL SYMMETRY OF THE FACE. 

The variations in the symmetry of the two opposite sides of 
the human face, as well as in the two sides of all the features, is 
so constant a factor in physiognomy as to call for special mention 
in this connection. I do not know whether there exists one human 
countenance which exhibits perfect bilateral symmetry. I have 
never seen one that did, although I have observed a few that very 
nearly approximated to that condition. 

Neither is it usual for both sides of the nose, the nostrils, 
the mouth, the eyes, the eyebrows, the chin, the cheeks, the 
lips, the forehead, the head, or the ears to be alike in form on 
both sides. 

I find that the mouth has usually less variableness in the two 
sides than the nostrils, while it is most rare to find the two eyes of a 
given person of the same form or size; the most decided variations 
seem to occur in the ears. These features appear in the majority 
of cases to be so unlike as to warrant one in placing implicit belief 
in the statement of many anthropologists, viz., “ that the right side 
resembles the father or his race, and the left side the mother or 
her relatives or ancestors.” 


BILATERAL SYMMETRY OF THE FACE. 


1107 


I have paid great attention to the examination of ears, and 
have observed very closely those of singers and orators most 
especially, as well as those devoid of these powers. The ears of 
Patti are very nearly alike in size and form; so also are those of 
Gerster, but, as a rule, close observation will show great dissimi¬ 
larity, not only in the size and outline, but also in the various 
parts in the pinna, the helix, the antihelix, the concha, the lobe, 
the tragus, and antitragus. This dissimilarity of the ears is uni¬ 
versal, and can be verified by the examination of the ears on any 
human head. Whether these dissimilarities extend to the ears of 
animals I do not know, not having taken time for this investigation. 

The influences that mold the two sides differently in shape are 
various; the first arises from heredity or the transmission of the 
ancestral male and female principles of form; another difference 
proceeds from the diverse manner of using the right and left sides 
of the body and limbs. Facial irregularities are often caused by 
masticating with one jaw more than with the other, by habitual 
squinting of one eye, by raising one brow the most, by peculiar 
movements of the mouth and lips in conversation, whereby one side 
of the mouth becomes permanently different from the other; this 
is a habit often practiced by those with very flexible muscles. 

The variations in the congenital form of the two sides of the 
head are perhaps the most remarkable of all bilateral dissimilarity. 
A visit to a manufacturing hatter’s establishment will well repay 
the physiognomical investigator, for in the shapes of the patterns 
of the hats of his customers there will be found a most singular 
proof of the absence of bilateral symmetry of the skull. A certain 
degree of this diversity is due no doubt to the greater use of one 
side of the body than of the other, for, as I have shown that all 
functions and faculties are represented in the brain, it follows 
logically that the excessive use of one side of the body would 
result in variations of the side of the brain which corresponded 
with the side of the body thus used. 

Investigation of the relation of body to brain reveals the fact 
that the nervous mechanism of the right side of the body is repre¬ 
sented in the left side of the brain, and that the left side of the 
body is represented in the right side of the brain. I have not 
pursued the investigation of bilateral symmetry with the view of 
tracing all the ramification of form with function in this direction, 
but I am convinced that a most fruitful field of physiognomic and 
physiologic knowledge could be derived from this source. 

The careful student of physiognomy should pay great atten¬ 
tion to bilateral dissimilarities of the facial features, and endeavor 
to ascertain the cause in each individual case. 


1108 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


THE THOROUGH-BRED. 

The conventional marks of a thorough-bred person are not 
at all those which Nature records as such. Although to be gentle 
is one indication of the naturally thorough-bred individual as well 
as of he who is conventionally such, yet there are certain phys¬ 
iological and anatomical peculiarities of structure and of the phys¬ 
iognomy which the student must comprehend in- order to know 
who is and who is not congenitally thoroughly bred or naturally 
noble. 

Society considers as well-bred the person who understands 
and practices all the forms and ceremonies appertaining to its func¬ 
tions ; who says certain things at certain times in a certain manner; 
who observes the decrees of fashion, and generally comports him¬ 
self in a formal manner, in consonance with a written and an un¬ 
written code of what is termed “good society.” This species of 
the thorough-bred does not require much intellect, morality, 
physical development or perfection for its manifestation. On the 
contrary, it seeks to eliminate all originality and to reduce its 
votaries to a “sheepish” condition who are willing to follow a 
self-appointed “leader.” The qualifications of said leader, be it 
understood, are simply plenty of coin apd “cheek;” neither mind, 
morals, manliness or beauty are required for this position. 

The sort of being that Nature stamps as thorough-bred must 
possess many high traits and a large degree of physical perfection. 
The face read scientifically will reveal these conditions. 

WHAT ARE THE INDICATIONS OF A THOROUH-BRED PERSON ? 

A congenitally thorough-bred person will exhibit a fine, clear 
skin; fine hair, of either a light brown, a dark brown, a black, a 
red, or an auburn hue. He should have a bright, clear eye. 
These factors indicate fine quality. There should, in this class 
of persons, be an equilibrated development of the five superior 
systems, viz., the vegetative, the thoracic, the muscular, the osseous, 
and the brain and nerve systems. This condition of equilibrium 
produces harmony and a well-proportioned body, and this again 
shows in the face. A thorough-bred individual may be short or 
tall, yet not excessively fat nor excessively lean. The facial signs 
of thorough-breeding are, as before stated, a fine, clear skin ; good 
complexion; bright eyes, neither very large nor excessively small; 
fine hair, regular teeth, a well-proportioned nose, and large nostrils; 
well-curved jaws; full, red, and moist lips; a proportionate chin and 
rounded cheeks; well-rounded ears; a smooth or rich and full 


HOW TO REDUCE SIZE WITHOUT LOSING STRENGTH. 1109 


voice. A thorough-bred person may belong to the artistic, me¬ 
chanical, or scientific classes, either appreciatively or executively; 
he must exhibit both gentleness and spirit, as occasion requires; he 
must be governed by the law of justice; he must make the com¬ 
fort of his associates his concern, and do what is right in order to 
enhance their happiness. 

The facial indications of those who are not thorough-bred, 
speaking physiologically, are as follow: A coarse, thick skin; a 
“muddy” complexion, or one permanently blotched, pimpled, or 
discolored; dull eyes, very small or very large and bulging; 
coarse hair, or that which is very light or colorless,—that is to say, 
of no decided hue. I regard very light colored, pallid people as 
morbid varieties; also those with irregular teeth, a very small or 
ill-shapen nose, small nostrils, perpendicular jaws, exposed gums, 
open mouth, receding chin, or one that projects greatly forward, 
ending in a point; thin, pallid, dry lips; hollow cheeks, flat upper 
cheeks, ugly or ill-shapen ears; a voice weak, thin, hoarse, shrill 
or nasal; a long, cylindrical neck; a high, narrow forehead. 

The undue development of certain organs and systems of the 
body induces abnormal conditions, as, for example, an excessive 
disposition of fatty tissue. When the appetite is voracious, or the 
nutritive system uncommonly active, too much of the carbonaceous 
elements of the food are eliminated, or, as it often occurs, too much 
carbonaceous food, such as white bread, potatoes, etc., is consumed 
for the needs of the body; the consequence is an excess of fat, 
which, in many subjects, impedes respiration, prevents activity, 
and gives a generally uncomfortable feeling. For this condition a 
spare diet is often prescribed, but as this is felt to be a hardship, 
and as few who attempt it succeed in continuing it long enough to 
produce satisfactory results, it is pronounced a failure. 

For this class of people there is a very agreeable and sure 
method of reducing the bulk without reducing strength and with¬ 
out compelling too great a sacrifice of the appetite. 

HOW TO REDUCE THE SIZE WITHOUT LOSING STRENGTH. 

A diet which will attain this result is easily obtained, and of 
it the subject can use a quantity sufficient to allay the craving 
for food. 

This diet consists of absolutely raw foods, nothing cooked 
being allowed. This diet, of course, must consist mainly of fruits, 
nuts, grains, milk, and, when flesh-meat is desired, a Hamburg 
beefsteak may be partaken of; this steak is raw beef chopped fine 
and seasoned with onion, salt, pepper, or other condiments; to 
this may be added raw oysters and clams. Every kind of fruit 


1110 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

except apples is allowed; also melons, salads, and vegetables. A 
small quantity of freshly-cracked grain, about a tablespoonful at a 
meal, is very strengthening and very delicious after one becomes 
accustomed to it. 

The principle upon which this diet reduces size without 
decreasing the strength rests upon the fact that the use of water 
and fire, as in cooking, eliminates the vitality of the food to a great 
degree; thus a greater quantity of cooked food is desired. It is a 
well-known fact that when a farmer wishes to fatten his poultry 
quickly he cooks their food, and thus they are enabled to consume 
a greater quantity of the fat-making carbonaceous elements. 

This regimen pursued for one year will produce astonishing 
results. It is a most delicious diet, as I can testify from' personal 
experience. 


CHAPTER V. 

Choice of Vocations. 

THE COMBINATIONS OF FACULTIES FOR TRADES AND PROFESSIONS. 


“Know thyself! This is the source of all wisdom, said the great thinkers of 
the past, and the sentence was written in golden letters on the temple of the gods. 
To know himself, Linnaeus declared to be the essential indisputable distinction of 
man above all other creatures. I know, indeed, in study nothing more worthy of 
free and thoughtful man than the study of himself. For if we look for the purpose 
of our existence we cannot find it outside ourselves ; we are here for our own 
sake.”—K arl Ernst Baer. 

“We generally think according to our formation.”— Winklemann. 

W HEN a mechanician desires an instrument for a 

certain purpose, he experiments with the materials 
at hand and puts in operation the principles of 
physics which he has learned, and thus the required 
machine is produced. The mechanism which would 
move a house is quite unsuited to run a train of cars. On the 
other hand, a sewing-machine suitable for hemming a piece of 
muslin would not weave a web, and no intelligent mechanic would 
attempt the use of these several machines for other than their own 
purposes. 

Since mechanical principles were first understood they have 
been applied to perfect instruments for the various uses which man 
requires. In this matter, as well as in many other details of life, 
man exhibits his observation, judgment, and reason, but here it 
would seem that his powers came to a stand-still. Where there 
arises a necessity for selecting a human machine for a stated pur¬ 
pose or position, man has no guide which enables him to judge 
by the form or looks of an individual whether he combine the 
faculties and capacities which are needed for any particular sort of 
work. If it be merely a matter of digging the soil or of bearing 
heavy burdens, any man is competent who has the normal use ot 
his limbs and the requisite muscular development; beyond this 
men cannot judge, by their looks alone, of the fitness of others for 
any given position. 

It is true that some persons possess large intuitional powers, 
and can tell by the countenance whether one be honest or capable. 
Others depend upon their innate sense of feeling, or “ instinct;” in 

( 1111 ) 


1112 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


other words, they are affected by the attraction or repulsion pro¬ 
duced by the magnetism of those near them. This class ol persons 
are generally correct in their estimate of character; that is, in 
general; but this sense does not include exact details of the char¬ 
acter, it senses only the general tone, or whether it be harmonious 
or uncongenial to them. This class feel , but do not see. They 

say, with the poet:— 

“I do not like you, Doctor Fell, 

The reason why I cannot tell.” 

This is the sense which young children and the higher animals 
use in their intercourse with those about them. In dogs and horses 
this 44 instinct,” as it is termed, is wonderfully accurate, but of course 
only extends to the knowledge of the disposition of individuals. 

As we emerge from childhood many cares and a variety of 
studies are put upon us, and reason and perception strengthen; 
hence they crowd out and take the place of this natural instinct, 
and then it is that we begin to depend more upon later acquisitions 
for protection and for our knowledge of character, and we use our 
experience in a larger degree when dealing with our fellows. In 
this manner natural intuition becomes weakened by disuse; and if 
no really scientific hnoivledge of character replaces the natural and 
instinctive comprehension of human nature, the masses of man¬ 
kind grope through life victims to very confused and unintelligent 
ideas in regard to the looks and characters of their fellows; and as 
they have no positive laws to guide them, they endeavor to put into 
use venerable saws and sayings,—the offspring of ignorance and 
superstition,—which have descended from ages of ignorance and 
superstition, from ages of moral and mental .darkness, which we 
have inherited along with many other ideas equally venerable and 
equally erroneous. 

Now, dogs retain and increase their natural and instinctive 
comprehension of character, because their powers are not weakened 
by studies which draw aivay their attention from their particular 
line of observation and feeling, and extended experience and close 
and intimate companionship with man intensifies their knowledge 
of man’s character, disposition, and intentions, as every person can 
testify who has owned and associated with an intelligent animal. 

It often occurs that illiterate people comprehend human nature 
better than those more learned, for the reason that they rely entirely 
upon their observation and experience of people, and, their minds 
not being crammed with book-learning, they pay more attention to 
the investigation of the words, manner, and actions of their fellows. 
Of course only the naturally bright, keen, and curious arrive at 
exact and conclusive results in their study of human nature. I 


CHOICE OF VOCATIONS. 


1113 


have been often surprised at the sagacity and knowledge of human 
nature displayed by some unlettered persons, as well as by some 
young children. 

A knowledge of scientific physiognomy is the only means in 
the world which will enable one to gauge one’s capacities and 
qualifications at sight, and estimate one’s fitness for the several 
departments of labor. It is the only science which will aid men 
and women to wisely select partners in marriage or partners in 
business. This science well understood will do this, and this fact 
shows that it should be included in the education of every indi¬ 
vidual. It is of far more practical value than many other sciences 
or a score of merely ornamental studies which consume much 
valuable time without producing the valuable and important results 
which proceed from a study of physiognomy. 

In order to ascertain to which particular department of labor, 
whether of art, science, politics, mechanism, or literature, one is 
best adapted, it is necessary to have some knowledge of the systems 
of functions and the combinations of faculties required for each of 
these several spheres of action. 

If one possess a combination of faculties so decided in their 
direction as to show in early life a talent for any given pursuit, 
that one should by all means be pursued. Cengenital taste and 
inclination is Nature’s method of indicating the fitness of the indi¬ 
vidual for a given department of study or labor, and natural taste 
should be cultivated and developed, and in this work Nature always 
assists. But it frequently occurs that many do not possess traits 
which exactly and strongly indicate the direction or branch of 
labor to which one is best adapted. 

Again, many persons possess a combination of faculties suited 
to more than one line of industry. There arises then in the mind 
of the subject, and of his parents, an uncertainty as to which 
department of activity he shall be assigned. In this case, as in 
the former, recourse must be had to a professional physiognomist, 
unless some friend has become qualified, through the study of this 
system of physiognomy, to assist the doubting mind. Most persons 
after studying this system should be able to give valuable infor¬ 
mation on this science—if such individual possess good judgment 
and observation. 

A volume might be written upon every feature and yet much 
remain untold. 

Each face which we meet discloses a combination of faculties 
different from every other free, hence it is that we must study each 
face, each feature, and each faculty in the light of its own form 
and’ distinct meaning; but we must also pay attention to its 


1114 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


influeiice upon and relation to all the other faculties in combina¬ 
tion. 

Given two faces alike with the exception of a slight difference 
in the length of the upper lip, the possessor of the longer one (as 
it denotes Self-esteem) will be self-reliant, dignified, and inde¬ 
pendent. The owner of the shorter one will be wanting in self- 
confidence, or sometimes undignified and subject to sudden out¬ 
bursts of temper,—soon vexed and as soon over it, then profuse 
in apologies. The difference in this one feature alone will make 
these two otherwise similar faces express an entirely different 
character. 

Again, given two very similar faces (if such thing were pos¬ 
sible) the one with large Conscientiousness, the other lacking some¬ 
what this faculty, the former would exhibit in every act of life the 
presence of Conscientiousness. The work of the former would be 
more thoroughly done; a true value would be set upon friendship, 
a just estimate upon the resources and advantages of life; in 
fact, an appreciation of the value of all things would be exhibited, 
and a consequent practice of justice and manifestation of gratitude 
for favors received. 

The latter, while desirous of enjoying all the good things of 
this life, would show no true appreciation of their value , and hence 
would make friends without comprehending their merit, and by 
abusing the privilege of friendship lose them. Such characters 
cannot value or estimate properly the worth of knowledge, property, 
honor, love, or friendship, nor rate anything at its true worth, 
because the fundamental principles of justice, of Conscientiousness, 
are wanting. 

THE METHOD TO PURSUE IN READING CHARACTER. 

In commencing to read a character we must first decide upon 
the quality , then the size and form of the features must be con¬ 
sidered. Quality , size, and form are the principles to be first 
considered, next comes the subject of health as showing power, 
then proportion and color. The largest features dominate and 
control the smaller, for large features express strong faculties. 
One error the student must guard against is in computing power 
by the size regardless of the quality. If the subject under investi¬ 
gation possess fine quality and large features, then we can predicate 
a commanding intellect, such, for example, as that of Julius Caesar, 
whose portrait is shown in the succeeding chapter. The following 
from Addison aptly describes this class:— 

Men of the greatest abilities are most fired with ambition, and, on the 
contrary, mean and narrow minds are the least actuated by it. 


THE METHOD TO PURSUE IN READING CHARACTER 1115 


We might paraphrase this quotation thus:— 

Men ot the greatest features are most fired with ambition, 
and, on the contrary, mean and narrow features disclose the 
least of it. 

It will be thus seen that to endow offspring with a large nose 
and other features to correspond is to provide them with abilities 
which in their results benefit the world. 

After a due consideration of the dominant factors of character, 
viz., quality, size, form, proportion, color, and health, an analysis 
of the several features of the face and of the other various signs 
of character, such as the voice, the walk, the gesture, the position 
of the shoulders and feet, the color, size, and form of the hands, 
fingers, and finger-nails, should be entered upon. 

With these directions any observant person who has read the 
preceding chapters should be able to give a fair delineation of char¬ 
acter from the living subject. An attempt to do so from photo¬ 
graphs is risky, inasmuch as they rarely present sufficiently sharp 
outlines, or, in some instances, the main points of character are 
worked out by “ retouching” the negative, the lines are very faintly 
shown, and the wrinkles so decisive of character are usually com¬ 
pletely worked out; hence little reliance can be placed upon a 
photograph unless it be so taken as to give sharp outlines and a 
truthful delineation of all the minor signs of character. 

In order to facilitate the delineation of character I have pre¬ 
pared the following list of the combinations of traits essential in 
several trades and professions:— 

THE COMBINATION OF SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES SUITABLE FOR A 

HOTEL OR BOARDING-HOUSE KEEPER. 

The muscular and brain systems should be supreme, and the 
vegetative largely represented. The social qualities should he 
dominant, hence Friendship, Benevolence, Approbativeness, Ali- 
mentiveness, Hospitality, Love of Young, and Mirthfulness should 
all be strongly defined. 

The mental powers essential are Executiveness, Force, Hope, 
Acquisitiveness, Memory of Events, Form, Size, Language, Order, 
Time, and Calculation. 

A man or woman intending to pursue either of these two 
branches of industry should possess a high sense of hospitality and 
its duties. The care of the sick, of children, and of helpless women 
often fall upon them, and all the laws of honor and of humanity 
demand consideration from those under whose roof circumstances 
have placed them ; hence a kindly, sympathetic nature is one of the 
strong factors in the character of a hotel or boarding-house keeper. 


1116 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Yet benevolence should not be so excessive as to override caution, 
else frauds and impostors will prevent success. 

Individuals with the bony and muscular systems regnant and 
the brain and vegetative systems well defined also make good 
hotel-keepers, if the quality be good. Yet the first described are 
the best adapted by nature to this pursuit. 

THE COMBINATION OF SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES REQUIRED FOR A 

MECHANIC. 

This class should exhibit a square, bony form, with a good 
admixture of the muscular and brain systems, and sufficient of the 
vegetative powers to give vitality. They should cultivate Economy, 
Love of Home, Mirthfulness, and Sanativeness. They should 
possess Force, Form, Size, Weight, Locality, Order, Time, Ob¬ 
servation, Calculation, Constructiveness, Imitation, and Acqusi- 
tiveness. 

The artistic mechanic or artisan requires almost the same • 
combination, with the addition of relatively more muscle , and a 
finer quality of muscle, with larger Ideality, in order to impart 
taste, beauty, and finish to his work; and, if engaged in the sale 
as well as the manufacture of his products, large Acquisition would 
be needed. 

Artistic mechanism includes those pursuits which are partly 
mechanical and partly artistic, such as jewelry, dentistry, telegraphy, 
photography, etc. 

THE COMBINATION OF SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES REQUIRED FOR A 

PRINTER. 

Those who possess the bone and brain systems m excess, also 
those who exhibit the muscular and brain systems dominant, can 
make good printers if of fine or average quality. Of course a 
due admixture of the vegetative system is essential in order to give 
health and vitality. 

Printers should have large Form, Size, Order, Locality, Con¬ 
structiveness, Calculation, Observation, and a certain degree of 
Ideality to give neatness and beauty to the ornamental branches; 
also large Perseverance or Will to hold steadily to their work until 
completed. 

The colors best adapted to this art are the darker, as, for 
example, black hair and eyes, or dark-blue eyes and brown hair, 
and a well-colored complexion. Printers should practice gymnastics 
and get as much fresh air as possible in order to develop health 
and strength, inasmuch as their business is confining and often 
pursued in ill-ventilated and unsuitable rooms. 


SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES ESSENTIAL TO A DRESSMAKER. 1117 


THE SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES ESSENTIAL TO A DRESSMAKER OR 

DESIGNER OF WOMEN’S FASHIONS. 

The woman who would become an expert dressmaker or de¬ 
signer of fashions should have the muscular and brain systems in 
excess, or the bony and muscular systems dominant, with a good 
share of the brain and vegetative powers. If with either of these 
combinations a fine and high quality of the brain and nervous 
system is present, talent of the “ Worth ” stamp will be 
exhibited. 

The dress of woman ranks with the fine arts; hence, a good 
dress-fitter and designer of fashions is an artist. She therefore 
requires both the mechanical principles of mathematical measure¬ 
ment and ability for artistic draping and coloring; this combines 
the mechanic and artist. 

In order to succeed in this vocation one must have large 
Form, Size, Color, Ideality, Constructiveness, Calculation, Imitation, 
and good health. 

The modiste who employs assistants must possess Executive¬ 
ness, Self-will, Self-esteem, Approbativeness, Human Nature, Time, 
Order, and Memory of Events. 

THE SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES REQUIRED BY A COOK. 

A good, natural cook is a benefactor to the human race. I 
rank cooking among the highest and finest arts and noblest 
sciences, for in its highest aspects it is both an art and a science. 
Every woman and man should understand something about 
cookery. 

Good cooking is the foundation of health, wealth, morality, 
and domestic happiness and comfort. An art and science of such 
importance should command the respect of all. 

Food well prepared will sometimes overcome a tendency to 
drink intoxicating liquors, for an ill-prepared meal, or one into 
which too much salt, pepper, or spice has entered, creates an 
abnormal thirst, and then it is the poor victim flies to the dram¬ 
shop with the view of getting the comfort which his food has 
denied him. Bad cooking sets up an irritation in the digestive 
organs, and its poor, ignorant victims fly to stimulants to enable 
them to get rid of the indigestible mass. 

A cook should have a large degree of the vegetative, thoracic, 
and muscular systems, with sufficient of the brain system to enable 
them to plan, arrange, and execute large orders for banquets and 
great occasions. A fine quality of the organism gives delicacy of 
taste and scents. Yet many apparently coarse-grained negroes 


1118 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


are good cooks. It will be found, upon examination, that such 
cooks are fine-grained in tlieir order; then, too, size counts for a 
good deal in the domestic signs of character, and negroes have 
large lips (organs of taste); but among the Caucasian races size 
and quality are the factors which reveal the good cook. I have 
known among the latter many delicate-looking women who were 
excellent cooks, but injhese the lips were full, red, and moist, the 
nose and nostrils relatively large, and the brain and nervous system 
of a high quality. 

A cook should have large Alimentiveness, Bibativeness, 
Economy, Pneumativeness, Color, Sanativeness, Hospitality, Mirth¬ 
fulness, Force, Order, Time, Calculation, Approbativeness; and, if 
he or she combine catering with cooking, Executiveness, Imi¬ 
tation, Ideality, Self-will, Conscience, Locality, and Self-esteem are 
required. 

A cook needs a good deal of time in the preparation of 
food; hence, if housekeepers expect good cooking they should 
not put too many burdens upon the cook. Again, good cooks 
require good materials in order to produce appetizing dishes. It 
is true that an excellent cook will make plain food taste better 
than can a poor cook; but nice dishes require the best materials. 

When we democratic Americans are willing to place cooking 
upon the same elevated plane with other fine arts and sciences, 
and accord to its possessors the same honors that we pay to pro¬ 
fessors of other arts, we shall find many first-class men and women 
enter its ranks. 

Not until this important class of artists receive in pay, recog¬ 
nition, and appreciation their just dues, shall we have plenty of 
real good hygienic and scientific artists in our kitchens. 

Cooking should be taught in all our public schools, to boys 
as well as to girls, for this talent is not the exclusive property of 
either sex, and can be developed to a high degree in those mem¬ 
bers of both sexes whom Nature has endowed with gustatory 
talents. 

THE COMBINATION OF SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES REQUIRED FOR A FARMER. 

Farmers should have a good combination of the bony, muscu¬ 
lar, and brain systems, with sufficient of the vegetative to nourish 
the rest. 

They should possess Economy; Love of Young, in order to 
enjoy the care and rearing of children and animals; good Aliment¬ 
iveness, Hospitality, Pneumativeness, Sanativeness, Force, Hope, 
Acquisitiveness; also fair Constructiveness, Self-will, Form, Size, 
Locality, Time, Order, Calculation, and Reason. 


SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES REQUIRED FOR AN ENGINEER. 1119 


THE COMBINATION OF SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES REQUIRED FOR AN 

ENGINEER. 

Engineers require either the bony, muscular, and brain systems 
regnant, or the muscular and brain systems dominant, with a good 
degree of the thoracic and vegetative powers to give vitality. They 
should possess Conscience, Alimentiveness, Pneumativeness, Color, 
Sanativeness, Force, Resistance, average Caution, Constructiveness, 
Executiveness, Self-will, Form, Size, Calculation, Weight, Locality, 
Time, Order, and Constructiveness, with sufficient Causality and 
Comparison to understand mechanical principles and their applica¬ 
tion. Many steam-ship engineers are short, broad, stocky, and very 
cool and resolute. This muscular and brain build is an excellent 
one for this position. 

THE SYSTEM AND FACULTIES ESSENTIAL TO MERCHANTS. 

Men of various combinations and forms may succeed as 
merchants if possessed of the faculties and powers suited to the 
particular branch of commerce undertaken. 

A merchant may have the muscular and brain systems 
dominant, or the bone, brain, and muscular powers supreme, 
with a good degree of the thoracic to give vigor and enter¬ 
prise ; also, with sufficient of the vegetative to strengthen all the 
powers. 

For large commercial enterprises a fine quality and large size 
of the brain is necessary, together with such assistance from the 
thoracic, digestive, and muscular systems as will sustain great and 
prolonged mental efforts. Large size of the features and relative 
width of the face are usually found associated in the physiognomies 
of great merchants, who must possess large Alimentiveness, Con¬ 
scientiousness, Friendship, Economy, Pneumativeness, Self-esteem, 
Force, Hope, Sublimity, Human Nature, Ideality, Acquisition, 
Caution, Constructiveness, Executiveness, Self-will, Size, Form, 
Observation, Memory of Events, Locality, Time, Order, Calculation, 
and large reasoning powers. 

In giving the following delineations of character I am obliged 
to be guided by the engraving. I have obtained the best to be 
had of each subject. The description might be different in some 
respects could I read from the original. 

The face of Daniel Appleton (Fig. 343), the founder of the 
great publishing-house of D. Appleton & Co., New York, is a fine 
illustration of the best class of merchants. Fig. 344 is the portrait 
of John Wanamaker, eminent merchant of Philadelphia and 
ex-Postmaster-General of the United States. 


1120 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


THE SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES REQUIRED FOR A SPECULATOR. 

The speculator may possess the muscular as the dominant or 
one of the superior systems. This enables him to change and 
shift with care and facility, for steadfastness is not a trait by which 
the speculator succeeds ; he requires a keen, penetrating mind, and 
a strong commercial instinct. Hence, circularly built men are best 
adapted to this department of commerce, and it will be found upon 
examination that this peculiar formation has succeeded in specu- 



Fig. 343.—DANIEL APPLETON. (Merchant and Publisher.) 

The physiognomy of Daniel Appleton shows the brain and bony systems dominant, 
with the muscular and thoracic systems subdominant; a fine degree of the vegitative 
powers is also evident. The outline of the nose alone would decide in favor of high 
Quality, for such a shaped nose is the evolutionary outcome of high organization. 
In the chin we see Conscientiousness and Firmness most decided. Love of Home, 
Patriotism, and Benevolence are large. The signs for other domestic and social 
faculties are prominent, such as Love of Young, Mirth, Approbation, Alimentiveness, 
Hospitality, Friendship, and Sanativeness. Self-esteem is only average; Modesty, 
conspicuous. Color is normal. The nose is long, showing Caution ; broad and high, 
denoting Pneumativeness [he was a profound breather ] ; the width shows breadth of 
mind ; the point is very elaborate. The ear is large. The signs in the nose for Analysis, 
Mental Imitation, Sublimity, Ideality, Human Nature, Acquisition, Construction, 
Veneration, Executiveness,'and Self-will are all large. Observation and Locality 
are well developed; Credenciveness, small; Calculation, excellent; Form, Size, and 
Language, most decided; Time and Order, large; Memory of Events, Reason, and 
Intuition are pre-eminent. Altogether, the physiognomy of a high-minded, able man 
and successful merchant. 


lative schemes. Many of this class are characterized by curly 
hair, which is yet another indication of the circuloiebmuscular- 
commercial individual. The speculator does not require large 
Conscientiousness or Firmness, but does need Alimentiveness, 
Mirthfulness, Approbativeness; a fair share of Friendship and 
Amativeness; small Self-esteem and Modesty; large Force and 
Secretiveness; a good share of Hope; a very large degree of 
Agreeability, Human Nature, and Acquisitiveness; considerable 
Credenciveness, to enable him to believe in and promote wonderful 










SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES REQUIRED FOR A SPECULATOR. 1121 

schemes and plans, and enable him to show others the “ millions 
that are in it,” and that are to be had by just investing a “ paltry 
few hundred dollars.” The speculator requires considerable 
Executiveness, Sell-will, Observation, Memory of Events, Calcula¬ 
tion, Language, and Reason; altogether, a combination which 
produces an agreeable, pliant, versatile, sociable, quick-witted dis¬ 
position. The portrait of P. T. Barnum illustrates the character 
ot one ol the most successful speculative commercialists of this age. 



*Fig. 344.— JOHN WANAMAKER. (Merchant.) 

The Quality of this subject is of a high grade,—the brain high above the ears 
and proportionately broad, the nose long and broad, the whole expression kindly, 
sympathetic, and genial. The brain system dominates; the bony system stands 
second, the thoracic third, while the muscular and vegetative are about equally 
developed. In the chin the signs for Firmness and Conscience are well developed, 
while Love of Home, Patriotism, Mirth, Approbation, Hospitality, Friendship, Love 
of Young, and Amativeness are well represented. Pneumativeness is large and Color 
excellent. The signs in the nose are nearly all well defined : observe Sublimity, 
Ideality, Human Nature, Construction, Acquisition. Veneration, Executiveness 
Reason, and Self-will. The forms of the eye and eyebrow are noticeable : the form 
of the eye shows Agreeability, while the inner terminus of the brow denotes large 
Observation and small Credenciveness ; while Prescience is only average. Language 
is fluent and Calculation very pronounced. Form, .Size, Mental Order, Time, and 
Memory of Events are excellent. Intuition is supreme. The ear, like that of all 
great commercialists, is large. The hair shows order and neatness without boldness. 


The chin and the wrinkles upon it, and the hair of this portrait, 
are corroborative signs of this versatile pursuit. 

THE SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES ESSENTIAL FOR A PAINTER. 

Among painters who have excelled we find a variety of com¬ 
binations and diverse forms. Yet most of them possessed—and it 
is requisite to high art that they should exhibit—the muscular and 
brain or brain and muscular systems supreme in the order named, 
—both of high quality. A large endowment of the thoracic 

71 


1122 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


system is indispensable, together with sufficient of the bony system 
to afford the mechanical elements of the art. 

The faculties required for a great artist are many, and must 
be well developed; for a grand artist must be a grand man,—a 
rounded man,—and able to fill high positions outside of the realm 
of painting. Such a one was Michael Angelo, whose portrait is 
here displayed. He was great as a painter, sculptor, and architect, 
and displayed much literary and poetic skill. Among his greatest 
works are the frescoes in the Sistine Chapel, “The Last Judgment,” 
and the cupola of St. Peter’s, at Pome. 


Fig. 345— PHINEAS T. BARNUM. (Speculator.) 

The subject of this sketch is an illustration of the most successful commercial 
speculator of the age. His physiognomy shows the brain and muscular systems in 
the ascendant, while the bony system ranks third, and the thoracic and vegetative 
follow in about equal degrees of development. The hair is curly, showing versa¬ 
tility and imitative ability ; the ear, very large and very commercial. The chin does 
not disclose severe Firmness, yet its width indicates a certain degree of Conscien¬ 
tiousness, which is marred by the oblique wrinkles and imperfectly-curved dimple, 
thus showing that he is not one of the “rigid righteous.” The signs for Love of 
Home and Patriotism are evident, while Approbativeness, Benevolence, Mirth, Lan¬ 
guage, Alimentiveness, Hospitality, Friendship, Love of Young, and Sanativeness 
are all large. Force and Resistance show the will and courage which have enabled 
him to carry forward his great enterprises. Self-esteem and Modesty are well devel¬ 
oped. In the nose, which is broadband relatively short, we see that the signs for 
Pneumativeness (another deep breather], Sublimity, Ideality, Human Nature, Con¬ 
struction, Acquisition. Veneration, Executiveness, and Self-will are all pronounced. 
The signs for Form, Size, Weight, Locality, Observation, and Calculation are mani¬ 
fest, while Memory of Events and Practical Reason are excellent. 


The painter must possess largely the following faculties: 
Love of Home, of Young, and of Country; large Alimentiveness, 
Amativeness, Friendship, Mirth, Approbation, Pneumativeness, 
Color, Sanativeness; a good degree of Force; large Hope, Mental 
Imitation, Human Nature, Sublimity, Ideality, Acquisitiveness, 
Constructiveness; average Executiveness and Veneration ; strong 
Self-will; a fair degree of Credenciveness and Prescience; large 
Form, Size, Observation, Locality, Weight, Time, Order, Calcula¬ 
tion, Intuition, and Peason. 




SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES ESSENTIAL FOE A FAINTER. 1123 


There are large numbers of so-called artists who are mere 
copyists. This class have not the originality and fertility of the 
gieat masters of the art; neither have they their boldness of exe¬ 
cution, their wonderful color-sense, and their grand conceptions. 
Art-copyists do not possess as high a quality of organization nor 
exhibit as grand features as do the original artists. 

The physiognomies ol the following great modern painters 


Fig. 346.— MICHAEL ANGELO. (Painter, Sculptor, Writer, Architect.) 

To attempt the delineation of so sublime a countenance fills the physiognomist 
with both awe and wonder. A view of the living countenance of this subject must 
have been elevating and inspiring, as suggesting the possibilities of the race. The 
Quality is of the highest, showing its supremacy in every feature and outline, as well 
as by the skin. The brain dominates ; it is high, broad, and constructive in form. It 
presents the principles of both the square and curve in an equal degree. The nose is 
a wonderful feature. The tip alone would decide the grandeur of his mind. The 
bridge is broad, but whether broadened by a blow, which broke it, cannot be known. 

It must originally have been broad to coincide with the other features and the fore¬ 
head, as well as the character. The ear is very large, the concha, or bell, deep and 
wide ; the beard curly and long, showing great virility ; the hair waving and original 
in appearance. Everything in this portrait announces originality—genius. The chin 
is hidden, but such a superstructure must possess a foundation of domestic and 
social powers. The bony formation shows that Conscience and Firmness are large. 

The lips disclose Benevolence, Wit, Language, Amativeness, and Love of Young. 

The signs for Alimentiveness, Bibativeness, Sanativeness, and Color are conspicuous. 

The nose is long, broad, bony, muscular, and high above the plane of the face, thus 
disclosing the presence of both the scientific and artistic elements of Mind. The 
point of the nose discloses large Sublimity, Ideality, and Human Nature, while, above, 
large Constructiveness and Acquisitiveness fill out the sides. Veneration, Executive¬ 
ness, and Self-will indicate great powers of command. Form, Size, Weight, Locality, 
Observation, and Calculation are of the highest grade of development. Language is 
well developed. Time and Mental Order are decided, while Causality, Comparison, 
Memory of Events, and Intuition reach the highest development. 

can be studied with profit: Sir Joshua Reynolds, Gainsborough, 
Greuze, Gerard, Boucher, de Neuville, Corot, Delaroche, Millet, 
Munkacsy, Millais. The reader has been referred to the physiog¬ 
nomies of the “ old masters ” in the section devoted to Color. 

The portraits of Michael Angelo and Raphael Sanzio, given 
herewith, illustrate grand characters. All the signs of superior 
artistic talent and genius are plainly discernible. 



1124 


PRACTICAL V AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY, 


THE SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES ESSENTIAL TO A POET. 

Great poets are the most rare of all the artistic minds, and, as 
only one really grand poet is needed in a generation, the supply seems 
always to equal the demand. Poets require a most peculiar and 
sensitive quality of the brain and nervous system, and also a fine 
endowment of the muscular system, in order to feel and express 
emotion and to construct rhythmically, for these two powers inhere 



Fig. 347.—RAPHAEL SANZIO. (Painter.) 

This face, taken in youth, is that of a typical artist. Here are found all the signs 
of character that show art-capacity of a high order. The curvilinear principle of 
structure everywhere asserts itself. To a high Quality he adds a rich endowment of 
Color , and his canvases are to he seen to-day m many European galleries gorgeous in 
their coloring. In this department of art he has, perhaps, never been excelled. The 
brain and muscular systems are supreme and of a high grade. The curving outline 
of the jaw indicates dramatic ability, and-tliis power is exhibited in numbers of his 
pictures, particularly in that of “ A Vision of a Knight,” now in the National Gallery 
at London. The chin is artistic and delicate, and discloses the signs for Love o'f 
Country and of Home, Conscientiousness, and considerable Firmness. Amativeness 
Love of Young, Mirth, and Modesty are quite decided. Friendship, Hospitality’ 
Alimentiveness, Sanativeness, and Pneumativeness are conspicuous. In the nose 
which is straight and high, are seen the signs for Ideality, Sublimity, Construction’ 
Acquisition, Veneration, Executiveness, and Self-will quite decided* Form and Size 
are remarkably developed. Language, most copious and eloquent, is indicated, and 
Credenciveness and Prescience are conspicuous. Calculation is very large while 
Locality, Memory of Events, Intuition, and Artistic Reason make up the physiog¬ 
nomy of an elegant and original artist. 


in the muscular system ; they must possess a great susceptibility to 
all sensations and an eye which sweeps the entire compass of 
natural phenomena. Like the great painters, they must be many- 
sided, not angular, nor of one idea. They must* be in sympathy 
with every phase of human nature, and intuitively and instinctively 
divine and feel the joys and sorrows of humanity. They require a 
fine endowment of the color-sense to give ardor and enthusiasm to 



SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES ESSENTIAL TO A POET. 1125 


their natures, and to enable them to paint their scenes in gorgeous 
and glowing colors. 

Poets should possess proportion and beauty, and many of 
them in their youth have exhibited a remarkable beauty of face 
and form ; see, for example, the portraits of Milton, Shakespeare, 
Tasso, Schiller, Goethe, Burns, Byron, Shelley, Victor Hugo, Mrs. 
Hemans, L. E. Landon, Lydia Sigourney, Thomas Moore, and 
other poets of the first rank. A comparison of their faces with 
their poetry will convince the observer that symmetry, harmony, 



Fig. 348.— ALFRED TENNYSON. (Poet-Laureate of England.) 

In this countenance the two factors of quality and intensity are most apparent. 
The hair and heard alone would indicate rhythm and originality. The domestic traits 
are decided, for, although we cannot see their signs on account of the beard, we 
know that such a superstructure has a rich foundation in the reality of being—the 
vegetative powers. The brain system is supreme, the bony and muscular systems 
about equal, while the thoracic comes next. The entire face shows descent from a 
long line or cultured ancestry. This organism is an art-product purely; every 
feature announces the care taken by ancestors in the development of refined traits. 
The chin shows Patriotism and considerable Firmness. Benevolence is apparent, while 
Self-esteem is not large. The lower lip indicates Wit and fluency ; the cheeks reveal 
Friendship and Hospitality. The nose presents the signs for Hope, Analysis, Mental 
Imitation, Ideality, Sublimity, Human Nature, Constructiveness, Veneration, Exec¬ 
utiveness, and Self-will very large. The eyes show great agreeability and a politic 
tendency. Locality, Weight, Form, Size, Order, Time, and Calculation are all pro¬ 
nounced, while Memory of Events and Intuition are decided. The intense color of 
eyes, hair, and complexion gives force, fervor, and vividness to his descriptions. The 
use of the color-terms in his poems show the presence of a large degree of the 
color-sense. 


and proportion of the face and body result in like qualities in their 
mental offspring. 

Where there exist very peculiar or morbid states of mind it 
is invariably mirrored in the face, as witness the physiognomy of 
Dante, with his drooping, melancholy nose and credencive and 
gloomy expression; these qualities affect (one might say almost 
“afflict”) his entire poetical works. Burns, with his naturalness, 
spontaneity, and sympathy, wins all hearts, for his poetry pos¬ 
sesses that “touch of Nature which makes the whole world 



1126 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


kin.” "A man who could write “ A man’s a man for a’ that ” and 
“The Cotter’s Saturday Night ” shows himself not only one with 
humanity, but possessed of true Parnassian fire. A poet should 
possess a strong domestic nature as a foundation for his emo¬ 
tions, sympathies, and sentiments. He must exhibit the signs for 
Love of Home, Patriotism, Benevolence, Amativeness, Love of 
\ oung, Friendship, Color, Hope, Analysis, and Mental Imitation 
large. He must possess Sublimity to give vastness and grandeur 
to his descriptions; Ideality to assist imagination; Human Nature 



Fig. 349.—TORQUATO TASSO. (Epic Poet of Italy.) 


The subject herewith presented is that of a man of strong passions and emotions, 
the muscular and brain systems are dominant,—both of high quality. The color is 
dense and gave power to the mental processes. The beard is luxuriant and covers an 
oval chm. 1 he sign of Benevolence is conspicuous, while the upper lip shows the 
sign tor Amativeness well defined, and the eyes corroborate the sensuous aspect of 
his character. The long, straight, muscular nose denotes the artistic type, lor this 
artist with his pen, as his great work of “Jerusalem Delivered” 
testifies. The signs for Mental Imitation. Ideality, Sublimity, Constructiveness, 
liman Nature, Acquisitiveness, Veneration, and Self-will are excessive, while 
1 orm, Size,_ Language, Prescience, Calculation, and Locality are strongly delineated. 
Memory of Events and Intuition are most decided. The face is that of one who 
would be swayed by the violence of passion and emotion rather than by justice or 
reason. His biography corroborates this estimate of his dominant powers. 

to comprehend and portray character; Constructiveness to assist 
in the shaping of his verse and for aiding in the plot or plan; 
Credenciveness to give faith in the mysterious ; Prescience to con¬ 
nect him with the future; Form and Size to aid in visualizing and 
mentally depicting the forms and appearances of all objects; Lan¬ 
guage most copious and vivid must be his, while Music and Time 
must be present in such power as to give rhythm and melody to 
his measures. Above all lie must possess large Intuition, so that 
he may divine or spontaneously sense qualities, conditions, and 
the characters of all phenomena, 



SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES ESSENTIAL TO A PLAYER. 1127 


The portraits of two most eminent poets of ancient and modern 
times are herewith presented, the mediaeval poet, Torquato Tasso, 
an Italian, and Alfred Tennyson, the Poet Laureate of England; 
these faces are admirable studies in poetic physiognomy. 

THE SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES ESSENTIAL TO A PLAYER. 

Among players, as among poets and painters, there exists 
great diversity of form as well as a great variety of combinations 



Fig. 350.—EDWIN BOOTH. (American Tragedian.) 


I find associated in this subject the brain and muscular systems,—both of high 
quality and of equal degrees. The color is well defined, the features well propor¬ 
tioned, and the nose expressive of force of character and mental energy. The 
jaw has the “ dramatic curve,” the chin is rounded, the eyes full and convex; all 
these are indications of artistic capacity. Conscientiousness and Firmness are large. 

The signs for Love of Home, Patriotism, Benevolence, Caution, Alimentiveness, 
Pneumativeness, Love of Young, Force, Mirth, Approbation, and Self-esteem are in 
excess. Amativeness is well marked, but showing more in the eyes than in the mouthy 
thus revealing that the sentimental phase of love dominates the sensual. Friendship 
is only average. The nose is a noble feature ; upon it we see the signs for Ideality, 
Sublimity, Mental Imitation, Human Nature, Construction,Acquisition, Veneration, 
Executiveness, Reason, and Self-will all very strongly outlined,—a truly regal feature. 

Form, Size, Language, Calculation, Observation, Prescience, Locality, Weight, Time, 

Order, Music, Memory (of all sorts), Reason, and Intuition are all large. The hair is 
wavy, showing artistic powers and agreeability. Altogether, the face of a great- 
minded man and actor. 

of faculties. To be truly great in any of these professions a great 
intellect is essential. The men and women who have excelled in 
the higher branches of the drama possess large natures and 
exhibit high powers in other directions, as in literature, painting, 
sculpture, science, etc. Many of the most distinguished players 
of both sexes have given proof of excellent literary, musical, and 
constructive capacities. The biographies of the leaders in this 
profession reveal these facts, .and their faces, read scientifically, 
corroborate them. 


1128 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY, 


There are several classes of the dramatic profession. Some 
are suited only to one-department of the mimic art, while others, 
of more versatile genius, possess several varieties. 

For convenience we may divide players into three general 
classes, viz., tragedians, comedians, and comic actors; each of these 
classes is susceptible of subdivisions, especially the two latter, 
who may be either creative or imitative, or a mixture of both. 
The mental equipment of a tragedian must be quite different from 



Fig. 351.— ADELAIDE RISTORI. (Italian Tragedienne.) 

The physiognomist, in reading character from photographs, is subject to great 
disadvantage. The accompanying portrait, taken from a photograph, does scant 
justice to the splendid physiognomy of Madame Ristori, for one who has met her 
face to face cannot easily forget the nobility of her expression and the grandeur of 
her bearing. In this face we find the brain, muscular, and thoracic systems largely 
developed and of high quality. The osseous system, too, asserts its powers, giving 
stability to all her acts. The nose is a grand feature; the mouth large, disclosing 
linguistic power ; the eyes full, and the jaws greatly curved ; the color dense. The 
ear is large, and gives evidence of great auditory ability ; the bell, or concha, is worthy 
of notice, and the outline and elaboration as well. In the chin the signs for Firmness, 
Conscientiousness, Love of Home, and of Country are strongly delineated. In the 
lips are the signs for Benevolence, Amativeness, Love of Young, and Mirthfulness. 
The signs for Alimentiveness, Bibativeness, Sanativeness, Pneumativeness, Hos¬ 
pitality, Friendship, Modesty, and Self-esteem are all manifest. In the nose the signs 
for Hope, Analysis, Mental Imitation, Human Nature, Ideality, Sublimity, Construc¬ 
tion, Acquisition, Veneration, Executiveness, and Self-will are conspicuous; while 
Form, Size, Observation, Time, Order, Prescience, Language, and Locality are pre¬ 
eminent. The forehead is receding ? denoting fervor and enthusiasm, as well as 
progressive tendencies; upon it the signs for Memory of Events, Reason, and Intui¬ 
tion are manifest. 


that of the comic player. These two classes bear the same rela¬ 
tion to each other as the singer and composer. The tragedian of 
the highest class must possess a high organization of both body 
and mind, hence it is that we observe in the personnel of Ristori 
Salvini, Booth, Modjeska, and other great tragic artists a body 
endowed with all the elements of power, strength, and symmetry, 




SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES ESSENTIAL TO A PLAYER. 1129 


and a face expressive of great beauty, mobility, and noble features. 
Reference to the face and form of the above-named artists will 
verify this statement, while their life-work will bear witness also. 

The talent for acting has been bestowed by the Creator along 
with other talents for use. Its object should be twofold, viz., 
amusement and instruction. It should , above all, be true to its 
highest capability, and assist in the elevation of humanity. This 
it can do if rightly exhibited. 

Many of the grand impersonations of the great players just 
mentioned are both instructive and entertaining; and surely, 
among comedies, what more pure and wholesome pictures of life 
were ever presented than in the “ Old Homestead,” by Denman 
Thompson! 

The stage ranks second to the pulpit in its influence, and I 
hope to live to see it rise to its highest powers, and become what 
it should, a moral and intellectual power. It is its abuse that has 
brought the drama into disrepute with moral people, for at one 
time in the history of the Church it fostered dramatic repre¬ 
sentations, as in the ancient “ Passion Plays,” revived at Oberam- 
mergau. 


THE FACULTIES NECESSARY TO A TRAGEDIAN. 

This class of artists should possess a fine and large brain 
system, together with a fine quality of muscle to give flexibility 
and other qualities, large thoracic powers, and an excellent vege¬ 
tative system, not only for the purpose of affording the strength 
and vitality for the arduous duties which appertain to this art, 
but also for the sake of the domestic sentiments which lie at the 
foundation of all great characters ; and the domestic functions 
inhere in the vegetative system, mainly, assisted by the muscular 
powers. 

The faculties, then, for the tragic player to possess are a 
fair degree of Conscientiousness, in order to impart thoroughness 
in depicting noble characteristics; also, Firmness, to hold him 
perseveringly up to his duties; large Patriotism, Benevolence, 
Alimentiveness, Amativeness, Love of Young, Mirthfulness, Ap- 
probativeness, Friendship, Pneumativeness, Color, Sanativeness, 
Self-esteem, and Force; a good share of Secretiveness; large Hope, 
Analysis, Mental Imitation, Sublimity, Ideality, Human Nature, 
Acquisition, Construction, Veneration, and Executiveness; strong 
Self-will, Credenciveness, Form, Size, Observation; Memory of all 
sorts; Locality and Weight; Language, most fluent with verbal 
memory; a fair sense of Music and Rhythm; and Time, Order, 
Reason, and large Intuition. It will be seen by the above how 


1130 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

well developed and how highly organized must be the mind of a 
great tragedian or tragedienne. 

I give herewith the delineations of the physiognomies of 
Mad. Adelaide Ristori and Edwin Booth, two of the greatest tragic 
players. 

THE SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES ESSENTIAL TO A COMEDIAN. 

A comedian of the first rank must possess high artistic qualities 
and a many-sided nature. He must be adaptable and keenly appre- 



FiG. 352.—BLANCHE BARRETTA. (Comedienne, Member of the 

COMEDIE FRANCAISE, PARIS.) 

The graver’s art cannot do justice to the beautiful and talented face of Mdlle. 
Barretta. Not until we have trained physiognomical artists shall we be able to present 
the readers of physiognomy with a real “counterfeit presentment” of any living 
being. In this portrait we see the suprenjacy of the muscular and brain systems. 
A prevalence of the curve in all the features denotes artistic powers. The chin is 
dramatically oval, the eyes convex, the brows curved, the nose straight in its outline, 
the ear rounded, the hair wavy. In the chin are the signs for Conscience, Firmness, 
Patriotism, and Love of Home, quite apparent; Benevolence, Amativeness, Love 
of Young, Mirth, and Language, in the lips and mouth. Imitation is shown by the 
shortness and outward curving of the upper lip; Approbativeness and Friendship, 
in the cheeks. In the nose the signs for Hope, Analysis, Mental Imitation, Ideality, 
Sublimity, Constructiveness, Acquisition, Veneration, and Self-will are all con¬ 
spicuous. Form, Size, and Observation are large, while Prescience is marked. The 
nose indicates what the .forehead would reveal were it not covered by hair. We read 
there Memory of Events and Artistic Reason. In the bright, wide-open eyes we 
observe fluency of Language, Verbal Memory, Intuition, ancl a highly emotional 
capacity. The color of the eyes, hair, and complexion tells us that the color-sense is 
highly developed; hence, ardor and enthusiasm are manifested in all her actions and 
emotions. The mouth denotes Wit of a mirthful nature. The entire expression is 
that of amiability and intelligence. 


hensive. He requires a very sensitive brain and a nervous system 
of fine quality, together with a large endowment and fine degree 
of muscle, an excellent thoracic development, and a good share 
of the vegetative system, to give power to the domestic and social 
sentiments and to afford the nutrition essential to his arduous 
labors. 

A fine endowment of the domestic faculties is highly impor¬ 
tant, for it is through these traits that he is enabled to exhibit the 


SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES ESSENTIAL TO A COMEDIAN. 1131 

softer emotions, such as Amativeness, Love of Young, Mirthful¬ 
ness, Approbativeness, Friendship, Patriotism, and Hospitality. 
Ihe better endowed he is with these traits, the better able is he to 
expiess them in the characters which he attempts to portray. 

The color-sense should be a ruling power, for it is from this 
quality that he derives earnestness and enthusiasm ; he needs it as 
well in costuming and in the facial “ make-up ” for the stage. 
Self-esteem should not be large, and it is seldom large in comedians, 
k orce is requisite; also a large share of Secretiveness, to enable 



Fig. 353.—JOSEPH JEFFERSON. (Comedian.) 


It is a genuine pleasure to a physiognomist to delineate a face so full of talent 
and power as that of the subject of this sketch. In this individual the brain and 
nervous system is supreme and of fine quality. The muscular system comes second 
in the order of development, while the thoracic and osseous are about equal, and the 
vegetative assists by its powers in sustaining all of the others in combination. The color 
is well defined in the eyes, hair, and complexion. One scarcely knows which most to 
admire,—the development of the domestic, the social, or the mental powers. The lower 
jaw is wonderfully curved, thus disclosing dramatic talent. The chin is dimpled,—an 
accessory art-sign; it is also broad and long, thus revealing Conscientiousness and 
indicating Firmness. The signs for Love of Home and of Patriotism are manifest, 
benevolence in the lower lip and Language in the mouth are noticeable. Amative¬ 
ness, Love of Young, Mirthfulness, Modesty 2 and Imitation are conspicuous in the 
upper lip. In the lower cheeks Approbation, Alimentiveness, Bibativeness, and 
Hospitality are well defined. Friendship is large and Sanativeness a ruling quality. 
The nose is a noble feature, and has all the requirements for talent, viz., Quality, 
Form, and Size. In the tip we find the indications of Ideality, Sublimity, Analysis, 
Human Nature, Construction, Acquisition, Veneration, Executiveness, and Self-will. 
The width between the eyes is phenomenal, showing Form and Size to be supreme ; 
the eyes wide, disclosing Language and emotional capacity; the face very wide 
across the eyes, giving evidence not only of Sanativeness but of Executiveness, 
force of character, and breadth of mind, which latter is accentuated by the phe¬ 
nomenal width between the eyes. Locality, Weight, and Calculation are manifest, 
while Time, Order, Music, Memory of Events, Intuition, and Reason are all exceed¬ 
ingly well developed. The endowment of Wit and Mirth is remarkable, and well 
expressed in Mr. Jefferson’s impersonation of his marvelously fine creation of “Rip 
Van Winkle.” I offer to his genius the homage of an appreciative physiognomist. 


him to hide his own individuality while personating a character 
quite foreign to his own. Hope should be well represented in order 
to give sprightliness and vivacity to his efforts, while Analysis 



1132 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

should be largely developed that he may have the power to com¬ 
prehend all that goes to make up his impersonations. Mental 
Imitation and Human Nature are required in order that he may 
comprehend the motives and characteristics of various sorts of 
persons, and then be able to imitate their language, dress, manners, 
and gestures. Ideality or Imagination is necessary, also a certain 
degree of Sublimity. Constructiveness is also most essential, for 
upon it the actor must depend for many of his ideas in regard to 
the plan and scope of a play, as well as to assist him in costuming, 
etc. A great deal of Self-will must be had in order to hold a 
character strongly through the long acts of a play, and also to assist 
the spontaneous outbursts of passion which many plays require. 
A fair amount of Credenciveness is needed to comprehend and 
interpret the awful and wonderful aspects of human nature. Form 
and Size assist in many ways: they aid verbal memory, also the 
memory of gestures, attitudes, and the draping and arrangement 
of the costume, the hair, etc. Locality is a prime necessity; 
Weight, also, to assist in the pitch of the voice and the force of 
the intonations and expression. 

Language, most copious, is a talent of high importance to the 
player. Music and Time must be had, while Artistic Judgment 
and Intuition must be well developed to enable him to “ divine ” 
and express the fullness and entirety of those diverse characters 
which he is called upon to impersonate. 

This analysis shows how many talents are requisite to the 
mental and bodily make-up of a first-class comedian or comedienne. 
Many comedians exhibit talents of a high order outside of the 
dramatic profession, as in the several arts, literature, sculpture, and 
even in science. Joseph Jefferson, whose portrait is herewith 
given, possesses literary ability of a high order. Henry Edwards, 
another noted comedian, has achieved success as a naturalist and 
author. Many of the talents useful to a player are the same that 
are required for literary pursuits, such, for example, as Ideality, 
Analysis, Mental Imitation, Human Nature, Constructiveness, 
Form, Size, Verbal Memory, Language, and Intuition. Most of 
these are the faculties which the sculptor and painter exhibit in 
their vocations. 

Fine manners, wit, and all sorts of accomplishments are useful 
to the player, and he will do wisely and add greatly to his success 
if he pursue the study of them industriously. Tie must study 
music, dancing, elocution, fencing, the use and nature of cosmetics, 
and the arts of dress, with a knowledge of historic costuming, if 
he would excel. All these graces, added to a natural qualification 
for this branch of art, should bring wealth and fame. 


SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES ESSENTIAL TO A SOCIETY BELLE. 1133 


THE SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES ESSENTIAL TO A SOCIETY BELLE. 

Physical beauty is not an absolute requirement of a popular 
society lady, but she must possess tact, charming 1 manners, certain 
accomplishments, amiability (or its counterfeit, vivacity), and style 
in dress, manners, and bearing. She must be an fait with the 
existing customs of the society in which she mingles. If to these 
qualities or a part of them she add beauty, she will become a 
celebrity. In this rank we may place the celebrated Lady Sidney 
Morgan, Madame de Pompadour, the Countess of Blessington, 
Madame de Stael, and Madame Recamier, all of whom were re¬ 
nowned for their success as leaders of the most brilliant society of 
their era. 

The art of conversation of the kind suited to the general 
mind must be one of the talents of a society belle; she must know 
how to avoid subjects likely to wound or offend ; she must be able 
to talk of matters light and pleasing or original and interesting; 
she must have the capacity for remembering the names, faces, and 
position or rank of persons and where she has met them ; she 
must exhibit a kindly interest in the affairs and welfare of her 
associates, and must exercise great discrimination in the mingling 
of her guests. 

She should be kind to the needy and charitable in overlook¬ 
ing the foibles of her associates; she should cultivate tact and 
all accomplishments; she should possess a fund of general infor¬ 
mation upon art, literature, music, the opera, history, and the 
drama ; she should be a patroness of charities and busy in church 
affairs; she should seek the acquaintance of all eminent in litera¬ 
ture and influential in politics and in society ; she should cultivate 
a memory for faces, names of persons, and the localities from 
whence they came, and remember where she has met them. 

The elegant figure of Madame Recamier, one of the most 
amiable and beautiful women of the Imperial Court of France, is 
a specimen of a most brilliant and successful society belle. 

THE SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES NECESSARY FOR AN OPERA-SINGER. 

Opera-singers, both male and female, require, first, great good 
health; second, a strong and symmetrical physique. The muscu¬ 
lar and nervous systems should be supreme, with sufficient of the 
brain system to aid the intelligent rendering of character. The 
thoracic system should be one of the superior systems, and the 
abdominal powers strongly developed; particularly should the 
diaphragm be powerful. Among the great opera-singers we find 
no wasp-waisted subjects; hence Nature has free play, and these 



such as Grisi, Persiani, Patti, Nillson, Gerster, Frau Materna, and 
others have a beautifully developed muscular physique, expressive 


1134 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

song-birds are able to give forth the most spontaneous, sonoious, 
mellifluous, and prolonged efforts. The greatest of lyric artists, 


Fig. 354.— MADAME RECAMIER. (A Belize of the Imperial Court of 

France.) 

This engraving is taken from the lovely painting by David, which now adorns the 
Gallery of the Louvre at Paris. It is a representation of one of the most beautiful 
women of modern times. Her beauty was equaled by her elegant manners, kindness 
of heart, and equable disposition. Could Michael Angelo have seen th ; s charming 
creature he would have dedicated his celebrated line to her,—“ The might of one 
fair face sublimes my love.’ ’ In this subject the brain and nervous system is supreme ; 
the muscular powers rank next and are of the finest quality. The lovely oval of the 
jaw and chin and the rounded contours of the arms and joints reveal the presence of 
the muscular system. The face has an expression of amiability, vivacity, and ele¬ 
gance. The entire countenance proves the supremacy of the aesthetic mind. The 
signs for Conscience and Firmness are normal. Benevolence, Hospitality, Approba¬ 
tion, Friendship, Love of Young, and Amativeness are well defined. The upper lip is 
short and curved outwardly,—another artistic indication.^. The nose is long and 
straight, the tip developed at the signs for Ideality, Sublimity, Mental Imitation, and 
Constructiveness. Veneration and Self-will are well represented ; so, also, are Form, 
Size, Observation, Language, and Color. The forehead discloses Memory and Artistic 
Reason and Judgment. The eyes are curved and express Agreeability. The attitude 
is expressive of the grace, freedom, simplicity, and abandon of childhood, and the 
countenance is sparkling and intelligent. 












































SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES NECESSARY FOR AN OPERA-SINGER. 1135 

face, large blight eyes, arched brows, curved jaw, and other 
muscular signs. 



Fig. 355.—GIULIA GRISI. (Opera-singer.) 


The noble figure and beautiful face of Grisi fills the mind of the physiognomist 
with enthusiasm. Not only does the beauty of the face arouse one’s feelings, but the 
sight of so grand a bodily development in a woman affords the highest satisfaction. 
The attitude of the body, the form of the arms and shape of the hands, the devel¬ 
opment of the thorax and shoulders, the poise of the head, all tell us of a regal 
woman. The rounded outlines and presence of curves everywhere stamp it as an 
artistic mind. Quality, color, proportion, and harmonious development all conspire 
in this glorious organism to produce perfection. The chin and lower jaw are curved, 
disclosing dramatic powers. The lips are beautifully molded and indicate vocal 
capacity; the upper lip announces Amativeness, Modesty, Love of Young, Dignity, 
and Independence. The nose is straight and high, and has all the signs of artistic 
originality; the signs for Analysis. Mental Imitation, Human Nature, Ideality, Sub¬ 
limity, Construction, Veneration, Executiveness, and Self-will are conspicuous. The 
eyes are dark and express fluency. The interciliaryspace is artistic; the brows are 
finely curved and disclose aesthetic tastes. The signs for Form, Size,Observation, 
Memory of Events, and Artistic Reason are all displayed. The length from the tip 
of the nose to the point of the chin is quite marked; the cheeks and lips are full and 
altogether indicate musical talent The color of the hair is black, thus affording the 
fervor and intensity of feeling necessary for the expression of the grand dramatic 
characters which she portrayed so magnificently upon the lyric stage. The whole 
expression is one of kindliness, sympathy, and artistic genius. 







































































































1136 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


The vegetative system must have a good representation in this 
class, for the domestic sentiments assist emotion, and emotion is 
what the true artist must portray. Many of them become very 
fat,—Alboni and Parepa Rosa, for example. 

They make loving wives and mothers and warm friends. In 
disposition they are social and domestic, and have all of the artistic 
love of color, form, display, and sensation, and exhibit the most 
sensuous tastes. They must possess large vocal ability, Hope, 
Mental Imitation, Ideality, Sublimity (for the tragic roles), Human 
Nature, Constructiveness, Self-will, Form, Size, Music, Time, and 
Intuition. 

Herewith I present the magnificent figure of Giulia Grisi, one 
of the most gifted and beautiful of lyric artists. 

THE SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES REQUISITE FOR A MUSICAL COMPOSER. 

Musical composers are of many diverse combinations of 
systems and faculties. It is this diversity of traits which produces 
such great variety of style in music. The combination of 
faculties which could produce the solemn and magnificent 
“Stabat Mater,” of Rossini, for example, would be quite un¬ 
like that which would compose the lightsome strains of the 
“Orphee aux Enfers,” or “La Belle Helene,” of Offenbach. 
Thus we see that as great variety and diversity of character and 
mental and bodily endowments are required for the several sorts 
of musical composers as are needed to express the varied kinds of 
literature or art. So true it is that man is competent only to 
express in his works those principles which are the ruling ones in 
his own organism. 

The musical reader will recognize these distinctions in the 
individuality of musical composers by the entire dissimilarity of 
their productions; and those who are skilled in music recognize 
the particular “style” of each composer as it is played or sung. 
Although he may never have heard the composition in question, 
he recognizes it as he does the personal appearance of the several 
composers, viz., by the peculiarities of their facial features; by 
their voice, their walk, their attitude and gestures; for the music 
of each individual is as markedly diverse as are their bodily and 
mental structures. 

Let the student place before him the portraits of a number 
of musical maestros who are very differently constituted, and 
then, after making a physiognomical delineation of their character, 
let him listen to their several compositions, and he will become 
convinced that man is best capable of reproducing in his works 
the principles which are the more strongly represented within him. 


SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES REQUISITE FOR MUSICAL COMPOSERS. 1137 


If one will place side by side the portraits of Handel and 
von W eber, then those of Rossini and Schubert, also those of 
Wagner and Beethoven, he will certainly find that the facial 
characteristics ol each are representative of their peculiar style in 
compositions. 

The musical composer must possess a large and rounded 





Fig. 356.—FRANZ SCHUBERT. (Musical Composer.) 


The face of Schubert offers a most striking contrast to that of Wagner. In this 
countenance we observe the combination of round bones with round muscles, which 
expresses beauty, talent, and sensuousness. The wavy hair, curvilinear features, and 
dimpled chin announce quite another type of character than that of Wagner. There 
is much less of the bold and severe,but more of the softer traits, discernible in this face, 
yet it is none the less original in its expression. The entire structure, including the 
hair, is built upon a system of curves. The brain is dominant and of very fine 
quality; the muscular "system ranks second, the thoracic third, and the rounded 
osseous system follows in the order of development. The chin is most completely 
expressive of the artist: the round dimples give a clue to the entire man. A love of 
the beautiful in the opposite sex, voluptuousness, creative or dramatic talent, and 
generosity are the characteristics revealed by the rounded, curved jaw and deep, 
round dimple. In the lower lip the signs for Love of Home, Patriotism, and Benevo¬ 
lence are very apparent. In the upper lip Araativeness, Love of Young, and Mirthful¬ 
ness have set their seal. The mouth tells stories : it is a sensuous and linguistic fea¬ 
ture and speaks of love and social enjoyments,—of “wine, women, and song.” In the 
cheeks Alimentiveness, Bibativeness, Hospitality, Friendship, Sanativeness, and 
Approbativeness are conspicuous. The color-sense is very decided, as seen in the hair 
and eyes The upper lip is an artistic feature, curving outwardly, thus indicating Phys¬ 
ical Imitation. The nose is broad and muscular high and broad at the tip. The signs 
for Ideality Sublimity, Analysis, Hope, Mental Imitation, Human Nature, Construct¬ 
iveness Acquisition, Veneration, and Self-will are all well defined. The superciliary 
region near the eves and nose is noteworthy showing great width between the eyes and 
depth of the inner angles, indicating both Form, Size, and Prescience in a large degree. 
The mouth denotes fluent vocality, both of language and melody. Calculation as in 
all composers, is most decided, while Weight, Locality, Memory of Events, Time, 
Music Order and Intuition, with Musical Judgment and Reason, make up the 
nhvsiognomv of one of the great composers of the world. A comparison of his com¬ 
positions with those of Wagner will give the student all the corroboration of their 
physiognomic dissimilarity that he desires. 


nature. He must be a many-sided being in order to express true 
greatness in rhythm. A fine brain and nervous system, together 
with an excellent muscular development, is requisite for certain 
styles of music, such as Mozart’s and Schubert’s, for example; 
while, for a bolder, grander, and more severe style, mere love is 
necessary, as we observe in the faces ol V agner and Beethoven , 



1138 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

or, as we observe in Handel, a large endowment of the vegetative 
system, along with a fine brain and nervous system, and sufficient 
admixture of the muscles to afford the sense of rhythm and 
melody so essential. 

The faculties which are necessary are, first, a good share of the 
domestic and social functions and sentiments, along with which 
there must be the following mental powers, which can be discovered 
in the nose of most composers, viz., Analysis, Mental Imitation, 
Ideality or Imagination, Sublimity, Human Nature, Construct- 



Fig. 357.— RICHARD WAGNER. (Musical Composer.) 

This bold and aggressive face announces an original and independent genius, with 
all the force and power requisite to create a revolution in his own department of art. 
The brain system is dominant; the bony system takes next place, while the muscular 
powers follow : all of these are of high quality. The chin shows remarkable Firm¬ 
ness and Conscientiousness of the most severe type, while its extreme forward pro¬ 
jection indicates an economical disposition. Love of Home and Patriotism are 
manifest. Benevolence is not large. Love of Young and Amativeness are well 
defined. Alimentiveness and Bibativeness are normal. Approbation and Friendship 
are medium. Self-esteem is only of average development. The nose is a wonderful 
feature, both in size and outline; it announces great Force, Courage, Resistance, 
Human Nature, Executiveness, and Pneumativeness. The boldness and originality 
of his musical compositions required all these traits,—first, to enable him to conceive, 
and then to force upon the public his singularly novel methods of execution. The 
color-sense is strongly defined and assists the mental powers. Constructiveness, 
Sublimity, and Acquisition are prime elements in this character ; so, also, are Observa¬ 
tion, Weight, Locality, Form, Size, Language, Memory of Events, Music, Time, 
Order, Calculation, Intuition, and Reason. Altogether, the face of a remarkably 
strong and individualized man. 


iveness, Acquisition, Veneration, and Self-will. The signs for 
Form, Size, Weight, Music, Time, Order, Calculation, and Reason 
must be pre-eminent. 

The chins of the majority of composers are dimpled; the sign 
for Amativeness large in all. The hair of most of them is quite 
different from that of ordinary people, thus showing, by this 
physiognomic indicator, original powers. 

These faculties are possessed in varying degrees by all really 
good or great musical composers. The several varying degrees of 




SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES ESSENTIAL TO A SCULPTOR. 1139 


development of brain, bones, muscle, and of the thoracic and 
vegetative systems can be easily discovered by the observant 
investigator. 

Those in whom the brain system dominates all the other 
systems will give a more lofty and refined quality of music than 
he who excels in muscle, as in Schubert, for example, where 
melodies are of the sensuous order, more nearly; and thus of each 
peculiar endowment, that system which is dominant gives the 
key-note to the style of the entire range of each individual’s 
efforts. 

Composers must possess a modicum of every sort of time, 
and that which inheres in each of the five superior systems is 
necessary for all; hence the thoracic as well as the brain system 
will be relatively well developed in all musical composers, as well 
as the brain and nervous, the muscular and osseous. 

THE SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES ESSENTIAL TO A SCULPTOR. 

A great variety of form and talents are found within the 
noble guild of sculptors; yet all are characterized by certain 
similar capacities. This art is really a blending of art and 
mechanism; Ave therefore expect to find some of the salient points 
of both mechanic and artist, with a touch of the scientific as Avell. 
A great sculptor is a grand character, and all great sculptors ex¬ 
press in the face the nobility and comprehensiveness of their in¬ 
tellect, as Avitness Michael Angelo, Canova, Thorwaldsen, and 
others. The capacity to express greatness, Avhether by the chisel, 
pen, brush, voice, or by mechanism, is stamped unmistakably upon 
the face and bodies of those who possess this poAver. A knoAvl- 
edge of scientific physiognomy is necessary, perhaps, to ascertain 
the exact quality and poAver of this talent, although the lives and 
seiitiments of the masters of sculpture are exponents of their 
innate poAvers. A truly great being moves, as it Avere, in an 
atmosphere of his own creating, far above the strata in which the 
commonplace croAvd dAvell; he is thus often misunderstood and 
misrepresented, for it is essential to the comprehension of character 
that Ave have Avithin ourselves a germ, at least, of the traits Ave 
would understand. If this capacity be not ours, then it is im¬ 
possible to comprehend a greater character than our own, for such 
characters cannot be measured by our limited personal standard. 

A great sculptor must possess a fine brain and nervous 
system, together Avith an excellent degree of both bone and muscle, 
for the measurement and manipulation of such solid and hard 
material as marble requires the most solid tissues; then, too, the 
principles of Mechanism, of Calculation, ol Weight, Size, lorm, 


1140 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Locality, etc., must be used in transforming a shapeless, chaotic 
block of marble into a beautiful, life-like statue. The artistic 
faculties of Sublimity, Ideality, Constructiveness, and Mental 
Imitation must characterize the sculptor, together with the faculties 
of Amativeness, Force, Love of Young, Love of Home, Patriotism, 



Fig. 858.—ARIADNE. 

In viewing the ideal beauties of this subject, one is filled with wonder and delight 
at the genius which was able to conceive and execute so perfect a figure of woman. 
This talent is little short of divinity, and bears within itself a heaven-born germ of 
creative energy. The grace and elegance of the attitude are only equaled by the 
beautiful outlines and exact details of the whole. One knows not which part most to 
admire: all is coherent, homogeneous, proportionate, and natural. The freedom and 
simplicity, the chasteness and delicacy expressed in each limb, feature, and contour 
entirely divests this angelic form of the slightest tinge of grossness. It would, 
indeed, be a base mind or a silly prude who could, at sight of this statue, be stirred 
by feelings other than those of gratitude to God for creating the creator of this noble 
work, who has wrought out of a block such perfection for the enlightenment of the 
ages. One generation of women possessed of similar forms would advance the moral 
sense of the world incalculably, for such women would express normal powers of 
mind and body. 


Conscientiousness, Firmness, Friendship, Mirthfulness, and other 
domestic and social powers. Large Reason and Intuition must 
also be his. If all these powers are inherited in a high degree, 
and then developed by cultivation, we have a genius of tran¬ 
scendent power, such as Phidias, among the ancients, and Canova, 
Greenough, Story, Clark, and Miss Hosmer in modern times. The 








































SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES REQUIRED BY A PHYSICIAN. 1141 

art of the statuary is akin to architecture, and these two profes¬ 
sions develop the scientific side of art, for both are based on 
mathematics primarily, and depend upon Measurements, Weight, 
Size, Form, and Calculation in a large degree. It is thus shown 
that high powers and a large and comprehensive mind are 
essential to the great professor of each art and science. It is true 
there are many grades in every profession, yet every student will 
designate, by his works, the rank to which he is entitled. The 
beautiful figure of Ariadne expresses the grade of artistic rank to 
which its designer belongs. I am happy in sharing with my 
readers the pleasure I derive from the contemplation of this sub¬ 
lime ideal of female loveliness and perfection. It is a specimen 
of the sculptor’s skill and powers rarely excelled. It is the work 
of Danneker. 

THE SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES REQUIRED BY A PHYSICIAN. 

A physician should, in the first place, be possessed of the 
highest morality, for no other profession is called upon to exercise 
this power in so large a degree. The honor and happiness of en¬ 
tire communities are often in his keeping; besides, the physician, 
like the scientist, must abound in Conscientiousness in order to 
discern the truths of Nature as they exist, without mingling guess¬ 
work or speculative theories with his observations. 

It is a well-established law of human nature that we cannot 
give out what we have not in our own organization, nor compre¬ 
hend fully any principle which is not largely represented in our 
own organism; therefore, those whose province it is to discover 
and apply the laivs and facts of Nature must possess a large de¬ 
velopment of Conscientiousness in order to be able to distinguish 
truths from errors. From this we infer that the bony system 
should be one of the supreme systems of the physician; bone, be¬ 
ing the most stable tissue in the organism, is hence the most 
reliable. Along with the osseous system there must be also a good 
endowment of the brain and nervous system to afford sensitiveness 
and judgment, as well as of the muscular powers to aid in the 
mechanical parts of surgery. A good degree of the thoracic and 
vegetative systems are essential to nourish and sustain the mental 
processes and to assist the domestic and social qualities which 
the physician needs in order to attract and hold the friendship of 
his patients. A good share of Firmness is required and is observed 
in the faces of all good and great physicians. The faculties of 
Love of Home, Benevolence, Love of Young, and of the opposite 
sex should be normally developed ; so, also, should Alimentiveness, 
Sanativeness, Pneumativeness, and a good degree ol horce and 


1142 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

Resistance. Caution must be exercised and developed where it is 
deficient. The mental faculties of Analysis and Human Nature 
must be large, while Constructiveness, Self-will, and an average 
amount of Executiveness are required. Form, Size, and Locality 
are most useful with a preponderance of all th a practical faculties; 
hence it is that we observe such projection of the eye-bones in all 



Fig. 359.—M. PASTEUR. (Physician and Discoverer.) 

The noble countenance associated with this sketch is that of a man well known 
to fame, for his numerous and important discoveries in physical and sanitary science 
rank him with the greatest of the world’s benefactors. In this face the brain system 
is dominant and of fine quality ; the muscular system stands second in evolution, and 
the osseous and thoracic follow closely in power. The lower third of the face is well 
developed and affords sustenance to the higher powers. The nose is broad, high, and 
muscular; in it we perceive the evidence of Imagination. (This faculty often aids in 
invention and discovery.) The lower third discloses Analysis, Mental Imitation, Sub¬ 
limity, Human Nature, Constructiveness, Acquisition, Veneration, and Reason of 
the highest. Self-will is conspicuous. The space between the eyes and eyebrows is 
worthy of attention, being very broad, thus indicating large Form and Size, as well 
as a comprehensive mind. The eyes and mouth denote normal Language, while in 
the forehead we observe corroborative signs of logical capacity, as well as Memory 
of Eveuts and very great Intuition. 

good physicians. Large Observation, Causality, Comparison, 
Memory of all sorts, together with Time, Order, and Intuition are 
requisite. The physician who is true to his calling must exhibit 
for it the greatest devotion and enthusiasm, for physicians, like 
poets, are born, not made such by a college education alone. They 
should be ambitious to excel and succeed, and with a desire for 
progress in the high and holy profession to which Nature has 
called them. 

A physician must cultivate such traits as are weak, as, for 
example, Secretiveness; he should be the most prudent and dis¬ 
creet of men—able to command his tongue and facial muscles to 
that degree that even the most acute and anxious patient shall not 
perceive the slightest movement or change. He should cultivate 
cheerfulness and sociability, without gossip (a gossiping physician 




SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES REQUIRED FOR A SURGEON. 1143 


is a dangerous being) ; lie should develop his friendliness, love of 

children, and of the opposite sex; in short, he should be a lover 
oi humanity. 


THE SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES REQUIRED FOR A SURGEON. 

The best form for a surgeon who attempts the most severe 



Fig. 360.—EDWARD JENNER, M.D. (Celebrated English Physician 
Author, and Discoverer of Vaccination.) 

No scientific physiognomist could mistake this face for other than that of a physi¬ 
cian, and an earnest and attentive one as well, as evidenced by the signs of “natural 
physician” in the cheek-bones, in the attitude of the head and neck, and by the thought¬ 
ful, observant expression of the eye. The combination of systems in this subject is such 
as is most frequently observed among physicians,viz., the supremacy of the osseous and 
brain systems. The muscular, thoracic, and vegetative powers all assist in this com¬ 
bination by their development. The signs for Conscience and Firmness are apparent. 
Love of Home and Patriotism rank high. Benevolence, Amativeness, Love of Young 
Mirth, Approbation, Self-esteem, Modesty, Friendship, Alimentiveness, Sanativeness’ 
Pneumativeness, and Color combine to form a lovely domestic and social nature. The 
form, size, and peculiarities of the nose claim attention. It is a nose denoting Con¬ 
structiveness, Originality, and logical power. The signs for Hope, Analysis, Mental 
Imitation, Human Nature, Ideality, Sublimity, Construction, and Acquisition are 
strongly delineated. Self-will is normally developed, while Size, Form, Observation, 
Weight, Locality, Calculation, and Memory of various sorts are manifest. The signs 
of Language in the eye and mouth denote fluency, while the practical faculties, being 
dominant, would give clearness, perspicacity, and directness to his style of expression, 
either oral or written. Time, Order, Reason, and Intuition are well developed. The 
long-continued observation and experiments of this noble physician in his endeavor 
to protect humanity from the ravages of small-pox by his discovery of vaccination, 
met at last with a suitable recognition, for he received by a vote of Parliament the 
sum of £30,000, and special honors were awarded him. It is a singular fact that all of 
the benefactors of the human race—those who have benefited it by discoveries of any 
kind whatever—have met with the most violent opposition, treachery, and often 
disgrace, before they could make the world see the value of their discoveries. Such 
was the case w ith Dr. Jenner, but his firmness and truth at last gained the victory. 


operations is the round build of body and head, and many of them 
are of this shape. The muscular system should be supreme, with 
the brain system a close second, the bony and thoracic systems 
about equal and next in development. 

The muscular tissue is comparatively unfeeling —insensitive; 



1144 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY 


hence, the surgeon must have a large share of this material in his 
organism. 

The surgeon should possess large Force, to aid him in oper¬ 
ations; a good degree of Cautiousness, in order to prevent a rash 



Fig. 361.—JOHN HUNTER. (Surgeon, Anatomist, Discoverer, and Author.) 

In this portrait we have the evidence of an exceedingly well balanced character 
of a high order. The brain and muscular systems are well developed, while the 
thoracic, the osseous, and vegetative systems are largely represented. The chin dis¬ 
closes Firmness and Conscientiousness, also Love of Home and Patriotism. Benevo¬ 
lence is well defined. Alimentiveness, Love of Young, Mirth, Amativeness, Bibative- 
ness, Hospitality, Approbativeness, Friendship, Sanativeness, Self-esteem, Modesty, 
Force, Resistance, and Caution are all well and. about equally developed. The nose is 
unique. It is long, high, broad, and wonderfully elaborate in the lower third. Pneu- 
mativeness announces its power by the general large size of the nose and nostrils. 
Color is highly manifested. The signs for Hope, Analysis, Ideality, Sublimity, Mental 
Imitation, and Human Nature are in excess. Constructiveness is supreme. This 
faculty was probably inherited, along with other artistico-mechanical traits, from his 
father, who was a carpenter. Acquisition is highly manifested ; this trait he exhibited 
by the wonderful collection he made for his museum, he having collected and prepared 
more than ten thousand anatomical objects. The nose also exhibits large Veneration, 
Executiveness, Reason, and Self-will.’ The space between the eyes is remarkable, 
and denotes a most uncommon sense of Form. The space between the brows and the 
width of the ethmoid bone is very great, announcing the sense of Size. The eyebrows 
disclose strength, vigor, and originality; the eyes, Language; the manner of their 
setting, large Observation and Prescience. The form of the outer angle indicates 
Agreeability. The peculiar formation of the malar or cheek bones is noteworthy • it 
reveals by its fullness the signs for the natural physician and surgeon. The lateral 
portion of the forehead shows the presence of round muscles ; hence, is a secondary 
sign of large Construction, while Locality, Weight, Time, Order, Calculation, Reason 
and Intuition are all highly manifest. T{ie hands and fingers are characteristic, and 
disclose strength and flexibility. This grand surgeon and physician won the greatest 
honors and achieved the highest positions in his profession, having been physician 
extraordinary to the king and surgeon-general of hospitals in England. He' wrote 
the “Natural History of the Teeth,” “ Observations on the Animal Economy ” besides 
numerous other works, which, with his collections and museum, are left to enlighten 
posterity. 


use of the knife; large Constructiveness, in order that he may 
invent those diverse appliances needed for each individual case, and 
also to give ingenuity and dexterity in dressing wounds. He re¬ 
quires large Locality, to enable him to remember and visualize the 
position of all the various organs, veins, arteries, bones, and muscles 




OTHER CLASSES OF SURGEONS. 


1145 


in the body. Form and Size are also requisite to aid the memory of 
the shape and relative position of each part, and to assist Locality. 
Human Nature is essential in order that he may be en rapport 
with his patients, and also to enable him to divine instinctively all 
bodily and mental states. He should be a good physiognomist, and 
be well versed in the pathology of physiognomy. He must have 
large Observation, in order to take cognizance of the most minute 
changes and appearances. Calculation is a useful trait also, as it 
is required in many ways in the medication and treatment of the 
wounded, as in chemistry and in making surgical implements, etc. 
He should have large Friendship, in order to attach his patients to 
him and to command their esteem; enough Benevolence to sympa¬ 
thize, but not enough to weaken the feelings when severity is 
required. The faculty of Amativeness is necessary to comprehend 
the nature of the opposite sex; Love of Young also, that he may 
inspire children with love and confidence. 

The sense of Weight should be a strong one, for the muscular 
sense is dependent upon its power in order to gauge the amount 
of force to be used in handling instruments and in bandaging 
wounds, limbs, etc. Executiveness is required to assist authority 
and give resistance. Self-will is another ally most necessary, as 
well as Analysis, Time, Order, and Reason. A fair share of 
musical ability is required to assist the ear in making examinations 
of the heart and lungs, and in auscultation for various other pur¬ 
poses. If to these faculties one adds large Intuition, he has a fine 
bodily and mental equipment for the practice of surgery. 

OTHER CLASSES OF SURGEONS. 

Many army surgeons are characterized by a round and broad 
form, with broad, rather low, and round heads; short, round arms, 
and round and tapering fingers. This build is the most suitable 
for those severe operations which require the greatest exhibition of 
force, endurance, and coolness; another class of surgeons—those 
who undertake the more delicate and less forceful operations—are 
characterized by about an equal development of the brain and 
muscular systems. This class of surgeons tend naturally to the 
treatment of those finer, less difficult, and more delicate cases of 
operative surgery, such, for example, as treatment of the ear, the 
eye, etc. This class of surgeons require a fine endowment of the 
brain and nervous system. In short, the muscles as well as nerves 
of this class must be sensitive to a great degree, and this combi¬ 
nation calls for a fine and high organization. 

The surgeon should be something of an actor in order to 
know when to be sympathetic and when to be severe. Yet he 


1146 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


should cultivate a friendly, cheerful disposition, and then use it 
when necessary. To all should be added a high sense of responsi¬ 
bility to God and humanity for his gifts and talents. 

Great surgeons, like great poets, painters, and singers, are 
sent into the world not to selfishly enjoy their own great gifts, but 
for the benefit and enjoyment of the world at large. A talented 
surgeon lives not alone for his own day and generation, but by 
the power of his genius he lives for the ages, and sends the results 
of his skill and knowledge down the stream of time to bless and 
comfort millions who come after him. 

The great operations and discoveries which such men as 
Hunter, Harvey, Jenner, Cooper, Jackson, Abernethy, Pasteur, 
Maudsley, Mott, Kernochan, Pancoast, Sayre, Barker, and a host 
of others equally gifted will aid and enlighten humanity as long as 
civilization progresses. These men are the world’s benefactors, 
and I know of no profession, except it may be the theatrical, that 
is as charitable, and none more self-sacrificing. I herewith present 
the portraits of three eminent physicians and surgeons, each re¬ 
markable for discoveries which serve to alleviate suffering and save 
life. Their physiognomies will not be without interest to the 
reader, whom I advise to read a biography of each, which can be 
had in most public libraries. 

THE SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES ESSENTIAL TO THE ORATOR. 

Where the gift of oratory has been inherited it will assert its 
presence by certain undeniable signs in the face, and these will be 
corroborated by the bodily build aud the hands. This power can 
be cultivated to a large degree; but where one is greatly deficient 
in the power of verbal expression he cannot become a fluent and 
eloquent speaker. It inheres in the physical construction of man 
(where it is present) as well as in the brain; there must be a con¬ 
sensus of action between the brain and body in oratorical subjects, 
for the orator expresses by his gestures and attitudes that which 
his voice fails of doing. There are two classes of orators—the 
electric and the magnetic. It is difficult to say which is the supe¬ 
rior. I suppose, like the diverse classes of other artists, the several 
varieties are suited to many dissimilar departments of action. 

THE ELECTRIC CLASS OF ORATORS. 

The electric orators are those in whom the brain and nerve 
system is predominant, with the muscular system subdominant. 
These make clear, incisive, lightning-like speeches, appeals, and 
arguments. Such were Demosthenes, Cicero, Patrick Henry, 
Henry Clay, John Randolph, and Channing. These orators 


THE ELECTRIC CLASS OF ORATORS. 


1147 


electrified their auditors, and were capable of infusing into them a 
spirit of instant action. 

The electric orator is characterized by a fine nervous energy, 
and the brain system is dominant, the figure is tall and relatively 
thin rather than round, the face long and oval, and eyes large and 
bright, quick in movement, and expressive. The logical and 




Fig. 362.—MASTER HARRY SHANNON. (Orator.) 


The portrait herewith presented gives no adequate idea of the subject of this 
sketch, yet after having met personally, and having listened to the oratory of this 
precocious genius, I felt impelled to give my readers the benefit to be derived from a 
study of his speaking countenance. The mouth, ears, eyes, and frontal sinuses all 
announce oratorical ability. The chin is lacking in Firmness, but shows a good 
degree of Conscience; the jaw has the dramatic curve. The mouth is very wide, 
straight, and well formed. The lower lip denotes Benevolence ; Love of Home and 
Patriotism are apparent, while Amativeness and Love of Young are uncommonly 
well developed. The upper lip reveals Modesty and a dignified degree of Self-esteem 
and Independence. Alimentiveness is relatively deficient, Sanativeness moderate, 
Mirthfulness, Approbateveness, and Friendship decided. The nose reveals Ideality, 
Sublimity, Human Nature, Construction, Acquisition, Veneration, Reason, and 
strong Self-will. The signs for Size, Form, Prescience, Observation, Locality, and 
Calculation are conspicuous. Mental Order, Time, Music, and Language most 
copious are indicated, while Memory of Events, Verbal Memory, and Intuition are 
phenomenally developed. This lad "has beautiful dark-brown eyes, long lashes, a 
clear, delicate complexion, brown hair, and refined manners. His voice is loud and 
melodious, and his memory and rendition of the speeches of all the great orators is a 
wonderful exhibition of precocious genius. This analysis proves that the orator 
must have high quality and the physical and mental constitution suited to the re¬ 
quirements of this art. The orator should have an ardent love of Liberty, an abound¬ 
ing sense of Sublimity, and an appreciation of the natural rights of man together 
with a large endowment of the color-sense to make his addresses fervid and im¬ 
passioned. 


argumentative style predominates in this class; they are noted for 
keenness at retort, for incisive sarcasm, vehement and scathing 
invective, and for holding before their auditors a high standard of 
conduct and motives. 

This class should possess a large degree of Conscientiousness 
and Self-esteem; Ideality, to impart elegance and finish; sufficient 
of the thoracic system to give color and earnestness to their 



1148 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


utterances, and a normal condition ol the vegetative functions to 
supply nutriment and the domestic sentiments. 



THE MAGNETIC CLASS OF ORATORS. 

Another class of orators is illustrated by those in whom the 
brain and muscular systems are about equally developed, and of 
high quality. 


Fig. 363.—HENRY CLAY. (American Orator and Statesman.) 

To meet face to face and delineate the character of such a man would indeed be 
a great pleasure to the scientific physiognomist. In this are all the signs of oratorical 
greatness. Oratory is art, hence we find signs of the artist in the face. The dimpled 
chin announces the influence of the muscular system, which in this subject ranks next 
to the brain and nervous system. The lower third of the face, from the point of the 
nose to the chin, is long, the cheeks full and wide from side to side, the mouth very 
wide, straight, and well formed, the lips even; the slight outward curvation of the 
upper lip is common to those who have spoken in public professionally, as is observed 
in clergymen, actors, and orators. The sign in the chin for Firmness is only average, 
while Conscientiousness is larger; Love of Home and Patriotism are very marked ; 
Benevolence is full; Language in the mouth and eyes most eloquently indicated; 
Approbativeness, Alimentiveness, Friendship, Mirthfulness, Amativeness, Love of 
Young, Self-esteem, and Modesty all find strong representation. The nose is a won¬ 
derful feature; it is long, high its entire length, and broad on the back. Its form 
alone stamps its quality, for such a nose denotes the highest grade of mental and 
physiological power. The tip of the nose is remarkably developed, and indicates a 
broad understanding of Human Nature. It also discloses large Ideality, Sublimity, and 
Constructiveness, moderate Acquisitiveness, and large Reason, Veneration, Execu¬ 
tiveness, and Self-will. The observing faculties are conspicuous. Form, Size, Locality, 
Observation, Memory of Events, Time, Order, and Calculation are among the great 
faculties which embellish this grand countenance. The frontal sinuses and the ear 
give assurance of development of the vocal and aural apparatus. The hair is well 
colored and straight, the eyes deep in hue, and the entire expression earnest and in¬ 
tellectual. The eye indicates sight, insight, and Intuition. 


Magnetic orators are ardent, enthusiastic, witty, mirthful, and 
overpowering in their expression of feeling. So full of emotion 
are they that they catch the popular ear by their exhibition of 
and appeals to the domestic and social natures of their hearers. 
They depend upon their ardor and vehemence to captivate the 
minds of their listeners. They are possessed of strong emotional, 




THE MAGNETIC CLASS OF ORATORS. 


1149 


affectional, and often passionate natures, and seem capable, when 
aroused to their highest pitch of power, of carrying all before 
them, and of changing the minds of men whose convictions are 
based on tbe strongest sense of justice. 

The magnetic orator is characterized by the round form of 
head and body, by full, convex eyes, oval face, rounded chin, and 
many exhibit a round or cleft dimple in the chin and cheeks; the 



Fig. 364.—ERNESTINE L. ROSE.* (Polish Orator and Reformer.) 

In this expressive countenance Nature has stamped all of the signs of Oratory, 
as well as of Conscience, Reason, and Decision. This face shows that its owner has 
the courage of her convictions. It is the countenance of a lively, mirthful, witty, 
noble, logical woman, full of sweetness and intelligence. The upright carriage of the 
head and position of the neck denote rectitude, independence, and courage. In this 
face are all the signs of oratorical ability. The brain and muscular systems are about 
equal and of high quality. The artistic phase of mind is indicated, hence her ora¬ 
torical efforts would be characterized by polish and elegance. The chin is oval; in it 
we see the signs for Firmness and Conscience well defined, also Love of Home, 
Patriotism, and Benevolence. The sustaining powers are well developed, as the signs 
for Alimentiveness, Bibativeness, Pneumativeness, and Color indicate. The social 
virtues are well represented, hence we find Hospitality, Friendship, Approbation, 
Mirth, and Language large ; so, also, are Amativeness and Love of Young. The 
mouth is wide, straight, and beautifully molded^ thgAipper lip denotes Modesty. The 
nose is aesthetic, constructive, literary, and logicaTin its three divisions. Strong Self- 
will is manifest. The width between the eyes and eyebrows is remarkable, ana indi¬ 
cates not only the capacity to visualize forms, but shows also a breadth and compre¬ 
hensiveness of intellect. The eyes denote power of Emotion and Language. The 
sign for Prescience is large, while the forehead denotes the supremacy ot Memory of 
Events, Reason, and Intuition. This lady was a fearless and eloquent champion of 
woman suffrage and one of the world’s great reformers and benefactors. 


hands are muscular and dimpled, and the fingers rounded and 
inclined to taper, with oval nails. 

This class of orators possess a large endowment of the domestic 
and social sentiments; hence, we observe in them the signs for 
Amativeness, Love of Home, Patriotism, Mirth, Love of Young, 
Force, Color, Approbativeness, Friendship, Hospitality. Mentally 


* This cut by permission of the editor of “The History of Woman Suffrage.” 



1150 


PRACTICAIj and scientific physiognomy. 


they exhibit the signs for Ideality, Sublimity, Constructiveness, 
Acquisitiveness, Self-will, Form, Size, Credenciveness, Language, 
Memory of various sorts, Music, Time, Calculation, Reason, and 
Intuition. 

This combination produces the most emotional type of oratory. 
Henry Ward Beecher, John B. Gough, and Robert G. Ingersoll 
are fine illustrations of the magnetic class. 

They are all highly dramatic, and, being permeated with color, 
are vivid, sensational, and intense in their utterance. 

The art of oratory, like all other arts, is a congenital aptitude, 
and must, like all other arts, be developed by exercise and cultiva¬ 
tion to be of the highest efficiency. A natural orator can be much 
strengthened by learning the art of breathing in such manner as to 
conserve his respiratory powers, in order to produce the most pro¬ 
longed and sustained efforts. He should study elocution to 
improve his gestures and attitudes; a knowledge of logic and 
rhetoric are essential to impart reason and elegance. To be an 
orator presupposes the capacity for original and rapid thought; 
but in order that the mind shall have material upon which to 
meditate, and from which to draw instruction and argument, simile 
and metaphor, a great amount of experience of every phase of 
life, thought, and emotion is essential, as well as a great fund of 
knowledge drawn from the master minds in every department of 
knowledge. An orator should be familiar with history, statistics, 
biography, poetry, and literature of' many kinds; he should have 
a broad acquaintance with the political history of his country; and 
if to all this he add a large sense of justice, lie will not fail to 
strongly impress himself upon the minds of all who hear him. 

Fine manners add greatly to the efforts of the orator, and a 
kindly, sympathetic manner in private throw a charm about his 
personality which assists in making him popular. 

To be a great orator is to be in a sense immortal ', for as long 
as civilization lasts the thoughts of great orators are cherished; for 
although the magnetic or electric effect of their utterances may 
have died away, their thoughts, if they be noble or inspiring, or 
such as appeal to our common humanity, are transmitted to the 
most remote generations. Witness the speeches and arguments of 
Demosthenes, for example, now over two thousand years old! 

There are other varieties of these two ruling types of orators, 
and all grades of capacity, from the cross-roads stump-speaker to 
the brilliant orator of the Senate and Parliament. These general 
and diverse grades may be classified by applying the laws of scien¬ 
tific physiognomy to their faces. 

The vocal and aural developments of great speakers are 


SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES ESSENTIAL TO A CLERGYMAN. 1151 


peculiar, and one has only to scan the size of the mouth and the 
area of the cheeks, the size of the nose and nostrils, the frontal 
sinuses, and the ear, to find all the evidence of vocal and auditory 
capacity. The section in the preceding chapter devoted to the 
ear will reveal linguistic capacity in this appendage. 

The color of orators is another salient circumstance. I have 
never known ol one who was pallid, and with colorless eyes and 
hair. 

THE SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES ESSENTIAL TO A CLERGYMAN. 

This class of men, according to Fruncis Galton, are “ largely 
recruited from the sickly portion of adults.” If this be so, it is a 
lamentable fact, for no profession has greater need of abounding 
health and strength than that which undertakes to be the moral 
guide and exemplification of a higher life. A condition of deli¬ 
cacy or ill health should deter one from entering the ministry, for 
one who is constitutionally weak cannot possess strong and hearty 
sympathies, nor can he perform those arduous duties which fall to 
the lot of most clergymen, nor practice the self-denial required, nor 
can he from morbid conditions of mind give forth sound, correct, 
and moral views of life and conduct. A weak or diseased con¬ 
dition of body imparts a perverted idea of religion. As the mind 
and body are so completely bound together that one cannot be 
disordered without the other partaking of its. conditions, it follows 
that a sound constitution and robust health are the first requisites 
of a clergyman. 

The combinations best adapted to illustrate a truly moral 
and religious life are the bone, brain, and thoracic systems domi¬ 
nant, or the brain, bone, and muscular systems supreme, or the 
bone, muscular, and vegetative powers in the order arranged. 
Those endowed with the systems here mentioned love and prac¬ 
tice morality, purity, and truth, because they are constituents of 
their being; hence they are well fitted to practice wliat they 
preach , and are thus exemplars of their own precepts—the most 
convincing method of imparting truth or knowledge. Men of these 
characteristics are less liable to commit wrong than those in whom 
the muscular or vegetative systems are dominant. It is true that 
those of the bone and brain build are not so magnetic and dramatic 
as those in whom the muscular and brain powers are regnant; they 
are not so emotional and enthusiastic as the latter, but they are often 
most earnest, clear, decided, logical, practical, moral, and electric 
when they are gifted. Men of the emotional stamp are more fit 
for the stage-platform or politics than for the pulpit. The sensa¬ 
tional and dramatic styles should be left to the theatre, and 


1152 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


religion, pure and simple, should depend more upon calm, dispas¬ 
sionate reason and sound morality for its foundation. 

A clergyman should be possessed of a well-balanced physiology 
and physiognomy; he should have large Conscientiousness and 
Firmness; a good degree of Alimentiveness, in order to sustain his 
mental powers; a Love of Young, that he may attract and instruct 



Fig. 365.—HENRY HART MILMAN. (Former Dean of St. Paul’s, London.) 

A great diversity of talents are exhibited in this countenance. Literary, philan¬ 
thropic, moral, religious, and executive qualities here shine forth. Every feature is 
noteworthy ; one knows not which most to admire. The thoracic system is supreme: 
the osseous and muscular systems are about equal, and rank next in the order of 
development; while the vegetative powers are normally indicated. The chin dis¬ 
closes Firmness, Conscience, and Economy, together with Patriotism and Love of 
Home. Benevolence in the lower lip is conspicuous. The signs of Alimentiveness, 
Sanativeness, Pneumativeness, Force, Color, Hospitality, Amativeness, Friendship, 
Approbation, Love of Young, Modesty, and Self-esteem are all large, and show that 
the sustaining powers and domestic and social nature was most uncommonly devel¬ 
oped. The nose is long, high, broad, and extremely high and elaborate at the tip. The 
signs for Hope, Analysis, Human Nature, Mental Imitation, Ideality, Sublimity, Con¬ 
struction, and Acquisition announce a first-class literary power. His poems, histories, 
dramas, etc., are corroborations of these signs of literary capacity, veneration, Ex¬ 
ecutiveness, and Self-will fill out the upper portion of a noble feature. The eyes are 
deep-set, and the brows flex downward at the inner termini, disclosing Observation. 
Prescience is normal, while Credenciveness is deficient. Locality, Form, Size, 
Language, Weight, Time, Order, Calculation, and Music are well defined. The pro¬ 
jection of the brow and the receding forehead announce a practical thinker; the 
squareness of the brow denotes Order, and is a secondary sign of rectitude. The ear 
is large, well-rounded, and reveals fine aural capacity.' The form of the neck dis¬ 
closes vitality, and its position earnest attention. The hair is straight, with a flexi¬ 
bility that indicates artistic powers, and these were exhibited in his dramas and 
poems. Altogether it is a face of great mental capacity, moral grandeur, and of 
physical perfection. 


children; Mirthfulness, to make him cheerful; Friendship, in order 
to win and hold friends, and to impel him to the active duties of 
friendship; Hospitality, that he may offer reasonable entertainment 
to his friends and flock. He should have a «ood share of Sana- 

O 

tiveness, Pneumativeness, and Color to impart vigor to his body 
and give power to his words and works. Considerable Self-esteem 


SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES ESSENTIAL TO A CLERGYMAN. 1153 

is required that he may exhibit dignity and independence; a cer¬ 
tain amount of Force is a good quality to enable him to present 
his ideas with power and to combat error vigorously. Sufficient 
Secretiveness is a strong ally to enable him to keep the confidences 
of his people sacred; a fair degree of Hope and Caution assists his 
efforts; a large degree of Benevolence is essential that he may 



Fig. 366.—CARDINAL HENRY EDWARD MANNING. 


In this noble face all of the signs of intellectual power, purity, and benevolence 
are visible. The brain and bone systems are supreme, while the muscular powers are 
well developed, as evidenced by the form of the nose and the size and form of the 
eye. The long, thin face and full lower lip reveal sympathetic and benevolent tenden¬ 
cies, while the fine quality and large development of the brain, in combination with 
the last mentioned, would impart the philanthropic phase to his character. In the 
chin the signs for Firmness and Conscientiousness are normal; Love of Home and 
Patriotism are apparent. The lower lip is full and denotes large Sympathy. Sanative¬ 
ness, Mirthfulness, Pneumativeness, Economy, Modesty, and Self-esteem are largely 
defined. Mental courage and force of character is indicated by the large size and 
form of the nose, which discloses the following faculties: Human Nature, Sub¬ 
limity, Constructiveness, Acquisition, Veneration, Mental Imitation, Analysis, Ex¬ 
ecutiveness, Reason, and Self-will, all conspicuous—Ltr the eye and mouth the signs 
of fluent Language are evident; Prescience and Credenciveness are both manifest; 
while in the forehead the signs of Memory of Events, Mental Order, Time, Causality, 
Oomparison, and Intuition are most decided. The hand is characteristic of philo¬ 
sophic rather than of scientific tendencies. The ear is that of an orator. The brain 
shows a theoretical rather than a practical mind, although so large an amount of 
bone tends to make the theories practical to a certain degree. The expression of the 
face conveys the idea of intellectual and moral force. The Cardinal is inclined to 
reforms within his sphere , and lias shown his philanthropy in many ways, particularly 
in the settlement of the recent strike of the dock-laborers in London in favor of the 
oppressed laborers. 

be charitable and sympathetic in dealing with sinners as well 
as with saints. Mentally, a clergyman needs a fair share of 
Ideality, Sublimity, Mental Imitation, and Construction in order to 
arrange his ideas in good form and with beauty and loftiness. He 
requires large Veneration to give a sense of submission to law; 
Executiveness, in order to control and command; a modicum of 
Self-will is helpful, and Form, Size, and Prescience as well; fluent 

73 




1154 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

and eloquent Language should be his. He should have large 
Human Nature in order to understand all phases of life and every 
condition of humanity—its needs and weaknesses; large Intuition, 
to enable him to instantly divine their mental and moral status. 
A large degree of Credenciveness is not required, as it tends, if too 
greatly exercised, to superstition* and this trait conflicts with prac¬ 
tical truthful demonstration. He should cultivate an active liver 
by attention to dietary laws, for this imparts clearness to the ideas 
and cheerfulness to the disposition; this enables him to present re¬ 
ligion in a pleasing and happy manner, instead of in the sad and 
gloomy way in which bilious and dyspeptic ministers are wont to 
impart their teachings. A minister should, like Moses, be a good 
hygienist, in order that he may know how not only to retain 
the healthful equilibrium of his own body, but to be able to 
distinguish physical ailments from moral and mental defects. 
Many persons often confound these two conditions. 

A clergyman should be a student of the natural sciences, for 
in this department of nature he will And laws and truths that are 
“infallible.” The laws of God, as shown by the laws of science, 
are, indeed, a “ revelation,” and need only close observation and 
analysis to assure us of their accuracy. To all these a clergyman 
should add a knowledge of scientific physiognomy, that he may be 
sure of his opinions in regard to the character of his people, and 
thus be enabled to work for their highest welfare. 

A clergyman should possess the elements of progress and re¬ 
form, and this requires the courage that springs from Conscien¬ 
tiousness. Large Conscientiousness will give this power unaided 
by the faculty of Resistance, for it is the mightiest force in the 
human mind; this faculty needs the balance of logical Reason to 
make it most effective. 

With this analysis I present delineations of the physiognomies 
of Cardinal Manning and Dean Milman, eminent members of the two 
ruling Christian denominations, viz., the Protestant and the Romish. 

THE SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES ESSENTIAL TO A LAWYER. 

As long as people omit the practice of the injunction “Love 
thy neighbor as thyself” we shall require the services of lawyers; 
and, as the millennium does not appear to be near at hand, there 
seems a probability of our needing their services for a long time to 
come. I will, therefore, outline the requirements of a “ legal 
gentleman.” 

He may have a combination in any degree of any of the four 
superior systems, if he have a suitable quality of the brain as well 
as of the vegetative powers to impart vigor and reason. 


SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES ESSENTIAL TO A LAWYER. 1155 


The various phases of the law require many diverse sorts of 
mind to interpret it; it is with this profession as with all others,— 
the several aspects and departments need minds suited to their re¬ 
quirements. In certain branches the best combination is the brain 
and bony systems dominant, as in courts of equity; in others, the 
brain and muscular systems supreme are required; this class make 
the best advocates and orators, while those with the brain, boiie, 
and muscular systems of fine quality, well developed, make £ood 
counselors. 

A good lawyer requires a good development, firstly, of the 
vegetative powers to give the sustenance essential to his arduous 
labors, and these powers create the social and domestic sentiments 
which he requires, not only to attract and hold friends, but he 
needs them in order to exhibit the emotions before a jury, for there 
is no use of endeavoring to imitate them; without in some degree 
feeling them he will fail in his attempt and meet with no response. 
He should cultivate Force, in order to stand his ground and pre¬ 
sent his ideas and arguments in an earnest and energetic manner, 
and also to assist sarcasm and invective; Resistance, that he may 
oppose with vigor the onslaughts of his opponents; and Secretive¬ 
ness that he may be able to use great discretion in keeping his 
ideas and plans secret until the right opportunity presents itself for 
him to show his hand. Caution, also, is a necessity, to make him 
prudent in speech and action. Large Self-esteem is requisite to im¬ 
part confidence and self-possession; not too much Modesty, for it 
is not well for a lawyer to underrate his abilities, nor to be back¬ 
ward in asserting himself; sufficient Conscientiousness is wanted 
that he may inspire the confidence of his clients and to enable him 
to carry conviction of the justice of his caqseAo the minds of judge 
and jury; Firmness must be normal to give the patience and 
perseverance necessary in long-continued causes. 

A fine mental endowment is required by one who would suc¬ 
ceed in law, and, with this, an excellent education is a necessity. 
Not only is a comprehensive knowledge of the law required, but all 
sorts of learning as well; a lawyer must possess a mind well stored 
with dates, facts, and a variety of anecdotes, as well as poetry, with 
which to amuse, entertain, and adorn his language. He requires 
a good share of Veneration that he may respect the rulings of the 
court; large Language, in order to express himself with precision 
and eloquence, and sway the jury and carry public opinion with 
him. A wide knowledge of Human Nature must he his, in order 
to know how to comprehend the motives of people as well as how 
to manage them; to work upon the sympathies ot the jury as well 
as to convince by logic the more reasonable part of them. 


1156 


Practical and scientific physiognomy. 


Lawyers should make a thorough study of scientific physiog¬ 
nomy, for this will add greatly to their power in the management 
of both jury and witness. This study should be a part of the 
curriculum of all law-schools. Mirthfulness is a great assistant, 
for this, with large Language and Construction, creates wit, and 
wit is very convincing to certain minds. A sense of Sublimity 
is an aid, for it gives the power and enables one to compre¬ 
hend causes involving vast interests; he must possess sufficient 
Ideality to make his language polished, and to impart a sense of 
propriety, taste, and elegance to his dress, manners, and speech, 
for all of these circumstances carry weight and influence all be¬ 
holders. A dirty, slovenly lawyer, whose dress and appearance is 
repulsive, must exhibit almost superhuman powers to be able to 
naturalize the effect of his personnel. A good degree of Will is a 
necessity, and a large and strong Memory of all sorts; Reason of 
the highest, also, and a large measure of Intuition. To all these 
great, good health is necessary, a love of work and study, indom¬ 
itable energy and perseverance, and a determination to succeed. 

THE SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES ESSENTIAL TO AN INVENTOR. 

Among inventors are to be found men of various combina¬ 
tions of systems and faculties. They present various forms which 
are in harmony with the sort of implement or plan which they 
create. Edison, for example, exhibits a high quality and large 
endowment of the brain and nervous system supreme, and he 
deals with the finer forces of Nature which are akin to the elec¬ 
trical mechanism of the brain and nervous system. Elias Howe 
possessed a fine quality and large endowment of the brain and 
muscular system, and his invention was moved by wheels—cir¬ 
cular objects. Morse, who invented the telegraph, had a combi¬ 
nation of brain, muscle, and bone nearly equal in development, 
and his creations required the use of several principles of mech¬ 
anism, and he had the organization and form suited to the creation 
of various sorts of mechanism. 

Thus we see that the inventor inherits the peculiar powers 
that are required for putting in operation those principles of me¬ 
chanics which are the most decided in his own organization. No 
postulate can be sounder than that which is so well expressed by 
Winckelmann, and quoted at the head of this chapter, viz., “We 
generally think according to our formation.” Not only does man 
think according to his formation, but he acts in harmony with his 
build. Indeed, he cannot well act in opposition to it; hence the 
inventor is born with the capacity for that which his genius 
produces. 


SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES ESSENTIAL TO AN INVENTOR. 1157 

The inventor requires a large brain, together with sufficient 
development of the muscular system to aid the mental conception 
of motion; enough ot the bony system to give clearness and a 
perception of truth; that is to say, perception of the laws of 
Nature, which are based on mathematical precision, and all the 
works of man are representative ol the mechanical laws governing 
the works of Nature. He should have sufficient of the thoracic 



Fig. 367.—CYRUS HALL McCORMACK. (Inventor of the Reaper.) 

In this energetic countenance we observe all of the elements of mechanical 
ingenuity. The signs for Thought, Perseverance, Construction, and Intuition are 
marked. The brain, bone, and muscular and thoracic systems are about equally 
developed and of high quality. The lower third of the face is covered, but obser¬ 
vation of the rest of the countenance assures us that Firmness and Conscience are well 
represented, as well that Alimentiveness is indicated by the well-nourished appear¬ 
ance of the physiognomy. Color, Sanativeness, and Pneumativeness, also the domestic 
functions and faculties, are well developed—for so fine a superstructure has an 
equally excellent foundation. The nose is broad, high, and of proportionate length. 
The tip is both high and broad, indicating not only Human Nature, Ideality, and 
Sublimity very large, but it also shows a progressive^investigating spirit. Mental 
Imitation, Analysis, Constructiveness, Acquisitiveness, Veneration, Executiveness, 
Reason, and Self-will are all conspicuous. The eyes are deep set under an overhang¬ 
ing mechanical brow. The signs of Form, Size, Weight, Faculty, Observation, 
Order, Time, Calculation, Memory of Events, and Intuition are all remarkably devel¬ 
oped. The ear is large and round, disclosing good aural capacity, Music, and Com¬ 
mercial capacity. The hair falls in slight and easy curves, and is an accessory sign of 
Constructiveness. The face, as a whole, indicates originality, will, progress, and 
energy. 


system to enable him to instinctively comprehend and apply the 
principles of periodicity, which are characteristic of the move¬ 
ments of the heart, lungs, circulation, and digestion, and to all 
these a good share of the vegetative powers, to give sustenance to 
the other systems, and to evolve those sentiments which lie at the 
base of all creative efforts, such as Amativeness and Love of 
Young. 

Reference to the physiognomy of all superior inventors will 


1158 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


disclose a large degree of these as well as of other domestic and 
social traits. The inventor requires a good degree of Force, Self¬ 
esteem, Pneumativeness, and Caution ; he should have large Hope, 
but not enough to make him too sanguine and mislead him; he 
needs Analysis, Mental Imitation, Ideality, and (in the construction 
of mechanism involving great principles) a good share of Sub¬ 
limity is useful. Self-will is a much-needed factor; Form, Size, 
Weight, Locality, Time, Order, Calculation, Reason, and Intuition 
are required in a large degree. 

A knowledge of physics, natural philosophy, mathematics, 
and mechanics is required. A love of investigation, an insatiable 
curiosity in regard to laws and principles, and a patient, persever¬ 
ing spirit are characteristic of all those great inventors who have 
blessed the world with their inventions. I advise my readers to 
familiarize themselves with the life, labors, and struggles of the 
great inventors of modern times—those men who have wrought 
out of their inner consciousness the wonderful systems, imple¬ 
ments, and machines which have been mainly instrumental in 
evolving a high civilization. 

A knowledge of how such men as Watt, Stephenson, Fulton, 
Hoe, Morse, Edison, and Goodyear struggled, suffered, and suc¬ 
ceeded would very greatly stimulate and strengthen other in¬ 
ventive minds, as well as the minds of all who take an interest in 
the development of character. Nothing so sharpens the faculties 
as the struggles necessary to compel the world to accept a great 
idea which has taken form and wrought out practical and philan¬ 
thropic results, such, for example, as the use of steam, of electricity, 
the art of printing, the sewing-machine, etc. 

Character is developed, first, by an inward force acting on 
circumstances; second, by outward circumstances and opportuni¬ 
ties. The great characters of the world were not created in 
luxury, for luxury enervates and destroys. History records few 
inventors or reformers who were reared in the lap of ease and 
surrounded by wealth; and parents need not expect great things 
of their children whose minds are clogged and senses cloyed with 
the material things of life. Grand characters are the result of 
self-denial, self-control, self-sacrifice, and the pursuit of high ideals, 
or else evolve in the order of Nature by natural development, 
having inherited capacity for greatness which is irresistible. 

THE SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES NEEDED BY A COMMANDER. 

The conduct of a great campaign, whether naval or military, 
requires high mental qualifications and great bodily powers. 
Commanders need a large and broad brain to give strength and 


SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES NEEDED BY A COMMANDER. 1159 

comprehensiveness to their ideas and plans; they require a large 
endowment of both bone and muscle to impart stability and ag¬ 
gression to their movements. The thoracic system must be well 
developed, for this gives love of progress, a desire for leadership, 
and makes the mind clear and fertile. The vegetative system 
must be active in order to nourish and sustain the mental efforts 
and bodily activities. All of these functions need to be of high 
quality. The faculties essential to true greatness in the direction 
of command are many. Large Firmness and Conscientiousness 
are needed to make the character persevering and unyielding, and 
also to impart a high sense of duty and responsibility, and to hold 
others up to the same standard. Large Patriotism is needed to 
impel one to plan for his country’s good and glory. Amative¬ 
ness is an assistant to a vigorous manhood. Pneumativeness is 
required to give vigor and enthusiasm. Color also aids by im¬ 
parting enthusiasm, and also makes all of the tissues more power¬ 
ful. Self-esteem is a strong ally, for it lends dignity and inde¬ 
pendence to the character. Large Force and Resistance are neces¬ 
sary in order to oppose and resist attacks. A due degree of 
Secretiveness and Caution is essential, and is needed in order to 
keep plans secret and prevent rashness. Human Nature must be 
cultivated to enable one to deal with all sorts of characters. 
Executiveness should be one of the dominant faculties, as well as 
Self-will. Constructiveness on a large scale is needed to aid in 
plans and schemes. Form, Size, and Observation are requisite to 
assist Construction and enable one to visualize the field of action, 
as well as faces and all forms and shapes connected with the 
duties of a commander. Locality is another powerful assistant; 
so also are Mental Order, Calculation, and Reason. 

A commander should be a well-disciplined soldier or sailor; 
he should have a comprehensive, technical knowledge of' his pro¬ 
fession ; he should be familiar with the biography of all the great 
commanders of the world, and the history of all the principal 
campaigns and engagements of all ages. 

So many varieties of character exist among commanders that it 
is no easy task to describe and classify them. Some are aggressive, 
and rush forward into engagements with an impetuosity that 
carries all before them. Such were Napoleon, Napier, and Julius 
Caesar. Others, more calm and patient, sit quietly down and plan, 
in a comprehensive spirit, great campaigns, and with a knowledge 
of the enemy’s strength, weakness, and plans move to an attack 
with almost a certainty of success. Marlborough and Grant 
were of this class. Other commanders, like jMcC lellan, aie less 
aggressive, but make great ov ejauizev s. Jheie was never as laige 


1160 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 



Fig. 368.—CAIUS JULIUS CiESAR. (Roman Commander, Statesman, 

Orator, and Author.) 

The scientific physiognomist may well pause before so noble, so god-like a coun¬ 
tenance as this. It is the grandest I have ever beheld. Certainly no modern physi¬ 
ognomy is at all comparable to it. All the elements of grandeur are here. The 
shoulders, the chest, and neck assure us (were it not visible) of a great physiognomy. 
What I might say of this countenance would not begin to express what the sight of 
it alone reveals. Language is wholly inadequate to describe it, yet in the interests of 
science I must make the attempt. The chin is a truly Roman feature, and seems too 
prominent, but were it smaller the harmony of the whole would be destroyed. The 
rounded contour of the lower jaw reveals the tragic elements of his character, which 
he illustrated in his actions upon the stage of life. The lips are noble and beautiful.; 
the nose—oh, what a sublime feature ! The eyes announce great power, and are pro¬ 
portioned to the rest of the organism. The superciliary area and the brows are 
grand and unique. The upper part of the forehead, and the forehead as a whole, is 
unapproachable. The ear is in grand style, both as to size and form, and discloses 
wonderful powers. The brain system is of the highest quality and is dominant; the 
muscular ranks next; and the thoracic and osseous are about equal in degree, and 
are very nearly as well developed as the first-mentioned ; the vegetative is sufficient 
for nutrition ; where the muscular system is so largely developed a great degree of 
the vegetative is not required. In the chin we find the signs for Firmness, Con¬ 
science, Patriotism, and Love of Home; in the lower lip, Benevolence. The cheeks 
are muscular, and, with the curved jaw, denote great constitutional vigor. Amative¬ 
ness and Love of Young are well defined. The signs in the nose are all conspicuous ; 
Hope, Analysis, Mental Imitation, Ideality, Sublimity, Human Nature, Construction, 
and Acquisition are all large ; the executi ve portion is strongly outlined. Veneration, 
Reason, Executiveness, and Self-will together make this the grandest and most 
aggressively-mental nose ever beheld. The eye shows Language, Motion, and Ob¬ 
servation. Its position in relation to the surrounding parts is a wonderful study. 
The signs of Form, Size, Prescience, Observation, Weight, Locality, Time, Order, 
Music, Calculation, and Memory of Events are of the largest. The upper part of the 
forehead announces great Memory of Events, and corroborates the signs of Causality 
and Comparison in the nose. Intuition is immense, and this faculty in combination 
with Human Nature (height of the tip of the nose above the plane of the face) gave 
him almost superhuman knowledge and command of men and things. The whole 
expresses great intellectual power, comprehensiveness, and ambition. 














SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES NEEDED BY A COMMANDER. 1161 

Un army so well organized and disciplined as that which General 
McClellan left to his successor, who had the faculty requsite to 
supplement that of General McClellan’s grand gift of organization. 
Possibly the general who led the attack could not have built up 
so vast an army as the former. In military matters many sorts of 
character are needed to carry forward the various operations and 
meet the requirements of a campaign. There must be those com¬ 
petent to provide food for man and beast; others to secure the neces- 



Fig. 3G9.— SIR CHARLES JOHN NAPIER. (Admiral of the British Navy.) 

This truly leonine countenance reveals just what the visage of the king of beasts 
discloses, viz., force, courage, and aggression. We observe in this subject the domi¬ 
nance of the brain and muscular systems, with the osseous and thoracic taking 
second place. The chin is broad, thus showing a high regard for duty and giving 
severity to the character. Love of Home and Patriotism are manifest, while the 
mouth, wide and straight, denotes capacity and linguistic powers. The nose is a re¬ 
markable feature; its length denotes perspicacity; its height and breadth, vigor of 
the visceral organs and force of mind. The point discloses the signs of Analysis. 

Human Nature, Ideality, Sublimity, Mental'Irnitation, Construction, and Acquisition 
are very well defined. Veneration, Self-will, Logical Reason, and Executiveness 
are the prominent signs in the face. The width between the eyes is uncommonly 
great, and shows not only large Size and Form, but a broad and comprehensive intel¬ 
lect. The eyes disclose Language and muscular power. The signs of Observation, 
Weight, Locality, Calculation, Time, Order, and Memory of Events are conspicuously 
apparent. The hair and beard indicate vigor and strength, while the general ex¬ 
pression denotes power. This subject entered the British Navy at thirteen, and the 
following year was wounded in an engagement. The profession of arms and the 
ability to command were hereditary in his family, and were shown at an early age. 

It requires more than one generation of commanders to develop such a nose and 
physique. For his brilliant services this fearless commander received high honors 
from his own and other governments. It is thus that true bravery and courage should 
be ever recognized. 

sary quantity of ammunition; others to build roads and bridges; 
others, yet, to drill and discipline; others to organize, and others 
to command. Yet, because one man commands, the labors ol all 
others should not be ignored, nor should they be deprived of their 
meed of praise. I regard the organizing and executive ability of 
General McClellan quite as great in its way as the aggressive 
spirit of command displayed by General Grant. It was certainly 
quite as essential to the success of the campaign that it should 











1162 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

have thorough organization and discipline as that it should have 
an energetic leader when ready for action. With this analysis I 
present the portraits of two aggressive and successful commanders, 
viz., Julius Caesar and Admiral Napier. 

THE SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES NECESSARY TO A SCIENTIST. 

The scope and plan of Nature is vast and wide, and those * 
who would enter her temples must be of many diverse constitu¬ 
tions and be dominated by the spirit of truth. This is a sine qua 
non. Science is an exposition of the laws of God , as shown by the 
laics of Nature; hence, law, truth, and infallibility lie at its 
foundation and accompany its every step. A man who does not 
love truth better than his own ideas and theories is a recreant, and 
not fit to be ranked among the noble army of truth-seekers which 
in this age is exploring every department of Nature’s broad 
domain with the view of ascertaining God’s laws and His method 
of creation. Surely no pursuit can rank higher than this. The 
reign of law in all departments of the universe is an assured fact. 
To seek out and apply these laws is the aim of the true scientist. 
To live without a knowledge of these natural laws is to live with¬ 
out God, for to remain in ignorance of law, as do the beasts, is to 
follow their methods of existence. That “ the carnal mind is 
enmity against God ” is well illustrated by the opposition that 
the weak-minded, vicious, and bigoted in all ages have shown 
to the advancement of truth as revealed by natural law. The 
persecution of Bruno and Galileo for asserting that the world 
moved is only one of the thousand persecutions which the truth¬ 
ful scientist has had to suffer. Fortunately, in these days the 
scientist is not threatened with the stake and faggot as formerly, 
yet certain ecclesiastical institutions still pursue him with opposi¬ 
tion and anathemas. Their day is, however, short, for “ Truth is 
mighty and will prevail,” and the reign of law is bound, under the 
inexorable law of evolution, to become a recognized fact. 

The powers and faculties needed by the discoverers, leaders, 
and teachers of science are many, and must be of high quality and 
power. They must be, in the first place, logicians; that is, they 
must have a large endowment of Causality and Comparison, in 
order to analyze and classify their ideas, theories, observations, 
objects, and materials. They require a sound and well-balanced 
body and mind. They must be fearless and independent, in order 
to cope with error courageously. 

The scientist must possess enthusiasm , for nothing is so 
capable, it seems to me, of arousing one’s whole being as the 
discovery and demonstration of a great fact or law in Nature. 


SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES NECESSARY fO A SCIENTIST. 1163 

A large degree of sensitiveness of the brain and nervous 
system is essential, for the scientist must be alive to the appear¬ 
ances of all things in Nature, particularly so of that class of 
phenomena which his peculiar talents fit him for observing. A 
spirit of curiosity, of speculation, and of inquiry must be his, 
together with untiring patience and perseverance. A broad and 
comprehensive manner of investigation must characterize his 
methods, in order that he shall know whether the principles which 
he promulgates are sustained and corroborated by the facts and 
laws of other departments of demonstrated science. 

A lively imagination is indispensable, yet it must not exceed 
a certain degree, otherwise he will entertain chimerical fancies which 
cannot be proven by cognate facts and laws. The nerves of all good 
and great scientists reveal that Ideality has assisted them, not only in 
doing their work in an ornate and finished manner, but it demon¬ 
strates that it has aided in imagining the probability of the existence 
of the Unseen. In this way many missing links in the chain of 
scientific evidence have been discovered and worked out to a 
demonstration. Sublimity is required to bring the mind en rapport 
with the vast and complex laws and works of Nature. A small 
and narrow brain is not competent to grasp in its entirety the 
grandeur and magnificence of universal law, and Sublimity is one 
of the faculties which here assists. 

The physiognomies of all the celebrated discoverers, theorizers, 
and demonstrators of science are proof of what is here stated. 
Examine, for example, the faces of Galileo, the Herschels, Arago, 
Buffon, La Grange, Huxley, Darwin, Spencer, and Agassiz, and in 
each countenance will be found, in varying degrees, the signs of 
character above named. 

A sound visceral organization is one great essential to scientific 
labors and profound thought, such as is required for the solving 
of the great problems of Nature. The feces of the leaders of 
scientific thought in all cases disclose a normal or balanced degree 
of the visceral powers. A life devoted to scientific research is 
highly beneficial to health and conduces to longevity. Statistics 
corroborate this statement, while the investigation of the physiog¬ 
nomies of a large majority ol scientists discloses the fact that the 
tendency to longevity is part ot their birthright. It is this sound¬ 
ness of the foundation system of functions, in combination with 
a good brain, that has given them the capacity foi piofound and 
prolonged mental labor. The exercise of the emotions , such as 
are necessary in many artistic pursuits, tends to impaii the health 
and shorten life. All of the most exhausting emotions are con¬ 
stantly called into play Id most artists, for the expression of art is 


1164 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


based on love, joy, hatred, jealousy, revenge, etc., as the poems, 
plays, works of fiction, paintings, and statues of these classes 
prove, and these emotions cannot be portrayed and represented 
without being felt in a certain degree. Then, too, the passions 
of love, rivalry, and jealousy are much more strongly felt and 



Fig. 370.— MARY SOMERVILLE. (Scotch Scientist, Author.) 

In this placid and thoughtful face we find the evidence of scientific capacity, of 
a lively disposition, of a true, sweet, strong-minded woman. In this organism the 
brain and osseous systems dominate, the muscular and thoracic rank next, while the 
vegetative powers assist nutrition and domestic sentiment. The chin is curved, indi¬ 
cating dramatic tastes and constitutional vigor. It discloses Firmness, Conscientious¬ 
ness, Patriotism, and Love of Home. The signs for Benevolence, Amativeness, Love 
of Young, Modesty, Approbation, Alimentation, Hospitality, Friendship, Sanative¬ 
ness, Pneumativeness, Color, Caution, and Mirth are conspicuous. The nose is long, 
high, and broad its entire length, and reveals Sublimity, Ideality, Human Nature, 
Constructiveness, Acquisition, Veneration, Reason, Executiveness, and Self-will. 
The mechanical faculties are well represented. Size and Form are excessively devel¬ 
oped. Language, both in the eyes and mouth, denotes linguistic talent. Observation, 
Calculation, Time, Order, Memory of Events, and Intuition are decided. The neck 
is a noble member. The position of the head announces attention, while the expres¬ 
sion of the eyes indicates thought and mildness of disposition. The works of this 
lady are very scholarly and profound. She gave a translation of Laplace’s great work, 
“Mecanique Celeste,” and produced a work entitled “On the Relation of the Physi¬ 
cal Sciences.” She wrote extensively on such subjects as gravitation, heat, elec¬ 
tricity, comets, the tides, and distinguished herself by experiments on the magnetic 
influence of the solar rays of the spectrum. She was made a member of the Royal 
Astronomical Society, and received a pension of three hundred pounds sterling per 
annum from the Civil List Fund. Added to all, she was a devoted wife, an affec¬ 
tionate mother, a good housekeeper, and a true friend. 


exhibited by the artistic classes; hence it follows that a calm and 
reflective state of mind is more conducive to health and longevity 
than where the mind is the battle-ground of excessive emotional 
activity. Many eminent scientists have lived in full possession of 
their mental powers to a very advanced age, as witness Caroline 
Herschel, who lived to ninety-seven years; Chevreul, who died re¬ 
cently at one hundred years. Humboldt lived to a great age, and 


SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES REQUIRED BY A CIVIL ENGINEER. 1165 


his mental labors were prodigious, and continued to his latest days. 
I might instance very many more. With this analysis I give the 
delineation ot Karl Vogt, eminent German anthropologist, and 
Mary Somerville, the most celebrated female mathematician of 
Great Britain. 



Fig. 371.—KARL VOGT. (German Anthropologist, Physician, Author.) 

In the face before us we have all the evidences of a sound and vigorous consti¬ 
tution and a broad and profound thinker: indeed, breadth is the key-note to the 
entire organism. High Quality, deep Color, Proportion, and Health are all revealed in 
this strong countenance. Strength without coarseness, combined with many high 
traits, assure us that we are dealing with one of Nature's “ thorough-bred ” crea¬ 
tures. The brain and muscular systems dominate. The chin announces a char¬ 
acter of great stability. Firmness and Conscience are well defined. Love of Home 
. and Patriotism, Benevolence, Love of Young, Amativeness, Alimentiveness, Pneu- 
mativeness, Color, Sanativeness, Friendship, and Hospitality are all well developed, 
and show us the basis of a sound intellect and healthy moral and domestic nature. 

The upper lip is relatively sliort, proving that egotism, at least, is not present. The 
breadth of cheek and signs for Sanativeness disclose great health and capacity for 
medical science. The nose is proportioned to the other features. The signs for 
Mental Imitation, Ideality, Sublimity, Human Nature, Construction, Acquisition, 
Veneration, Reason, Executiveness, and Self-will are conspicuous. Form, Size, 
Weight, Language, Locality, Observation, and Calculation are pronounced. The 
shape of the Forehead shows a comprehensive brain, and reveals the signs for Time, 

Order Memory of Events, Reason, and Intuition. The shape of the chest, shoulders, 
and neck tells us that the thoracic structure is capable of sending a large quantity 
of well-oxygenated blood to the brain with rapidity. The position of the head denotes 
the attentive, patient thinker. 

THE SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES REQUIRED BY A CIVIL ENGINEER. 

The ability to design and construct important works by appli¬ 
cation of the laws of physics as illustrated in engineering requires 
a superior intellect and a body constructed upon sound mechanical 
principles. A mechanical body is always associated with a me¬ 
chanical mind; that is to say, the mind and body are a unit, and 
each expresses the other, if we have only a method by which we 
can translate form into character. This method is developed in 
scientific physiognomy and corroborated by the facts of physiology, 
anatomy, evolution, heredity, embryology, and kindred sciences. 


1166 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


The mechanical engineer requires a due development of the 
brain, osseous, and muscular systems of good quality. He needs 
a large endowment of the vegetative powers to nourish and sustain 
the other systems. A fair share of Color is essential to give integ¬ 
rity to all the tissues and for the practical uses of the materials 



Fig. 372.— WASHINGTON A. ROEBLING. (Civil Engineer, Author.) 

The dominant expression of this face is one of power—of calm, collected, yet 
conscious ability. The quality is fine, the face well proportioned. The shoulders 
and thoracic development are wonderful, and give assurance of great mental energy. 
The face is that of a typical mechanic of the most talented class. The projection of 
the brows and recession of the forehead reveals the born mechanic, and grand and 
accurate observer. The osseous, brain, muscular, and thoracic systems are equally 
and highly developed; the vegetative also asserts its power in an active manner. 
The lower third of the face cannot be seen ; in this case we must rely on those parts 
that are visible ; hence we know that the domestic functions and faculties are well 
defined. Alimentiveness, Sanativeness, Color, and Friendship are conspicuous. The 
beard indicates ^reat vitality and is an accessory sign of longevity. The nose is broad, 
high, of proportionate length, and remarkably elaborated at the tip. It is a typical 
constructive nose—the nose of a builder. Upon it we observe the signs for Analysis, 
Mental Imitation, Human Nature, and Sublimity very large; white ideality, Con¬ 
structiveness, Acquisition, Veneration, Executiveness, Reason, and Self-will are 
highly developed. The formation of the eye-bones—the superciliary ridge—is un¬ 
common. Here are located the signs for all of the observing or practical and mechan¬ 
ical traits. The eyes are deeply set; the brows show scarcely any arching ; the out¬ 
line of the forehead is worthy close attention, as well as the strong, broad, and com¬ 
pact head. The signs for Form, Size, Observation, Locality, Prescience, Weight, 
Time, Order, and Calculation are excessive. Credenciveness is deficient, while 
Memory of Events is excellent; language is not eloquent, yet fluent, practical, and 
clear. The forehead corroborates the signs in the nose of Causality and Comparison ; 
Intuition is fairly developed. The ear discloses good aural capacity. The hair is 
straight, and the poise of the head announces Dignity, Independence, Resolution, 
Force, and Resistance. 


involved in the profession. Strong muscles are necessary in order 
to impart the sense of rhythm and periodicity, and to aid the 
faculties of Constructiveness and Calculation, as well as to give 
dexterity in the manipulation of materials. Very large powers of 
observation must be had, and all the practical qualities as well. 

The faculties of Form and Size should be excessive, and the 




SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES REQUIRED BY A CIVIL ENGINEER. 1167 

sense of Weight, also, to enable one to judge of the qualities of 
pressure, resistance, etc. Calculation should be most decided to 
facilitate the arithmetical part of the profession. Locality is 
required tor the purpose ol memorizing and visualizing places, etc. 
Large Sublimity is an essential trait to enable the engineer to com- 



Fig. 373.— JAMES B. EADS. (Civil Engineer, Inventor.) 

The outlines of this nose, head, and face recall to mind the physiognomies of the 
ancient Greek architects. In this noble countenance we observe the dominance of 
the brain, muscular, and osseous systems, which are highly developed and of fine 
quality. The thoracic and vegetative follow closely, both in amount and fineness. 
The position of the shoulders and thorax reveals integrity and power. The height 
of the top of the head from the shoulders is unusual; its uprightness speaks of 
straight conduct. The outline of the head describes a perfect dome. The wrinkles 
across the forehead show talent and straight thoughts. Across the root of the nose 
are the executive wrinkles, showing that the habit of command and authority has 
been long exercised. Mirthful wrinkles at the outer corners of the eyes are proofs 
of a cheerful disposition. The mouth shows Eloquence and Wit, as well as Mirth, 
Love of Young, Order, and Meditation. The chin is broad, disclosing Conscientious¬ 
ness. The signs for Self-esteem and Modesty are prominently displayed ; so, also, are 
Alimentiveness, Bibativeness, Approbation, Hospitality, Patriotism, Love of Home, 
Sanativeness, and Friendship. Pneumativeness and Color are conspicuous. The nose 
is of a pure Greek type. It is what I term an “architectural” nose, resembling, as 
it does, a column or pillar. It is high, long, broad, and straight. The signs for Human 
Nature, Mental Imitation, Analysis, Ideality, Sublimity, Construction, Acquisition, 
Veneration, Reason, Executiveness, and Self-will are very large. The eyes are well 
set under a mechanical brow, the brows close down to the eyes. The signs for Observa¬ 
tion, Weight, Size, Form, Locality, Time, Order, Calculation, Causality, Comparison, 
and Intuition are highly developed. Credenciveness is deficient and Prescience about 
the average. The ear is large, and indicates excellent aural and commercial capacities. 
The area about the root of the nose is noteworthy : it shows the most talented degree 
of Self-will. Allusion has been made to this in the section devoted to an analysis of 
Self-will. 


prehend great and complex laws, and give the capacity for under¬ 
taking grand enterprises. Time is a useful trait, and, in connection 
with Order and Calculation, is a strong ally. Constructiveness 
must be had in order to impart ingenuity, deftness, and inventive 
skill. Strong Self-will and Executiveness are able assistants, and 
give the ability to hold on to one’s purposes and assist in controll¬ 
ing large numbers of workmen. 


1168 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


Force and Resistance are most useful, for they enable one to 
judge of and estimate similar qualities in mechanism; they also 
impart strength and resolution to the character. Large reasoning 
powers are necessary for the purpose of analyzing, comparing, and 
classifying with facility. 

Many of the great and successful engineers have been mental 
colossi. The labors which they have performed, both within and 
outside of their profession, seem to be the work of supernatural 
beings when we come to contrast them with the labors of men in 
many other pursuits. The biographies of such as Smeaton, Watt, 
Vauban, the Stephensons, Eads, the Roeblings (father and son), 
Ericsson, and others, read like fairy-tales. These records are highly 
instructive and throw great light upon their physiognomies. 

The master-minds in all of those departments of labor which 
require a knowledge of mechanical principles, such as engineer¬ 
ing, invention, and architecture, possess vigorous bodies. A man 
with feeble physical powers could not perform the duties apper¬ 
taining to the planning and superintending of a work like the 
bridge over the Niagara or the erection of a building like the 
Capitol at Washington. Such works entail the most profound and 
prolonged meditation, as well as manual labor, in draughting the 
plans, selecting men and materials, impressing upon others the 
importance of the work, inspiring confidence, and imparting 
courage and enthusiasm to those who furnish the means, and in 
many ways not directly connected with the profession must the 
great engineer use his strength. 

Above and beyond all other powers required by the engineer 
is the faculty of Conscientiousness,—not alone for the moral power 
which this trait exhibits, but it is necessary as well to the com¬ 
prehension of the great underlying laws of mechanics, which in 
their expression are types of the laws which govern the world, 
hence are founded on absolute truth and integrity. 

An equilibrated condition of mind and body is essential to 
the engineer, for, as the fundamental principle of all structures is 
equilibrium, so a man, in order to produce this condition in ma¬ 
chinery, must possess in his own organism a large share of this 
most necessary principle. 

With this description of the structure of a civil engineer I 
present the physiognomy of Colonel Washington A. Roebling, 
who, with his father, was engineer-in-chief of the Brooklyn Bridge, 
and also that of Captain James B. Eads, the engineer who planned 
and built the Missouri Bridge, the New Orleans jetties, and other 
grand structures. These two very dissimilar countenances are 
typical faces: that of Captain Eads is the countenance of an 


SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES REQUIRED BY A BANKER. 1169 

architect as well as that of a mechanical engineer, while that of 
Colonel Roebling is a purely mechanical type; the outline of the 
forehead alone announces this phase of character. 

THE SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES REQUIRED BY A BANKER. 

In order for a man to succeed in any pursuit he must have 
the mental aptitudes and bodily organization suited to that pur¬ 
suit. This postulate can be verified by collecting the portraits of 
any number of those engaged in a given trade or profession, and 
it will be found that the majority are similar in the formation of 
features as well as in bodily structure. So true it is that form and 
faculty are allied that it has been noted in all ages and expressed 
by philosophers of all nations, yet without the scientific basis and 
analysis which alone make observations valuable. Many persons 
dissimilar in form and function acquire by long-continued thought 
in similar directions the same expression of face, the same walk, 
attitude, voice, gestures, and mannerisms. Emerson, our great 
observational philosopher, had remarked this, for he tells us that 

Each religious sect lias its physiognomy. The Methodists have ac¬ 
quired a face, the Quakers a face, the Nuns a face. An Englishman will 
pick out a dissenter by his manners. Trades and professions carve their 
own lines on face and form.* 

The love of acquisition of material things, where it amounts 
to a talent, must be so strongly impressed upon the form, and 
consequently upon the features, as to reveal its power to those who 
know how to translate form into character. When we inquire 
which races and nations have had the most eminent success in 
gaining wealth, we shall find that the Hebrew race and the English 
nation are the best endowed with the instinct of commercialism. 

This question being settled, we come then to the observation 
of the forms which the majority of these people exhibit. We 
shall find that an immense majority of them are characterized by 
breadth , by relative shortness of stature, and by a dominance of 
the vegetative functions and muscular system, as well as by a high 
development of the muscular organs , viz., of the heart, stomach, 
and reproductive system. 

The superior development of these functions produces a rela¬ 
tively short and broad structure, and, according to the basic laws 
of Form, breadth means strength and shortness indicates a less 
mental and more of a material phase of intellect, from this 
analysis we deduce the fact that those engaged in the acquisition 
of material wealth by virtue of congenital ability would be of the 
broad and short build, with a head, face, and featuies to corre- 

* English Traits, R. W. Emerson, p. 54. 

74 


1170 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


spond; and this is what we find to be the case when we come to 
generalize, and by this method we see that the great bankers of 
tlie world are broad and relatively short men. The Rothschilds, 
Hebrew bankers of Europe; George Peabody, of London; Ros¬ 
well P. Flower, of America, and many others, illustrate this prin¬ 
ciple of form and faculty. 

The banker requires a large degree of Conscientiousness, 
Firmness, Economy, Love of Young, Patriotism, Benevolence, 



Fig. 374.—ANTHONY ROTHSCHILD. (Banker.) 


In this portrait we find all the elements which go to make up a successful 
financier. The face is one of the best types of the Hebrew commercialist. The dis¬ 
tinguishing form of the outline is breadth, —roundness,—thus evidencing a vigorous 
visceral organization as well as a comprehensive judgment. In the chin the signs for 
Firmness, Conscientiousness, Love of Home, Patriotism, Alimentiveness, Economy, 
and Bibativeness are well delineated. The mouth is wide, denoting good digestive 
capacity and linguistic talent. The signs for Benevolence, Love of Young, Amative¬ 
ness, Mirth, Approbation, Hospitality, Friendship, Modesty, and Self-esteem are 
conspicuous. Sanativeness and Pneumativeness are decidedly developed. The nose 
is broad, straight, and of an equal thickness its entire length ; upon it the signs for 
Caution, Sublimity, Human Nature, Ideality, Construction, and Acquisition are 
supreme. Veneration, Reason, Executiveness, and Self-will are strong allies. Form 
and Size are remarkably developed. Observation and Locality are excellent, while 
Calculation is of the highest grade of power. The forehead shows corroborative 
signs of Commercial Judgment, together with large Memory of Events and Intuition. 
To sum up the entire personnel, we may say that this character is social, domestic 
and commercial, and possessed of aesthetic tastes, love of music, painting, and 
sculpture. 


Alimentiveness, Approbation, Friendship, Hospitality, Sanative¬ 
ness, Color, and Self-esteem. He requires all these in order to give 
vigor to his mental processes, to impart those domestic sentiments 
which are essential to one whose nature is based upon the material 
things of life, and because these vegetative functions and domestic 
sentiments are inseparably bound together. 

The banker should have Force, a good share of Secretiveness, 
Caution, and a moderate degree of Hope. He needs Sublimity 



SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES REQUIRED BY A PHILANTHROPIST. 1171 

to enable him to comprehend and invest in large enterprises. 
He requires Human Nature, large Acquisition, Construction, Ex¬ 
ecutiveness, Self-will, not too much Credenciveness, a good degree 
of Size, Form, Locality, Weight, Time, Order, Memory of Events, 
large Calculation, and excellent reasoning powers. 

A delineation of Anthony Rothschild, banker, one of the 
members of the most extensive banking-houses in the world, is 
here given. It is a typical face, and will well repay a careful 
analysis. 

THE SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES REQUIRED BY A PHILANTHROPIST. 

There are very many diverse phases of the sympathetic faculty, 
some of which require only the most ordinary grade of intellect to 
exhibit activity. Many persons feel sympathy for others, yet fail to 
take active steps to relieve them. There is one class of sufferers 
that require only that others listen to or witness their grief in 
order to satisfy and relieve them. Others in need feel the want 
only of some comparatively inexpensive assistance. There is a class 
of persons everywhere to be found who are competent to deal with 
this form of suffering. 

And thus, for every grade and shade of human misery we 
shall find that Nature has provided a person or class of persons 
competent to sympathize with, understand, and relieve each of 
these several forms of want and suffering. 

The philanthropist is one who has the capacity to ameliorate 
the condition of large numbers of his fellow-beings; it follows, 
then, that he must have within his own organization not only 
the requisite degree of sympathy to impel him to action in the 
direction of relief, but he must have also an intellect sufficiently 
broad and comprehensive to understand the conditions which 
afflict so generally large numbers of human beings, and possess 
sufficient ingenuity to devise ways and manage the large funds 
which are required in all grand philanthropic schemes. Philan¬ 
thropists are subdivided into classes. One poition of them pass 
their time in accumulation, and leave their millions to found some 
o-rand charity after their demise, as did Stephen Girard, who has 
endowed probably the most magnificent charity (and one which 
contains in its provisions all of the elements of perpetuity) that 
has ever been devised. 

Another class of philanthropists, like George Peabody, Count 
Rumford, and Leland Stanford, prefer to administer npon their ac¬ 
cumulations before death, and enjoy the luxury of seeing the good 
which their gains can accomplish. Now, the ability to plan and 
carry forward such large schemes as these men have matured 


1172 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY, 


requires the exercise of high administrative capacity; hence, the 
philanthropist who endows and manages a great institution for 
charitable purposes is necessarily great in both sympathy and in¬ 
tellect, and therefore we find in this class a form in consonance 
with these qualities. 

In corroboration of this statement, study the 'personnel of 
Matthew Vassar, who founded and endowed Vassar College for 



Fig. 375.— GEORGE PEABODY. (Banker, Philanthropist.) 

The brain in this subject is high and broad and reveals fine Quality; the mus¬ 
cular and thoracic systems rank second. The chin is also wide and the nose is both 
broad and high. The space between the eyes is uncommonly wide. All of these cir¬ 
cumstances, summed up and proved by the basic laws of Form, show us that we have 
a very comprehensive mind to deal with. The chin discloses large Conscientiousness, 
Firmness, Love of Home, Patriotism, and Economy. The signs for Benevolence, 

Love of Young, Amativeness, Mirthfulness, Friendship, Hospitality, Color, Pneu- 
mativeness, and Sanativeness are all prominently displayed. The nose is a feature 
seldom met. It is constructive, acquisitive, logical, and executive ; upon it the signs 
for Mental Imitation, Human Nature, Sublimity, Ideality ? Constructiveness, Acquisi¬ 
tiveness, Veneration, Reason, Executiveness, and Self-will are all conspicuous. The 
eyes are those of an observant and thoughtful man ; the brows, lowered close down 
to them, show their practical inclination. The capacity for Form and Size is very 
great. The signs for Observation, Memory of Events, Locality, Time, and Order are 
well defined. Verbal Language is about average, while the ability to express thought 
by the pen in an earnest, clear, and elegant manner is manifest. Calculation is fairly 
represented. The indications of the reasoning powers in the forehead corroborate 
those in the nose, and declare Causality and Comparison to be of the best. Intuition 
is one of the leading traits of this character. Credenciveness is small and Prescience 
above the average. The ear discloses aural, commercial, and acquisitive capacity. 

The position of the head shows the attentive thinker. This gentleman endowed 
several large libraries, homes for working-people, and other charities on a magnificent 
scale. He was also a very successful banker. 

Women, and of George Peabody, whose endowments and philan¬ 
thropies are as cosmopolitan as they are varied. John Howard, 
who was a practical philanthropist and reformer, also exhibited a 
broad and robust frame. M. Godin, who founded the celebrated 
Familistere in Guise, France, is still another example of the prac¬ 
tical philanthropist. The name of Wilberforce should not be 
omitted in this connection. There are many others who belong 



SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES NECESSARY TO A PHILOLOGIST. 1173 

to this class whose form and features correspond to the foregoing 
description. 

In order to give we must first possess, and these possessions 
must be either mental or material, or both. The philanthropist, 
then, must have the power to acquire something , either mental or 
material treasures, earthly power or position, which will enable 
him to act for the good of others. 

This analysis shows us what is the best form for a philan¬ 
thropist, and what faculties he must possess in order to successfully 
carry forward his plans for the relief of the masses. 

The man of broad sympathies requires large Conscientious¬ 
ness and Firmness; Love of Home, of Country, and of Young. 
Benevolence, Friendship, Approbation, Alimentiveness, Pneu- 
mativeness, and Sanativeness are required to give vigor to the body 
and to evolve the domestic traits. There must be large Human 
Nature, Constructiveness, Acquisitiveness, Executiveness, Self-will, 
Time, Order, Calculation, and large reasoning powers. To all 
of these great good health must be added in order to personally 
and actively superintend the schemes, institutions, and operations 
which philanthropy devises. 

There are many diverse manifestations of the benevolent and 
sympathetic feeling, and these various forms of feeling are ex¬ 
hibited in other ways than by philanthropy. This is the highest 
or largest expression of sympathy. The faculty of Benevolence, 
under its various aspects, has been elaborated in Chapter II. 

THE SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES NECESSARY TO A PHILOLOGIST. 

The science of language is receiving in this age a great deal 
of attention, and from a stand-point radically different from that 
which characterized its study in the past. Its scientific phase is 
now being developed, hence its investigators require special and 
high faculties. 

The scientific analysis of the languages of the various races 
of the world, both ancient and modern, is throwing a flood of light 
not only upon their racial descent, their habits, customs, and status 
in progressive evolution, but it is also giving a fund of infoimation 
as to the form and structure of man. The study of philology, 
taken in connection with scientific physiognomy, will carry forward 
the science of language with rapid strides, and I predict that, with 
the universal knowledge of physiognomy and the application oi 
its principles to all other departments of human science, a wondei- 

ful advance in all of them will be made. 

There are so many departments of language that a great diver¬ 
sity and variety of students is required to investigate its many phases. 


1174 


PRACTICAL ANT) SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


The study of the structure of language is a fascinating though 
ofttimes baffling pursuit. The tracing to their origin certain verbal 
forms is a part of this study, the comparison of sounds and of in¬ 
flections another branch, and the memorizing of language, both 
spoken and written, still another department. Each ol these le- 
quires the use of distinct faculties, and one who would combine all 
of these studies must possess certain inherent aptitudes. 

The philologist, then, must possess a large endowment of the 
brain, muscular, and osseous systems of fine quality. He must 



Fig. 376 .— WILLIAM DWIGHT WHITNEY. (Philologist, Author.) 

The countenance of this subject bears the expression of thought, observation, 
and patient perseverance. The well-nourished appearance of the cheeks shows that 
Friendship, Sanativeness, Alimentiveness are normal, and that the vegetative system 
is well developed. The beard discloses vigor. The brain system is dominant, while 
the thoracic, muscular, and osseous systems are equally developed. In the nose the 
signs of Mental Imitation, Ideality, Human Nature, Constructiveness, Acquisitive¬ 
ness, Veneration, Reason, Executiveness, and Self-will are conspicuous. Prescience 
is well defined. Credenciveness is deficient, while Form, Size, Locality, and Obser¬ 
vation are manifest. In the forehead the sign of Memory of Events is excessive, 
and the faculty of Constructiveness has corroboration in the rounding out of the 
lateral portion of the forehead. The eyes are relatively small and deep-set, and indi¬ 
cate that the capacity for written language exceeds that of oral language,—evinces, 
in short, that the subject can write and think better than he can talk. His works on 
philology are practical, and show deep research and a comprehensive intellect. 


have sufficient of the thoracic to aid him in comprehending and 
making natural pauses, intonations, and inflections, and enough 
of the vegetative to impart vigor to his mind in order that his 
deductions shall have a sound basis, which a large quantity of 
well-oxygenated blood can alone supply. 

The mental faculties required by the student of language are 
Mental Imitation, Analysis, Ideality, Sublimity, Human Nature, 
Constructiveness, Acquisitiveness, Reason, Veneration, and Self- 
will. The practical traits needed are Form, Size, Locality, Observa¬ 
tion, Language, Time, Order, Music, Calculation, and Intuition. 





SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES ESSENTIAL TO AN EDITOH. 1175 


To all of this there must be brought the most unflagging 
energy, patience, perseverance, and a determination to succeed. 
The labors of such as Worcester, Webster, and Johnson in one 
department of philology have been of incalculable benefit to mil¬ 
lions, and will descend to posterity to aid its efforts to remote ages, 
while those of Max Muller and Professor Whitney in another 
branch of Language will ever be remembered with gratitude by 
all who can appreciate their labors. 

THE SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES ESSENTIAL TO AN EDITOR. 

If one were to examine the physiognomies of a group of, 
say, twenty editors, one would be inclined to say that it would be 
necessary to give a description of each one separately in order to 
arrive at a knowledge of editorial capacity. Editors, like musicians, 
are of many diverse forms and of all nationalities, yet to the prac¬ 
tical physiognomist they exhibit, as do musicians, certain indica¬ 
tions in common. They require, and all successful editors possess, 
certain general characteristics which fit them for their career. 
There are certain individualities which distinguish each one of 
them—a peculiar mode of expression or of management which 
comes to be recognized by their readers. All these are as dis¬ 
tinctly individual as are their respective physiognomies. It is true 
that editors, like all other professional people, are graded in classes 
according to the sort of newspapers which they publish. Some 
publish religious journals, others secular; others dramatic or 
musical, or humorous or illustrated papers. Some of these re¬ 
quire certain traits which the others do not, yet all must have, to 
be successful, good health, a well-developed domestic nature, a 
good mental endowment, together with a fair degree of scholastic 
knowledge. To all this the editor must add a knowledge of cur¬ 
rent literature. If he write for a religious journal he must he 
conversant with the theological knowledge of all eras; if for a 
political paper, he must possess a comprehensive knowledge of the 
politics and politicians of his country, past and present, with all 
their measures and movements. If he edit a musical or dramatic 
paper, then he must be familiar with all that pertains to these two 

realms of art. 

All editors require a good general memory of facts, dates, and 
occurrences. A knowledge of the biography of all sorts and con¬ 
ditions of people is necessary. A large acquaintance with public 
men and women is essential. A gift of Language, with power to 
use it in an original, brilliant, forcible, or witty manner, is one of 
the essentials of a popular editor. He must have Mbntal Older 
and Time in a large degree, and for a musical journalist the 



1 

1176 Practical and scientific physiognomy. 



Pig. 377.—HENRY JAMES. (Novelist and Writer.) 


No scientific physiognomist could mistake or misinterpret the hieroglyphs of Nature which 
ornament every feature of this speaking countenance. The signs of many sorts of talent are 
here revealed. The eyes, eyelashes, and eyebrows, taken alone, are a guide to the linguistic 
and emotional part of the character. The muscular and brain systems are supreme, the 
thoracic and osseous systems stand next in rank, while the vegetative powers lend their aid 
in such degree as to enrich both the domestic and social sentiments, as well as to produce a 
vigorous physique. The chin and lower jaw are artistically curved, disclosing artistic tastes. 
The signs for Conscience, Firmness, Benevolence, Love of Home and of Young, Amativeness, 
Alimentiveness, Miirthfulness, Approbation, Friendship, Hospitality, Pneumativeness, Sanative¬ 
ness, Color, Modesty, and Self-esteem are all conspicuously displayed. There is a good share 
of Force and Resistance, Cautiousness is large and Secretiveness normal. The nose discloses 
great capacity of several sorts: it is artistic, commercial, and executive. The signs of Hope, 
Analysis, Mental Imitation, Human Nature, Ideality, Sublimity, Construction, and Acquisition 
are all conspicuous; so, also, are Veneration, Executiveness, Reason, and Self-will.. The 
mechanico-artistic signs are large. Form, Size, Observation, Calculation, and Language are 
excessively developed. This subject has capacity for art and literature as well as for finance. 
The mouth and eyes announce talent for Language. The size of the nose reveals force of 
character. Altogether, the physiognomy of a social, domestic, literary, and able man. 








SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES REQUIRED BY A WRITER OF FICTION. 1177 

faculties of Music and Time are necessary. For the editor of an 
art journal the faculties of Form, Size, and Color are requisite. 
Cautiousness is useful, yet Energy and Force must be exhibited on 
all questions requiring them. Mirthfulness in a large degree is 
needed by the humorous writer, and, if the editor manages a paper 
as well as writes for it, he must have good executive powers. 
Added to all of these many gifts, he must exercise untiring energy 
and manifest a desire to lead and excel. Lazy or spasmodic 
writers seldom succeed or become popular unless they possess 
genius. In these days the plodding, persevering writer (if he have 
a fair talent or aptitude for journalism) is the one which makes 
the strongest and most permanent impression upon the public 
mind. 

With this analysis, I present the picture of Henry James, 
novelist and critic, but whose face shows also many characteristics 
necessary to successfully fill the editorial chair. 

THE SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES REQUIRED BY A WRITER OF FICTION. 

The prevailing opinion among people generally is that writers 
of fiction—and, indeed, all writers—require only brain develop¬ 
ment, including a large degree of imagination, in order to produce 
their works. That a good and suitable brain system is required is 
true, but that a fine and large brain without suitable bodily func¬ 
tions to assist emotion and create sentiment could produce a touch¬ 
ing and popular work of imagination I do not believe. 

The writer of fiction, then, requires a suitable brain and sensi¬ 
tive nervous system in order that he may be keenly sensitive to all 
external influences. He requires a fine muscular endowment in 
order to express emotion and passion. He must have a fair amount 
of osseous material to give coherence and stability to his thoughts; 
also a fine degree of the glandular powers to produce emotion. 
He needs the warmth and enthusiasm which arise from thoracic 
activity and all the fervor and enthusiasm which Color imparts. 
A large and active liver is essential to produce clearness of mind, 
analytical power, and fertility of suggestion. The proof that all 
these functions are necessary to writers of fiction is found in their 
facial development. 

In order that a writer of fiction shall be not only popular and 
successful, but that his works shall find a immanent place in the 
regard of the public, very many high faculties are essential. In 
the first place, he requires a broad and warm, sympathetic natuie. 
The domestic faculties must be as well developed as the purely 
mental capacities, for his success is owing largely to his skill in 
portraying the tender emotions and domestic sentiments, and, in 


1178 ' PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

order to do this well, he must possess the capacity for feeling the 
same. Therefore, a writer of fiction must have strong Love of 
Home, of Young, and of the opposite sex. The latter trait is 
large in all of the great original writers, for this faculty assists 
creative efforts. A love of young is needed particularly by those 
who write for children, as it enables them to enter into the feelings 
and comprehend the characters of youth. A certain degree of 



Fig. 378—CHARLES DICKENS. (Novelist.) 

The subject of this slight sketch possessed all the elements of character essen¬ 
tial to a popular and successful novelist. The brain and muscular systems are 
supreme and of fine quality. The vegetative powers are exceedingly well developed, 
and created the lovely social and domestic sentiments wrought out in his works. 
The local signs for certain of these faculties are hidden by the beard, but Benevo¬ 
lence and Amativeness are visible and very well defined. The signs for Alimentive- 
ness, Hospitality, Approbation, Friendship, Mirth, Sanativeness, Color, and Self¬ 
esteem are conspicuous. The nose is relatively short and broad and muscular, 
mainly—the artistic type ; upon it one discovers the signs of Hope, Analysis, Human 
Nature, Ideality, Mental Imitation, Constructiveness, and Acquisitiveness all well 
defined. Veneration and Executiveness are not large, while Self-will is excessive. 
The signs for Form, Size, Observation, and Locality are all large. Calculation is 
deficient, Credenciveness average, Prescience lacking, Verbal Language well repre¬ 
sented. The forehead is broad and curved laterally (corroborative sign of Construct¬ 
iveness). The signs for Mental Order, Time, and Music are manifest. The face 
reveals capacity for deep feeling, both social and domestic, and herein lay Dickens’ 

f reatest power. The ability to express in language the domestic and social life and 
eelingsof his characters is shown throughout his works, and constitutes the bond of 
sympathy between them and his reader. Abstract Reason was not his gift. The 
signs for Artistic Reason and Intuition are discernible. As a character-painter of 
certain phases of life he is unexcelled. 


Conscientiousness is required to give thoroughness to the work, 
and to imbue the character of the writer with the power to feel in 
order to portray the like quality. The faculty of Benevolence is 
requisite; also Hospitality, Approbativeness, Friendship, Modesty, 
and a certain degree of Self-esteem. Large Mirthfulness is very 
essential. The development of all these sentiments is dependent upon 
normal and sound visceral organization, and this the writer must 




SI STEMS AND FACULTIES REQUIRED BY A WRITER OF FICTION. 1179 

have not only to enable him to feel and portray these sentiments, 

u , a S ?- ° gl T e ^ lc > s l ren gth and vigor necessary to sustain the 
ex aus mg p a^ of tlie emotions which the writer of dramatic 

poems, plays, and novels must experience in order to reproduce 
ttiem upon paper. 

The mental requirements ol the imaginative writer are many 
an \aned. He must have excellent analytical power, large 



Fig. 379.—WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY. (Painter 

Novelist.) 

I would that I could present the living countenance of this subject to my 
readers, for in it could be read at a glance the constructive character of every feature. 
The curving jaw and chin announce dramatic ability ; the upper lip. Love of Young 
and Amativeness, both of which assist creative efforts. The thick, constructive 
nose is the very acme of mental and artistic creation, and the rounding temples fur¬ 
nish corroborative evidence of originality. The brain and muscular systems are 
dominant, while the osseous and thoracic follow closely in development, and a good 
endowment of the vegetative powers gives their quota of physical strength and 
domestic sentiments. The signs for Firmness, Conscience, Love of Home, Patriotism, 
Economy, Benevolence, Approbation, Hospitality, Alimentiveness, Friendship Self¬ 
esteem, Modesty. Love of Young, Mirth, and Amativeness are well defined, and 
together form the foundation for a strong domestic and social nature. Pneumative- 
ness, Color, and Sanativeness are strongly indicated. The nose is a remarkable fea¬ 
ture, being long, wide, and high, and nearly straight in its outline. The signs for 
Ideality and Human Nature are large ; Constructiveness, pre-eminent. Acquisition, 
Veneration, Reason, and Executiveness are conspicuous, while Self-will is a strong 
ally. Form, Size, Locality, Observation, and Weight are decided, while Credencive- 
ness and Prescience are only moderate. Time, Order, and Language are manifest. 
Memory of Events and Intuition are strongly delineated. The hair is wavy—a 
secondary sign of artistic capacity. This gentleman was an excellent painter, “and 
might have excelled in that direction had he persevered in it. His style of delineat¬ 
ing character differed from Dickens’ in this: he was satirical and exaggerated, while 
the latter put more humor into his caricatures, and both treated of the follies, weak¬ 
nesses, and excellencies of character with the pen of an artist. For the scientific and 
psychological analyses of Human Nature we must look elsewhere. 


Ideality and Sublimity, Human Nature in excess, large Constructive¬ 
ness and Acquisition, a modicum of Veneration, and executive ca¬ 
pacity in order to impart the same feelings to certain characters, and 
strong Self-will as well. The faculties of Form and Size must have a 
strong representation in order that lie may visualize clearly and 
describe well his imaginary forms and figures. Color is essential, 


1180 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


that he may use color-terms in his descriptions. A good degree 
of Locality, Credenciveness, and Observation is necessary. Lan¬ 
guage, most fluent and ornate, must be cultivated and exhibited. 
A sense of Time and Mental Order is very useful. Artistic Judg- 
ment or Reason, as well as Intuition, are strong factors in the 
mental equipment of the imaginative writer. 

I take great pleasure in presenting herewith the portraits of 
Charles Dickens and William Makepeace Thackeray, two of the 
best-known English novelists. Both of these men were wonderful 
physiognomists, as their descriptions of character attest. That 
Dickens understood, in an artistic way, the association of form 
with character, the following description of the form and mental 
methods of “ Gradgrind ” will prove:— 

“Now, wliat I want is Facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but 
Facts. Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant nothing else and root out 
everything else. You can only form the minds of reasoning animals upon 
Facts; nothing else will ever be of any service to them. This is the prin¬ 
ciple upon which I bring up my own children, and this is the principle upon 
which I bring up other children. Stick to Facts, sir! ” 

The scene was a plain, bare, monotonous vault of a school-room, and 
the speaker’s square forefinger emphasized his observations by underscor¬ 
ing every sentence with a line on the schoolmaster’s sleeve. The emphasis 
was helped by the speaker’s square wall of a forehead, which had his e}^e- 
brows for its base, while his eyes found commodious cellarage in two dark 
caves overshadowed by the wall. The emphasis was helped by the speaker’s 
mouth, which was wide, thin, and hard-set. The emphasis was helped by 
the speaker’s voice, which was inflexible, dry, and dictatorial. The em¬ 
phasis was helped by the speaker’s hair, which bristled on the outskirts of 
his bald head—a plantation of firs to keep the wind from its shining surface— 
all covered with knobs, like the crust of a plum-pie, as if the head had 
scarcely warehouse room for the hard facts stored inside. The speaker’s 
obstinate carriage, square coat, square legs, square shoulders—nay, his 
very neckcloth, trained to take him by the throat with an unaccommodating 
grasp, like a stubborn fact as it was—all helped the emphasis. 

“In this life we want nothing but Facts, sir. Nothing but Facts. 
Thomas Gradgrind, sir. A man of realities. A man who proceeds upon 
the principle that two and two make four and nothing over, and who is not 
to be talked into allowing for anything over. Thomas Gradgrind, sir! 
with a rule and a pair of scales and the multiplication table always ready in 
his pocket to weigh and measure any parcel of human nature and tell you 
exactly what it comes to.” 

In this portrait and analysis the scientific physiognomist recog¬ 
nizes a man with the bone and brain systems dominant and the 
muscular and vegetative systems not ranking so high as the former. 
This combination would exhibit great Probity, Practicality, Pre¬ 
cision, and Order, with but scant Ideality or Imagination. It also 
produces angularity—squareness—without balance or rounded or 
curvilinear ideas. There is no doubt that Dickens had met with a 
man of this square or angular formation, with his precise and 



SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES REQUIRED BY A STATESMAN. 1181 

rectangular” method of talking, and, with his penchant for 

caricature, had exaggerated his peculiarities in the character of 
Gradgrmd. 

The descriptions of the forms, faces, color, and stature of the 
creatures of imagination by talented writers of fiction, from Shakes¬ 
peare down, are of great interest to the physiognomist, as show¬ 
ing that the faculty of Human Nature is one of their strongest 
powers. The scientific analyses of characters by George Eliot and 
Balzac are well worthy our attention. 



Fig. 380. —ARMAND RICHELIEU. (Cardinal, Duke of France, 

Statesman, Author.) 

This countenance discloses great capacities, superstition, craft, knowledge of 
human nature, and large reflective powers. It is the face of a typical sixteenth- 
century politician. Every feature reveals power. The chin, by its form, denotes 
cunning, craft, and wit, with Firmness large and Conscientiousness only of average 
development. The under lip shows a fair degree of Benevolence. The upper lip in¬ 
dicates large Amativeness. The nose is a grand feature, and reveals, at first glance, 
the secret of his power. The eyes, the superciliary spaces, the eyebrows, and fore¬ 
head are all remarkable features. The brain system is dominant and of high quality, 
the muscular takes second rank, the thoracic follows a close third, while the osseous 
system is next in degree. The signs in the nose are all well defined: Cautiousness, 
Hope, Analysis, Human Nature, Mental Imitation, Ideality, Sublimity, Construction’ 
Acquisition, Executiveness, Veneration, Logical Reason, and Self-will are developed 
in such large degree as to form a most unique organ, and indicate great mental 
powers and administrative capacities of the first rank. Form and Size are very large : 
so, also, are Prescience, Credenciveness, Calculation, Locality, Observation, Lan¬ 
guage, Order, Time, Memory of Events, Reason, and Intuition. The size and form 
of the nose indicate Mental Force and Resistance, as well as a love of domination. 


Fiction has its place in the development of character, and in 
this age exercises a powerful influence upon the community. Its 
creators are receiving that attention which they justly deserve. 

THE SYSTEMS AND FACULTIES REQUIRED BY A STATESMAN. 

As the construction of society and governments change, the 
requirements of those who are to rule, govern, and administer the 
laws must also move with the onward march of progress. 

The statesman required by a mediaeval monarchy would not be 



1182 PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 

the best suited to a modem kingdom, and certainly not to a modern 
republic. Again, the several departments of every government 
must have men suited to the needs of each; hence, it is clearly 
proved that statesmen may be of many forms and possess a great 
variety of faculties, differing in kind and degree. Yet, with all 
these differences, they must exhibit many traits in common. A 
statesman needs, in the first place, a broad and comprehensive 
mind, well filled with facts and data of many sorts, and a large 
knowledge of his country’s laws and history, as well as a complete 
knowledge of the structure of other governments. He must have 
a sound judgment in practical affairs, together with a strong sense 
of equity. Large executive powers must be his, and a strong con¬ 
stitution and great good health. He requires large Firmness, 
Conscience, Patriotism, Love of Home, Alimentiveness, Amative¬ 
ness, Friendship, Pneumativeness, Sanativeness, a good share of 
Force and Resistance, large Self-esteem, considerable Caution, and 
a due amount of Secretiveness. He requires Sublimity to give 
breadth to his ideas and ability to cope with vast subjects. He 
must have Acquisitiveness, Constructiveness, Human Nature, Ven¬ 
eration, Executiveness, and Self-will; not too much Credenciveness; 
a good development of Size, Form, Observation, Memory of Events, 
Locality, Time, Order, Calculation, Causality, and Comparison. 

To be a great statesman—such as Webster, for example— 
requires a gift of eloquence, as well as a comprehensive knowledge 
of laws, a well-stored mind, and familiarity with administrative 
customs. 

A great statesman is a benefactor to the human race, for he 
will act disinterestedly for the highest good of all: he will sink 
his own personal interests in his efforts for humanity. 

CONCLUSION. 

In concluding this (to me) very pleasant work, I take leave 
of the subject with regret, for the reason that there is so much 
more that might have been written left unwritten. It is the mis¬ 
fortune of all sciences that no book is large enough to give them 
full representation. This is eminently true of the science of phys¬ 
iognomy. It necessarily includes all sciences , and in order to give 
it scope one must interrogate the principles of many other allied 
systems of science. The subjects of ethnology, evolution, heredity 
(yet in embryo), and hygiene are properly a part of physiognomical 
lore. I have not been able, through want of space, to give these 
subjects the attention which they deserve in this connection. I 
advise those of my readers who wish to become thorough students 
of physiognomy to familiarize themselves with all of these studies. 



Conclusion. 


1183 


They aie a part of human science and will greatly aid in the 
comprehension of character 

The leader will have discovered, I think, that the knowledge 
of physiognomy reveals something more than merely a method of 
reading character by local signs in the face. It leads out in many 
directions. A system which gives a practical method of reading 
character by facial indications is a great advancement in knowl¬ 
edge. This discovery of itself forms an epoch in physical science, 
and if this were its only use it would be a most wonderful stride 
forward, but this is only the beginning of its power and useful¬ 
ness. The capacity to read the face creates the ability to adapt , 
and to be able to know the characters best adapted to each other 
in marriage, for example, is one great step forward in progressive 
evolution—in the scientific culture of the race. The laws of 
adaptation, as applied to marriage, tend directly to race improve¬ 
ment ; hence, to better physiques, to a larger life, grander qualities 
of mind, and higher morality. 

These are not the only uses to which physiognomical science 
can be turned. The ability to decide accurately the trade or pro¬ 
fession to which one is best adapted is another grand use which 
can be made of this science. It teaches how to work with Nature in 
the choice of pursuits, instead, as heretofore, of leaving one to grope 
in ignorance of his powers until youth and opportunity are past. 

The conservation and economizing of all our powers, both 
mental, moral, and physical, is another grand lesson which it 
teaches. 

The development of all sides of the character, with directions 
how to improve the stronger and strengthen the weaker faculties 
of mind, are herein set forth. 

The methods to pursue in order to improve the beauty of the 
face, the body, the disposition, and the intellect are by this system 
made known. 

To be able to use this science to produce all these effects is to 
give the ability to create the grandest types of man possible. This 
power then, thus used, disproves the erroneous charge that science 
tends to fatality ; that because one is born with a peculiar bent of 
mind and with a certain-shaped face and body he is therefore 
destined to a certain fate from which he cannot extricate himsell. 
Were man not the most malleable being in existence this charge 
might have some foundation. It is true that a human being can 
best pursue the path or direction which is the most decidedly ex¬ 
hibited in his organization; but this does not preclude the possi¬ 
bility of changing that bias radically, and of successfully following 
a direction very different to the one inherited. 


1184 


PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PHYSIOGNOMY. 


The knowledge of how scientifically to accomplish this, if 
practically applied, does away with the false charge of “ fatality,” 
44 destiny,” “predestination,” etc., brought against science by those 
who lack the ability to comprehend or the industry to investigate 
the laws of Nature. 

The every-day experiences of parents and teachers prove that 
often the most hopeless children, when brought under the influence 
of superior conditions, -have become men and women of great 
promise. How much more rapidly might the work of cultivation 
be carried forward if an accurate method could be applied to 
ascertain the strength and weakness of the child without having 
first to experiment! This method scientific physiognomy furnishes. 

Viewed in every aspect, physiognomy will be found of use to 
mankind. It is with the purpose of elevating humanity that I 
have attempted the task of giving to the world the observations 
which I have been a life-time in making. It is a labor of love, 
offered in a true missionary spirit, the knowledge of which will 
protect the innocent by unmasking the vicious. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY. 


AUTHOR. 


PUBLICATION. 


Andrews, S. P., . 

Bain, Alexander, LL.D., . 
Bastian, H. Charlton, 

Beeton, William M.,. 

Bell, Sir Charles, 

Blackwell, Antoinette Brown, 
Browne, Sir Thomas. M.D., 
Carpenter, William B., M.D., . 
Chambers, . 

Chandler, Lucinda B., 

Clement, Mrs., . 

Comte,. 

Cousin, Victor, . 

Cross, John, M.D., 

Cutter, C., M.D., 

Dalton, John C., M.D., 

Dana, J. B., . 

Dante, Alighieri, 

Darwin, Charles, 

De Quatrefages, M.,. 

Desarte,. 

Desdarolles, A., 

Draper, John William, M.D., . 
Emerson, R. W., 

Esquirol,. 

Ferrier, David, M.D., 

Fowler, 0. S., . 

GaLTON, ^ RANCIS, 

Gray, Henry, . 

Grimes, J. Stanley, . 

Haeckel, Ernst, 

Harrisson, Robert, M.D., . 
Harsha, D. A., . 

Hooker,. 

Hurlt, J. i., 

Jebb, R. C., 

Kirby, E. M., . 

Lavater,. 


Basic Outlines of Universology. 

Mind and Body. 

The Brain an Organ of the Mind. 
Universal Biography. 

The Anatomy and Philosophy of Ex¬ 
pression. 

Sexes Throughout Nature. 

Religio Medici. 

Mental Physiology. 

Information for the People. 

Motherhood. 

Painters and Sculptors. 

Positive Philosophy. 

Philosophy of the Beautiful. 

An Attempt to Establish Physiognomy 
on a Scientific Basis. 

Physiology for Schools. 

Treatise on Human Physiology. 

Manual of Mineralogy. 

The Vision. 

Origin of Species. 

The Human Species. 

System of Oratory. 

The Mysteries of the Hand. 

Human Pathology. 

English Traits. 

\ Mental Maladies. 

(Illusions of the Insane. 

Functions of the Brain. 

Human Science, 
f Hereditary Genius. 

(Inquiries of the Human Faculties. 
Anatomy. 

(Mysteries of the Hand and Heart, 
j Phreno-Geology. 

(Evolution of Man. 

(History of Creation. 

Practical Anatomy. 

Orators and Statesmen. 

Human Physiology. 

Dental Independent. 

Greek Literature. 

Vocal and Action Language. 

Essays. 

75 


( 1185 ) 






1186 


BIBLIOGRAPHY. 


AUTHOR. 


Lewes, G. IL, 

Lindsay, J. Lauder, MD,,. 
Litch, Wilbur F., M.D., . 
Maudsley, Henry, M.D., . 
McLeod, Alfred, 

Nott and Gliddon, . 

Ribot, T. H., 

Smiles, Samuel, . 

Smith, Robert Meade, M.D., 
Spencer, Herbert, 

Stillman, .... 
Swedenborg, Emanuel, 
Taine, H., . 

Tuke, D. Hack, M.D., 
Tyndall, John, Professor, 
Webb, R. C., M.A., 

Wells, Samuel R., . 

Willis, A. E., Professor, . 

WlNCKELMANN, . 

Wood, J. G., Reverend, . 
Vogt, Carl, 

Youman, .... 


PUBLICATION. 

(Physiology of Common Life. 

-3 Comte’s Philosophy of the Sciences. 

( Biographical History of Philosophy. 
Mind in the Lower Animals. 

American System of Dentistry. 

Body and Mind. 

The Voice. 

T}^pes of Mankind. 

The Diseases of Memory. 

Men of Industry and Invention. 
Physiology of the Domestic Animals. 
Biology. 

First Principles of Philosophy. 
Animal Kingdom. 

Philosophy of Art. 

Influence of the Mind upon the Body. 
On Sound. 

Greek Literature. 

New Physiognomy. 

A Treatise on Human Nature and Phy 
ognomy 
Ancient Art. 

(New Illustrated Natural History. 
(Man and Beast, Here and Hereafter. 
Lectures on Man. 

New Chemistry. 


miscellaneous. 


Book of Wisdom. 

British Medical Journal. 

German Composers. 

L’Art de Connaitre les Homines 
la Physiognomic. 


Medical Almanac. 

Popular Science Monthly. 
Races of the Old World, 
par 




GLOSSARY. 


A priori. From the beginning. 

Aesthetic. Pertaining to the beautiful. 
Aliinitize. Creating affinity or attraction. 
Aggregated. Collected into a mass. 
Albuminoid. Resembling albumin or the white 
of an egg. 

Altruistic. Unselfish; benevolent. 

Alveolar. Relating to the socket of a tooth. 
Amoeba. A minute animal having the power to 
change its form. 

Amphibia. Animals capable of living on land 
and water. 

Amernic. Deficiency in blood, either general or 
local. 

Analogous. Similar; like. 

Anatomy. Description of the form, structure, 
and relations of the body. 

Angularity. Having angles. 

Animalculre. Microscopical animal forms. 
Animus. Temper ; intention ; purpose. 
Anomalous. Irregular ; not typical. 

Anterior. In front; before. 

Anthropoid. Man-like ; resembling mankind. 
Anthropologist. One versed in the study of 
man. 

Aplome. A variety of crystallized garnet. 
Appendages. Additions to; something added. 
Apropos. Opportunely ; to the purpose. 
Arborean. Climbing ; tree-climbing animals. 
Arcana. A secret; a mystery. 

Archaeologists. Antiquarians ; those versed in 
antiquity. 

Archetype. First form; the original type. 
Atavism. A going back to the original type. 
Audition. Hearing : the power to hear. 
Automaton. A figure self-moving by clock¬ 
work or other mechanism. 

Bilateral. Having two sides. 

Bisexual. Double-sexed ; having both sexes. 
Buccal. Pertaining to the cheek. 

Calorific. Possessing, producing, or giving off 
heat. 

Centrifugal. Moving from a centre. 
Centripetal. Moving toward a common centre. 
Chlorine. A yellowish-green gas of a suffo¬ 
cating odor. . 

Chylopoietic. Making or forming chyle. 
Ciliated. Having fine hairs or cilia. 

Clinoid. Like a bedstead. 

Coccyx. The small bones at end of spine. 
Cochlea. The spiral cavity of the ear. 

Coeval. Of the same age ; existing with. 
Co-ordinate. Being of equal value; harmoni¬ 
ous. 

Commissure. The line of union between tw r o 

Concha*. The shell of the strombus. 
Configuration. External form. 

Conglobate. Formed into a. globe or ball. 
Congruities. Harmonies; fitness. 

Contractile. Having the power to contract. 
Cornea. The front part of the eye. 

Corpuscles. Minute bodies m the blood. 
Corrugator. A muscle that contracts or is con- 

Cribriform. Pierced with holes; having the 
form of a sieve. 

Crura. Belonging to the leg. 


Deglutition. The act of swallowing. 

Depilatory. A preparation to remove hair. 

Diagnosis. Determination by distinct signs?. 

Diaphragm. Muscles separating cavity of chest 4 
from abdomen. 

Differentiation. Evolution producing divers 
parts. 

Dipsomania. Disease in which one craves in¬ 
toxicants. 

Dodecahedron. A solid having twelve equal 
faces. 

Dorsum. The back ; the ridge of a hill. 

Duodenum. The upper portion of the intes¬ 
tines. 

Dura mater. The outer membrane of the brain,. 

Dynamics. The science treating of forces. 

Effluvia. Odors ; unpleasant odors. 

Egotism. Self-praise or comment. 

Emasculation. Unmanly weakness ; castrattonv 

Embryon. The young before birth. 

Empirical. Dependent upon observation ooti 
scientific. 

En passant. In passing ; current. 

En rapport. In agreement with. 

Encephalon. The brain. 

Endogenous. Increasing by internal growth. 

Entity. Essence; a real being in thought or 
fact. 

Environment. Surroundings. 

Epicureanism. Love of pleasure, especially of 
eating. 

Equilateral. Of equal sides. 

Esoteric. Having a secret meaning; private. 

Ethmoid bone. The bone in the nose through 
which the olfactory nerves pass and upon 
which they are mainly distributed. 

Ethnic. Racial; belonging to races or tribes. 

Ethnology. The science which treats of races 
of the human family. 

Evolution. Development; the science treating 
of development. 

Exogenous. Growing by successive layers of 
tissue. 

Femur. The thigh-bone. 

Fission. A cleaving; a splitting. 

Flexion. A bending; the part bent. 

Flexor. A muscle which by contracting bends’ 
the limb or part on which it acts. 

Formative. Giving or imparting form. 

Fossa. A depression, furrow, or sinus. 

Fulcrum. A support. 

Ganglia. Masses of nerve-tissue. 

Gemmation. A budding out; increasing By 
buds. 

Gestation. Carrying young before birth. 

Glands. Collections of cells in the human 
anatomy. 

Globose. Round, spherical; like a globe. 

Glottis. The narrow opening between the vocal 
cords. 

Graminivorous. Subsisting on grass or grain. 

Gullet. Thepassage to the stomach. 

Gustatory. Pertaining to taste. 

Herbivorous. Subsisting on herbs. 

Hexagonal. Having six sides and six angles. 

Hydatid. A parasitic sac. 

( 1181 ) 





1188 


GLOSSARY, 


Hydrocephalus. Dropsy of the brain- 

Hydropult. A water-pump. 

Hydrostatics. The science which investigates 
the properties of fluids, etc. 

Hypertrophy. Increase in size of a part by 
increased nutrition. 

Hypothesis. Supposition ; a position assumed. 

Ideality. Imagination ; taste ; love of the beau¬ 
tiful. 

Ideation. The power of constructing ideas or 
thought. 

Iliac. Relating to the ilium, the largest bone of 
the pelvis. 

In extenso. Extended ; spread out. 

Incandescence. State of being at a white heat. 

Incongruities. Opposites ; inconsistencies. 

Increment. A growing in bulk, quantity, or 
value. 

Incubated. Hatched. 

Incus. One of the small bones of the ear. 

Infinitesimal. Exceedingly small. 

Infusoria. Microscopical animals found in 
liquids. 

Inheres. Fixes ; remains fixed. 

Inorganic. Not organized; irregular. 

Insalivation. Mingling with saliva. 

Interrelated. Mutually related or connected. 

Intonation. Musical modulation of the voice. 

Intuition. Perception; consciousness. 

Iridescent. Showing a play of colors, like the 
rainbow. 

Labial. Relating or belonging to the lips. 

Lachrymal. Relating to or secreting tears. 

Xacteals. Ducts conveying milk or chyle. 

Laryngeal. Relating to or belonging to the 
larynx. 

Larynx. The upper part of the trachea or wind¬ 
pipe constituting the organ of speech. 

Lecherous. Lustful ; lewd. 

Lepidoptera. Insects with four wings, as but¬ 
terflies, moths, etc. 

Levator menti. The muscle raising the lower 
lip. 

Lithium. An alkaline metal. 

Locale. Place; location. 

Locative. Able to locate. 

Longitudinal. Extending in length. 

Lucubration. Study at night. 

Luminosity. Luminous ; brightness. 

Lymphatics. Glands conveying lymph. 

Macrocosm. The greater world, or universe. 

Maestros. Masters ; leaders (usually applied to 
musicians). 

Malleus. The outermost of the chain of bones 
in the ear. 

Meatus auditorius. The canal leading to the 
inner ear. 

Median. Running through the middle. 

Medulla. The upper part of the spinal cord. 

31edullary. Relating to the medulla. 

Miasmatic. Malarial. 

Microcosm. A miniature world. 

Mobility. Ability and capacity to move. 

Mollusk. An animal having a soft, fleshy body. 

Morbific. Causing disease. 

Morphic. Pertaining to form. 

Morphological. Relating to morphology. 

Morphology. The science which describes the 
actual or ideal forms of parts or organs in 
plants or animals. ' 

Motor. A class of muscles and nerves control¬ 
ling motion. 

Neuroses. Diseases of the nervous system. 

Nictitating membrane. The third eyelid of 
the bird. 

Nomenclature. The technical words in a sci¬ 
ence or language. 

Normalcy. The condition of being orderly and 
regular. 

Nostalgia. Homesickness. 

Nucleated. Collected or formed round a nucleus 
or centre. 

Nucleus. A body or centre about which any¬ 
thing is formed or collected. 


Occipito-frontalis. The muscle which wrinkles 

the forehead. 

Occult. Invisible ; hidden ; not apparent. 
(Esophagus. The gullet. 

Olfactory. Having the function of smell. 
Optics. The science of the properties of light. 
Orbicularis. A circular muscle surrounding 
the eye or mouth. 

Orbits. Cavity of the eye; paths described by 
planets in their revolution. 

Organic. Exercising some function ; relating to 
the organism. 

Organism. Part of a living being. 

Ornate. Ornamental. 

Ova. The egg ; the life-principle. 

Ovoid. Shaped like an egg. 

Osseous. Bony ; composed of bone. 

Palpebrarum. Relating to the eyelids. 
Pancreas. A digestive gland ; the sweet-bread. 
Papillary. Containing minute elevations; 
warty. 

Pari passu. Side by side ; progressing equally 
and together. 

Parotid. The salivary gland. 

Percipient. Perceiving; having the power of 
perception. 

Periodic. Happening at fixed times. 
Peripheric. Pertaining to the periphery. 
Periphery. The border of a circle or inclosure. 
Peristaltic. A wavy or worm-like movement of 
the intestines. 

Perpetuate. To preserve from extinction. 
Personnel. The body of persons or things em¬ 
ployed or referred to. 

Perspicacity. The state of being quick-sighted. 
Perspicuity. Clearness of reason. 

Phalanx. One of the rows of bones of toes and 
fingers. 

Philologist. One versed in the study of words. 
Physicist. One versed in natural science. 

Pistil. That part of a plant containing the ovary 
or seed-vessel. 

Pneumogastric. Pertaining to the nerves of 
the lungs and stomach. 

Polarity. Tendency to the pole. 

Polyp. A simple form of animal life. 

Pons. A bridge of tissues. 

Posited. Placed in position. 

Posthumous. After death. 

Potencies. Powers; strength. 

Prehensile. Seizing; grasping. 

Prenatal. Before birth. 

Previsional. Having foresight or knowledge. 
Progenitor. A forefather ; an ancestor. 
Prognathous. Having projecting jaws. 
Prognosis. The act of loretelling the course of 

a disease. 

Prognosticate. To foretell. 

Protean. Having the power of assuming dif¬ 
ferent shapes. 

Protoplasm. The first vital substance. 
Prototype. An original type, after which any¬ 
thing is formed or copied. 

Pseudopodia. A genera of animalculae with 

false legs. 

Psychical. Relating to the soul. v 

Psychology. The science of the soul, or mind. 
Pylorus. The orifice of the stomach leading 
into the intestines. 

Pyriform. Pear-shaped. 

Quadratoid. Square-like. 

Racial. Pertaining to a race or tribe. 

Rami. Branches from a common ganglion. 
Ramify. To branch out. 

Ramus. A branch of an organ. 

Ratiocination. Reasoning from premises. 
Rationale. Explanation. 

Recession. A withdrawing. 

Recondite. Hidden; abstruse. 

Regurgitated. Re-swallowed ; re-absorbed. 
Resonance. Prolongation of sound. 
Respiration. The act of breathing. 
Reticulation. Net work ; like a net. 
Retroactive. Affecting what has past. 
Retroussee. Turned up; elevated. 




GLOSSARY 


1189 


Retroversion. A falling or turning backward. 

Rhizopods. Small animals with shells; a pro- 
tozoon. 

Rhomb. An equilateral parallelogram. 

Rhomboidal. Formed like a rhomb. 

Rodents. Gnawing animals. 

Sacrum. The posterior bone of pelvis. 

Salivary. Containing saliva. 

Sarcomatous. Of or pertaining to a sarcoma ; 
a fleshy tumor. 

Sclerotic. The white outer coat of the eye. 

Secretory. Performing the function of' secre¬ 
tion. 

Sectionizing. Cutting or placing in sections. 

Segment. A portion or part; a section. 

Sella turcica. The Turkish saddle ; a hollow in 
the sphenoid bone. 

Sepals. A leaf or division of the calyx of a 
plant. 

Septum. A division ; a partition. 

Sinistrality. Wrong; perverse; left-handed. 

Sodium. A metallic element soft and waxy, 
lighter than water. 

Sophistical. Not sound ; imitation ; not founded 
on reason. 

Spatulate. Shaped like a spatula or knife-blade. 

Spermatozoon. The living principle of the 
seed. 

Sphenoid. Resembling a wedge ; wedge-like. 

Sphincter. A circular muscle that contracts or 
shuts an orifice. 

Stamens. The male organs of flowers. 

Stapes. The innermost small bone of the ear. 

Statics. That branch of mechanics which treats 
of the equilibrium of forces. 

Stethoscope. An instrument by which one can 
hear the internal sounds of the chest and 
judge of its condition. 

Stimulus. That which stimulates. 

Strontium. A metal burning with a red color. 

Subdominant. Not dominant, secondary, etc. 

Summation. A summary ; a summing up. 

Supererogation. More than necessary ; redun¬ 
dancy. 

Supernal. Higher; highest; heavenly. 

Sustentation. The act of sustaining or holding 
or bearing up. 


Sutures. Seams; joints. 

Symbolism. Nomenclature; a system of repre¬ 
sentation. 

Sympathetic. Acting in sympathy; having 
sympathy for. 

Symptomatic. According to the symptoms. 
Synchronous. Acting at the same time. 
Synthesis. A placing together of components. 


Tactile. Pertaining to the touch. 

Tangible. Readily realized by the mind; per¬ 
ceptible to the touch. 

Temporo-maxillary. Relating to the junction 
of the temporal bone and the maxilla. 
Tentative. Trial; essay. 

Terminology. Nomenclature ; table of terms. 
Terraqueous. Consisting of land and water. 
Testes. The seminal glands of the male. 
Tetragonal. Having four angles and four sides. 
Thoracic. Of or pertaining to the thorax, or 
chest. 

Trachea. The windpipe. 

Triceps. Muscles having three roots. 
Turbinated. Spiral; wreathed conically. 
Typical. Emblematic ; of the nature oia type. 

Ulna. The largest bone of the forearm. 
Undissipatedly. Not dissipated ; not scattered. 
Unicellular. Having one cell. 

Valvular. Pertaining to valves. 

Vaporization. The state of being converted 
into vapor. 

Vibrissa). The stiff hairs in the nostrils. 
Virescent. Of a greenish hue. 

Viscera. Contents of the great cavities of the 
body. 

Viscid. Having a ropy or glutinous consistency. 
Viscus. Any of the great internal organs. 
Visual. Relating or belonging to sight. 
Visualizing. Seeing ; making easier to see. 
Vocality. Resonance, utterableness. 


Zygomaticus. The muscle rising from the cheek¬ 
bone and inserted into the angle of the mouth. 


t 


r 




t V 





































































































INDEX. 


Acquisitive constructiveness in animals, 
537 

Acquisitiveness, definition of, 534 
description of, 535 
facial and bodily signs, 534 
faculty of, 534 

in combination with other faculties, 
543 

in different classes of people, 538 
what an excess or deficiency of, indi¬ 
cates, 136, 534 

Action of certain traits, theories of the 
mode of, 239 

Actors and singers, Approbativencss in, 
245 

Air, pure, the best cosmetic and medicine, 
127, 142, 400 

Albinos, color in, 253 

Alimentiveness, or digestion, 348 
definition of, 348 

dependent upon the intestinal system, 
165 

description of, 348 
facial and bodily signs, 348 
faculty of, 348 
in animals, 349 
the mouth an indicator, 351 
what an excess or deficiency of, indi¬ 
cates, 348 

Amativeness, or love of the sexes, 177 
analysis of, 243 

children should be trained to a right 
knowledge of, 359 
definition of, 355 
description of, 355 
' facial and bodily signs, 355 
faculty of, 355 

in connection with other faculties, 
242, 361 

the eye an indicator, 358 
what an excess or deficiency of, indi¬ 
cates, 355 

Analysis, definition of, 493 

dependent upon the action of the 
liver, 189 
description of, 493 
facial and bodily signs, 493 
faculty of, 493 
in animals, 499 

in combination with other faculties, 
498 

of the glandular system and olfactory 
ganglion, 191 


Analysis, what an excess or deficiency of, 
indicates, 493 

Ancient methods of studying the mind, 8 
Anger, analysis of, 255 

effect of, upon the system, 257 
Animal development, 3rder observed in 
the lowest forms of, 84 
kingdom, form in the, 123 
world, law of color in the, 130 
Animals, acquisitive-constructiveness in, 
537 

Alimentiveness or digestion in, 349 
Analysis in, 499 
Approbativencss in, 382 
Cautiousness in, 481 
comparison between the bony and 
vegetative system in, 88 
compensatory structure of, 144 
Conscientiousness in, 311 
Economy in, 323 
Firmness in, 313 
Form and Size in, 101 
Friendship in, 391 
Human Nature in, 528 
Jealousy in, 245 

Mental and Physical Imitation in, 505 

Modesty in, 449 

Prescience in, 595 

Resistance in, 467 

Sanativeness in, 434 

Secretiveness in, 470 

Self-esteem in, 440 

signs for Quality in, the same as in 
human beings, 114 
Approbativeness, definition of, 378 
description of, 379 
facial and bodily signs, 379 
faculty of, 378 
in actors and singers, 245 
in animals, 382 
perversion of, 382 

what an excess or deficiency of, in¬ 
dicates, 379 

Architectural division of the face, 15-21 
faculties in the, division of the face, 
92 

Arterial and glandular system, faculties 
in the, 408 

system (see the glandular and arterial 
system) 

Artists, advice to, 496 

creative features of, 444 
imitative features of, 443 

( 1191 ) 





1192 


INDEX. 


Artists should possess a fine quality of 
muscles, 78 

Author’s theory or philosophy of mind, 
151 

Banker, the systems and faculties re¬ 
quired by a, 1169 
Basic principles of Form, 27 
of scientific physiognomy, 7 
Basilar laws of all lower creations find 
illustration in man and his face, 14 
Beard, 1008 

texture of the, 1013 
the, a feature of great physiognomic 
significance, 1009 

the long and full dark-colored, sign 
of vigor, 1010 

Benevolence, a definition of, 335 

dependent upon the glandular system, 
169 

description of, 335 
different kinds of, 336 
facial and bodily signs, 335 
faculty of, 335 

in combination with other faculties, 
337 

what an excess or deficiency of, leads 
to, 335 

Bibativeness, definition of, 339 
description of, 341 
facial and bodily signs, 340 
faculty of, 339 

what an excess or deficiency of, in¬ 
dicates, 340 
Birds, color in, 413 
Ideality in, 524 
Self-will in, 572 
Blushing, 449 

Body, fluid system of the, 343 

how, without losing strength, to re¬ 
duce the size of, 1109 
signs, in woman, of beauty of the,1092 
of health and disease, strength and 
weakness, beautv and ugliness, in 
the, 1085 

of strength in the, 1086 
the effect of compression of the fe¬ 
male waist upon the, 1090 
the effect, from moderate lacing, upon 
the, 1091 

the, dependent for its form upon the 
interior organs, 1089 
Body and mind indivisible, 152 
Bone, remedy for an excess of, 92 
Bones, an indication of honesty, 102 
classification of the, 86 
composition of, 86 
kind of food necessary for good, 87 
necessary for honest work, 89 
Bony system, characteristics of the, 85 
diseases which attack the, 92 
evolution of the, 83 
faculties in the, 91 
in the animal world, 88 
prominent men in which the, predom¬ 
inated, 90 


Bony system, signs for the, 91 
Brain, and muscular system (see Muscular 
and brain system) 
and nervous system, 94 
diseases incident to the, 99 
evolution of the, 95 
faculties derived from the, 209-233 
Intuition dependent upon the, 234 
Mental Order dependent upon the, 
209 

signs for a predominance of the, 98, 
285 

composition of the, 98 
not the only mental organ, 22 
system, faculties derived from the, 227 
Brains, celebrated people with small, 106 
large and heavy, 104 
weight of, 105 

Calculation, definition of, 705 

dependent upon the muscular system, 
213 

description of, 707 
facial and bodily signs, 706 
in animals, 714 
music based on, 712 
what an excess or deficiency of, indi¬ 
cates, 706 

■why the muscular form in excess 
gives the combination for, 707 
why the muscular system is the base 
of, 216 

Causality, definition of, 715 

derived from the brain system, 227 
description of, 718 
facial and bodily signs, 716 
in animals, 725 

in combination with other faculties, 
724 

the cultivation of, 721 
what an excess or deficiency of, indi¬ 
cates, 716 

Cautiousness, definition of, 479 
description of, 479 
facial and bodily signs, 479 
faculty of, 191, 479 
in animals, 481 

in combination with other faculties, 
483 

its connection with the liver, 191 
what an excess or deficiency of, indi¬ 
cates, 135, 479 

Character, gestures significant in disclos¬ 
ing, 299 

location and description of signs of, 
in the face, 297 

the method to pursue in reading, 1114 
voice an indicator of, 299 
Cheeks, 848 

abnormal form of, 864 

dimples in the, 1044, 

signs of weakness in the, 1097 

the concave, or consumptive, 860 

the concave, or dyspeptic, 860 

the criminal, 862 

the dimpled, or begutiful, 850 




INDEX. 


1193 


Cheeks, the embryonic, 851 

the globose, or infantile, 852 
the gluttonous, 853 
the normal upper, 863 
the oval, or artistic, 855 
the rectangular, or conscientious, 856 
the two divisions of the, 850 
wrinkles in the lower, 1037 
Chemical division of the face, 15 
Children, correct ways of training, 483 
gymnastic training for, 460, 568 
hygienic remarks for, 353 
precocious, 139 
Self-esteem in, 441 
sensitive, nervous, 140 
should be trained in sexual morality, 
359 

training of, 370, 372 
Chin, dimples in the, 363, 1043 
forms of the, 778 
signs of weakness in the, 1097 
the dimpled, 777 
the “feminine,” 780 
the, forms of the centre of, 775 
the signs in the, 769 
the three general forms of the, 771 
the three positions of the, 773 
what the, indicates, 315 
wrinkles in the, 1036 
Civil engineer, the systems and faculties 
required by a, 1165 
Classification of the bones, 86 
Clergyman, the systems and faculties 
essential to a, 1151 

Coffee and tea, injurious effect of, 345 
Color, 125 

a controlling influence upon lan¬ 
guage, 656 

aids toward cultivating the sense of, 
413 

analysis of, 206 

and heat synonymous, 127 

blindness, 129 

causes of a deficiency of, 416 
cultivation of, a religious duty, 253 
definition of, 408 
description of, 409 

designation and classification of, of 
the several complexions, 413 
facial and bodily signs of, 409 
faculty of, 408 

how it is received into the system, 
207 

in albinos, 253 
in birds, 412 
lack of, 128 

law of, in the animal world, 130 
of service in determining what degree 
force will be exhibited, 461 
original source of, 125 
peculiarities of people of varying 
shades of, 414 
primary uses of, 126 
shows power, 419 

what an excess or deficiency of, indi¬ 
cates, 409-416 


Color, what the combinations of, in the 
human form indicate, 420 
Comedian, the systems and faculties es¬ 
sential to a, 1130 

Commander, the systems and faculties 
needed by a, 1158 

Comparison, between the bony and vege¬ 
tative system in animals, 88 
definition of, 726 

derived from the brain system, 227 
description of, 730 
facial and bodily signs, 727 
in combination with other faculties, 
735 

what an excess or deficiency of, indi¬ 
cates, 726 

Compensation, 144 

law of, as regards the human organ¬ 
ism physiologically, 145 
of faculties, 145 

Compensatory structure of animals, 144 
Complexion, characteristics of the differ¬ 
ent colors of the, 1099 
designation and classification of the 
colors of the, 413 

the, an indicator of moral as well as 
intellectual and physical signifi¬ 
cation, 1098 

Conscientiousness, analysis of, 158 
definition of, 302 
dependent upon the kidneys, 158 
description of, 305 
facial and bodily signs of, 303 
faculty of, 302 
in animals, 311 

in connection with other faculties, 311 
indicates the condition of the kidneys, 
158 

large in bony people, 306 
located in the vegetative system, 71 
what an excess or deficiency of, in¬ 
dicates, 302-306 

Construotiveness, definition of, 544 
description of, 545 
facial and bodily signs of, 544 
faculty of, 544 

in connection with other faculties, 552 
Contempt and scorn, analysis of, 265 
Contrariness, analysis of, 269 
Cook, the systems and faculties required 
by a, 1117 

Coquetry, the language of, 1065 
Correlation of organs, 14 
Cosmetic, pure air the best, 127 
Cranium, no proper race form of the, 
106 

Credenciveness, definition of, 578 

derived from the muscular system, 
198 

description of, 197, 579 
facial and bodily signs, 579 
faculty of, 578 

great works that this faculty has in¬ 
fluenced, 581 

what an excess or deficiency of, in¬ 
dicates, 578 



1194 


INDEX. 


Digestion, faculty of (see Alimentive- 

ness) 

Digestive apparatus, mental power of tlie 
nerves of tlie, 106 
Dimples, in the cheeks, 1044 
in the chin, 363, 1043 
the mirthful, 1044 
the signification of, 1042 
Disease, a temporary return of abnormal 
or perverted types, 51 
Dishonest people can never appear honest, 
310 

Disproportions, way to reduce, of various 
kinds, 134 

Dress-maker or designer of women’s 
fashions, the systems and facul¬ 
ties essential to a, 111? 

Drink, intoxicating, effect of, upon the 
system, 161 
Drug medication, 142 

Ear, 1015 

color of the, 1025 
defective positions of the, 1021 
forms of the, 1026 
position of the, 1021 
the abnormal, 1031 
the, an exponent of the muscular 
system, 284 
the commercial, 1030 
the courageous, 1030 
the external and internal, 1022 
the generous versus stingy, 1030 
the musical, 1026 
the oratorical, 1029 
the refined, 1031 

the signification of the forms of the, 
1018 

the timid, 1030 
the unmusical, 1028 
the unrefined, 1031 
three divisions of the, 1024 
Eccentricity, 53 

Economy, Acquisitiveness not, 322 
analysis of, 171 
definition of, 318 
description of, 319 
facial and bodily signs, 318 
faculty of, 318 
in animals, 323 

in combination with other faculties, 
323 

of Nature, 319 

what an excess or deficiency of, indi¬ 
cates, 318 

Editor, the systems and faculties essential 
to an, 1175 
Egotism, 264 

Engineer, the combination of systems 
and faculties required for an, 1119 
Enthusiasm, analysis of, 267 
Evolution of the bony system, 83 
Executiveness, definition of, 561 
description of, 561 
facial and bodily signs, 561 
faculty of, 561 


Executiveness, in connection with other 
faculties, 569 

what an excess or deficiency of, indi¬ 
cates, 561 
Eye, 936 

abnormal type of the, 953 
an indicator of language, 660 
artistic expression of the, 962 
artistic type of the, 947 
brutal expression of the, 963 
double obliquity of the, 950 
expression of the, 961 
forms of the, 943 
gluttonous expression of/the, 964 
licentious and unprincipled form of 
the, 951 

magnetic expression of the, 963 
nictitating fold of the, 967 
observant expression of the, 963 
politic type of the, 948 
reflective type of the, 947 
shallow and passionate expression of 
the, 964 
size of the, 957 

the, an indicator of character, 936 
the linguistic, 948 
the normal, 953 
the, of animals, 941 
the secretive and acquisitive, 952 
the three general forms of the, 945 
the truthful, 952 
untruthful type of the, 948 
upward obliquity of the, 950 
Eye and hair, what the color of the, indi¬ 
cates, 423 

brightness of the, an indicator of 
quality, 96, 113 

the, an indicator of Amativeness, 357 
of muscular development, 78 
Eyebrows, 974 

colors of the, 987 
forms of the, 977 
movements of the, 984 
normal position of the inner termini 
of the, 978 

position of the middle of the, 980 
position of the outer termini of the, 
981 

the aesthetic, 982 
the arithmetical, 981 
the artistic, 981 
the conceited, 978 
the credulous, 980 
the deceptive, 982 
the delicate, 984 
the impractical, 980 
the inventive, 983 
the observing, 979 

the, situated far apart, an indicator of 
quality, 976 

the use of the, a protection for the 
eyes, 974 
Eyelashes, 969 

artistic interciliary space of the, 971 
superstitious type of the, 972 
the, an indicator of character, 969 




INDEX. 


1195 


Eyelashes, the interciliary space of the, 
971 

the, primarily for purposes of protec¬ 
tion, 9G9 
Eyelid, 950 

the observing, 950 
Eyes, diseases of the, 1103 

mirthful wrinkles at the outer corners 
of the, 1040 

the, show the condition of the fluid 
system, 347 

what they indicate, 273 
wrinkles under the, 1041 

Face, bilateral symmetry of the, 1106 
characteristics of color in the, 1099 
faculties, practical or mechanical, 
601 

features of the, as revelators of 
strength and beauty, 1093 
five general outlines of the, 756 
five practical subdivisions of the, 
275-287 

glandular formation of the, 754 
location and description of signs of 
character in the, 297 
mental signs of character in the, 287 
muscular mechanism of the, 751 
nervous distribution of the, 753 
osseous formation of the, 752 
practical divisions of the, 601 
signs of health and disease, strength 
and weakness, beauty and ugli¬ 
ness in the, 1085 

summary to the five practical sub¬ 
divisions of the, 292 
the, combines and illustrates all the 
primary elements of Form, 18 
indicative of the condition of the 
internal organs, 276 
Greek, or profile, 131 
tliehuman, in outline, motion,feature, 
expression, and color, 749 
the lines of the, 1032 
three grand divisions of the, 15 
three natural and primitive divisions 
of the, 273 

what the color of the, indicates, 414- 
420 

wrinkles of the, 1034 
Facial features, how the visceral organs 
shape the, 281 
signs for lactation, 78 

for the brain and nerve system, 285 
for the glands, 278 
for the kidneys, 279 
for the liver, 280 
for the lungs and heart, 280 
for the muscular or motive systems, 
283 

for the nervous system, 283 

for the osseous system, 284 

for the reproductive system, 278 

for the visceral organs, 277 

for truthfulness, 304 

of a good physician or surgeon, 435 


Faculties, combination of, for trades and 
professions, 1111 

dependent upon the thoracic system, 
77 

derived from the intestinal system, 
165 

in the architectural division, 21 
mathematical division of the face, 21 
vegetative division, 21 
many people possess a combination 
of, 1113 

mental, organs from which the, derive 
their powers, 236 

the combination of, required for an 
engineer, 1119 

the combination of, required for a 
farmer, 1118 

the combination of, required for a 
mechanic, 1116 

the combination of, required for a 
printer, 1116 

the combination of, suitable for a 
hotel or boarding-house keeper, 
1115 

the, essential for a painter, 1121 
the, essential to a clergyman, 1151 
the, essential to a comedian, 1130 
the, essential to a dress-maker or de¬ 
signer of women’s fashions, 1117 
the, essential to a lawyer, 1154 
the, essential to a player, 1127 
the, essential to a poet, 1124 
the, essential to a sculptor, 1139 
the, essential to a society belle, 1133 
the, essential to an editor, 1175 
the, essential to an inventor, 1156 
the, essential to merchants, 1119 
the, essential to the orator, 1146 
the, necessary for an opera-singer, 
1133 

the, necessary to a philologist, 1173 
the, necessary to a scientist, 1162 
the, necessary to a tragedian, 1129 
the, needed by a commander, 1158 
•the, required by a banker, 1169 
the, required by a civil engineer, 1165 
the, required by a cook, 1117 
the, required by a philanthropist, 1171 
the, required by a physician, 1141 
the, required by a writer of fiction, 
1177 

the, required for a speculator, 1120 
the, required for a statesman, 1181 
the, required for a surgeon, 1143 
the, requisite for a musical composer, 
1136 

Farmer, the combination of systems and 
faculties required for a, 1118 
Fat in excess not honest, 89 
Finger-nails an indicator of quality, 117 
Firmness, analysis of, 164 

difference between, and Self-will, 575 

definition of, 312 

description of, 312 

facial and bodily signs, 312 

faculty of, 312 




1196 


INDEX. 


Firmness, in animals, 313 

wliat an excess or deficiency of, in¬ 
dicates, 312 

Fluid system of the body, 343 
Force, color of service in determining 
what degree of, will be exhibited, 
461 

definition of, 454 
description of, 454 
facial and bodily signs, 454 
faculty of, 454 

gives to the voice clearness, 461 
in combination with other faculties, 
463 

mental uses of, 456 
should be cultivated in children, 459 
what an excess or deficiency of, in¬ 
dicates, 454 
Forehead, 987, 1103 

different kinds of, 1104 
the basic laws of form apply with the 
utmost certainty to the, 987 
the infantile, 989 
the mechanical, 990 
the parts of the, indicate, 1103 
the practical, 988 
the projecting, 989 
the scientific and mechanical, 990 
wrinkles on the, 1041 
Form, 119, 766 

all, has meaning and character, 11 
among the animals, 101 
an indicator of character, 60, 120 
and being, normal factors in nature, 
art, and science, 57 
and Size, 101 

basic principles of, 27, 607 
basilar or primitive, 122 
crookedness of, indicative of slyness, 
124 

definition of, 602 

dependent upon the osseous system, 
603 

description of, 603 
facial and bodily signs, 602 
fundamental principles of, 301 
in animals, 607 

in combination with other faculties, 
609 

in the vegetative and animal kingdom, 
123 

laws of, 17 

motion the basis of, 27 
number basis of, 35 
the angle of, 768 

the basic elements of, as exhibited in 
the features, 766 
the cube of, 769 
the curve of, 768 
the line of, 768 

the “point” or least element of, 767 
the “sphere or globe” the most 
primitive of, 767 

what an excess or deficiency of, indi¬ 
cates, 602 

Friendship, definition of, 385 


Friendship, dependent upon the intestinal 
system, 185 
description of, 186, 386 
different modes of action, 388 
facial and bodily signs, 385 
faculty of, 385 
in animals, 391 

in connection with other faculties, 
390 

selfish and unselfish action of, 386 
what an excess or deficiency of, indi¬ 
cates, 385 

Functions, five different systems of, 20 

Generation of the race, right, 26 
Gestures, 759 

congenital criminals use few, 760 
the, indicative of character, 759 
Glands, facial signs for the, 278 
Glandular and arterial systems, faculties 
derived from the, 206, 408 
power of the entire system, the lower 
lip the facial index of the, 169 
system, analysis of the, and olfactory 
ganglion, 191 

Benevolence dependent upon the, 
169 

Economy derived from the, 171 
faculties derived from the, 169 
Hospitality derived from the, 173 
Love of Home dependent upon, 175 
Mirthfulness derived from the, 181 
Patriotism derived from the, 176 
Greek face, the, or profile, 131 
Gums, color of the, as an indicator of 
character, 1052 

the, important as a significator of char¬ 
acter, 1050 

Gymnastics, children should be thor¬ 
oughly trained in, 460, 568 

Hair, quality or texture of the, 999 
quantity of the, 1000 
the cause and cure for baldness, 1007 
the evolution of the, 997 
the remedy for gray, 1003 
the straight, 1005 ' 
various colors of the, 1000 
various sorts of curly, 1004 
Hair and eyes, what the color of the, indi¬ 
cates, 423 
Hands, 1067 

brain class of the, 1078 
color of the, 1082 

construction and divisions of the, 
1069 

lines of the, 1071 
mental type of the, 1078 
muscular class of the, 1073 
artistic type of the (round muscles), 
1074 

commercial type of the, 1073 
executive type of the, 1074 
spatulate type of the, 1073 
superstitious type of the (round 
muscles), 1074 



INDEX. 


1197 


Hands, muscular class, of deceit and dis¬ 
honesty, 1075 

muscular class (No. II) of the, 1075 
artistic type of the, 1075 
osseous class of the (square bones), 
1076 

mechanical type of the, 1076 
scientific type of the, 1077 
philosophical type of the, 1077 
position of the, 1071 
texture of the, 1081 
the beautiful, 1079 
the mixed, 1078 

the vegetative or infantoid, 1072 
useful type of the, 1079 
various types of the, 1080 
Head, 993 

large versus small, 108 
people of large, 104 
size no indication of superior intelli¬ 
gence, 103 

the form, size, and appendages highly 
indicative of mentality, 993 
Health, basis of good character must be 
founded upon, 137 
Hearing, 284 

Heart and lungs, facial signs for the, 280 
Heat and color synonymous, 127 
Hebrews, Sublimity very strong in, 510 
Home, Love of (see Love of Home) 
Hope, connection between liver and, 489 
definition of, 486 

dependent upon the liver, 154, 182 
description of, 487 
facial and bodily signs, 486 
faculty of, 486 

how to cultivate this faculty, 486 
in connection with other faculties, 492 
what an excess or deficiency of, indi¬ 
cates, 486 

Hospitality, analysis of, 173 
definition of, 392 

dependent upon the glandular system, 
173 

description of, 393 
facial and bodily signs, 392 
faculty of, 392 

its connection with other faculties, 174 
its relation to other faculties, 393 
ways in which, will be exercised de¬ 
pend upon quality, 396 
what an excess or deficiency of, indi¬ 
cates, 392 

Hotel or boarding-house keeper, the com¬ 
bination of systems and faculties 
suitable for a, 1115 

Human face the index of all Nature, 15 
Nature, beneficial uses of this faculty, 

532 

definition of, 525 
description of, 525 
facial and bodily signs, 526 
faculty of, 525 
in animals, 528 

in combination with other faculties, 

533 


Human Nature, what an excess or de¬ 
ficiency of, indicates, 525 
organization composed principally of 
water, 341 

law of compensation as regards the, 
145 

race, right way of regenerating the, 
240 

Hypocrisy, the language of, 1066 

Ideality, definition of, 514 
description of, 515 
facial and bodily signs, 515 
faculty of, 514 
natural allies of, 522 
what an excess or deficiency of, indi¬ 
cates, 514 

Insane people, a knowledge of undevel¬ 
oped or weak-minded and, not to 
be ignored in the study of mental 
science, 9 

Instinct in children and animals, 1112 

Intestinal system, digestion or Aliment- 
iveness derived from tlie, 165 
faculties derived from the, 165-185 
Friendship dependent upon the, 185 

Intuition, children possess a high devel¬ 
opment of, 746 
definition of, 737 

dependent upon the brain and nervous 
system, 233 
description of, 738 
facial and bodily signs, 737 
has a physical base, 740 
in the animal kingdom, 746 
the action of, not confined to geniuses, 
744 

what an excess or deficiency of, indi¬ 
cates, 737 

women possess a more general and 
universal endowment of, 744 

Inventor, the system and faculties essen¬ 
tial to an, 1156 

Jaw, crafty and witty, 786 
curved or artistic, 788 
embryotic lower, 783 
forms of the, 781 
the angular or contrary, 791 
the consumptive, 786 
the dramatic, 788 
the dyspeptic, 784 
the infantile, 784 
the lower, 781 
the prognathous, 792 
the square, moral, mechanical, scien¬ 
tific, 790 
the upper, 781 
the weak or negative, 785 

Jealousy, analysis of, 244 
in animals, 245 

Kidney system, the, 158 

effect of intoxicating drinks upon 
the, 161 




1198 


INDEX. 


Kidney system, faculty of Conscientious¬ 
ness indicates the condition of 
the, 158 

Kidneys, facial signs for the, 219 

Lactation, signs for, 278 
Language, analysis of form of develop¬ 
ment of, 224 

Color a controlling influence upon, 
656 

definition of, 652 

dependent upon the muscular system, 
220 

description of, 223, 652 
facial and bodily signs, 652 
faculty of, 654 
in animals, 664 

in combination with other faculties, 
663 

lack of linguistic ability, 652 
the eye an indication of, 660 
what an excess or deficiency of, indi¬ 
cates, 652 

Laughter, different kinds of, 1054 
the physiognomy of, 1054 
Lavater, not a scientific physiognomist, 10 
restored physiognomy to its former 
rank, 11 

Laws of physiognomy, established, 146 
Lawyer, the systems and faculties essen¬ 
tial to a, 1154 
Laziness, analysis of, 269 
Legs, crooked, 121 
Lip, infantile lower, 803 
the amative upper, 822 
the benevolent or sympathetic lower, 
806 

the criminal lower, 809 
the destructive lower, 813 
the embryonic lower, 802 
the embryonic upper, 815 
the gustatory, 804 
the imitative upper, 819 
the linguistic lower, 805 
the lower, 799 
the mirthful upper, 824 
the modest upper, 818 
the normal upper, 823 
the philoprogenitive upper, 817 
the secretive lower, 808 
the secretive upper, 820 
the self-estimative upper, 821 
the sociable, 805 
the stupid lower, 812 
the undeveloped lower, 811 
the undeveloped upper, 816 
the upper, 795 
divisions of, 814 
the witty lower, 806 
wrinkles of the lower, 1037 
wrinkles of the upper, 1038 
Lips, signs in the, 795 

signs of weakness in the, 1097 
the lower, the facial index of the 
glandular power of the entire 
system, 169 


Liver, the, 182 

analysis dependent upon the, 187 
condition of, indicated by the faculty 
of Hope, 183 
facial signs for the, 280 
Hope dependent upon the, 154, 182, 
489 

influence of, over mental states, 184 

Locality, definition of, 635 

dependent upon the muscular sys¬ 
tem, 206 

description of, 637 
facial and bodily signs, 635 
faculties of, 636 

in connection with other faculties, 640 
in the animal kingdom, 637 
the cultivation of, 641 
what an excess or deficiency of, indi¬ 
cates, 635 

Locke’s method of, in investigating the 
mind, 9 

Logical reasoning should be taught to 
children, 232 

Love of Home, definition of, 324 
description of, 324 
facial and bodily signs of, 324 
faculty of, 324 

how it can be cultivated, 328 
what an excess or deficiency of, indi 
cates, 324 

Love of Young (see Young, Love of) 

Lungs and heart, facial signs for the, 280 
keenness of scent and activity de 
pendent upon large, 404 
large, create cheerfulness, 403 

Man, not more intellectual than woman, 

• 298 

the dominant systems of his organism 
control his acts and capacities, 81 

Mathematical division of the face 15-21, 
680 

faculties in the, 21, 680 

Mechanic, the combinations of systems 
and faculties suitable for a, 1116 

Memory, 1099 

description of, 625 
different kinds of, 1099 
facial and bodily signs, 625 
faculties of, 634 
' how to cultivate the, 1101 
in animals, 634 

, of Events, a great, no indication of 
superior intellect, 202 
cultivation of, 202 
definition of, 200, 624 
dependent upon the muscular and 
brain systems, 201 

the, contains as many parts as there 
are faculties, 1099 

tobacco and alcoholic drinks a de¬ 
moralizing effect upon, 1101 
what an excess or deficiency of, indi¬ 
cates, 625 

when weak, how it can be strength¬ 
ened, 627 






INDEX. 


1199 


Men, prominent, in which the bony sys¬ 
tem predominated, 90 

Mental faculties, rationale of, and physical 
functions and their signs in the 
face, 149 

local signs for the, 288 
imitation, definition of, 499 
description of, 511 
facial and bodily signs of, 500 
faculty of, 499 
in animals, 505 

what an excess or deficiency of, in¬ 
dicates, 500 

power of the nerves of the digestive 
apparatus, 16G 

quality, texture of the skin significant 
of, 96 

science, a knowledge of undeveloped 
or weak-minded and insane people 
not to be ignored in the study of, 9 
our knowledge of the history of, 8 
signs of character in the face, 287 
status, influence of the liver over, 184 

Merchants, the system and faculties essen¬ 
tial to, 1119 

Metaphysical theories, relation between, 
and physiognomy, 8 

Mind, ancient methods of studying the, 
or physiognomy, 8 
and body indivisible, 152 
author’s theory or philosophy of, 151 
inheres in the whole organism, 62 
locale of the, 23 

Locke’s mannerof investigating the, 9 
physical basis of the, 23 
progress made in the knowledge of, 
150 

Mineral forms, 17-19 

each, has a distinct shape of its own, 

18 

Minerals, properties of, 18 
shapes of, 28 

the original source of color, 125 

Mirthfulness, definition of, 373 

dependent upon the glandular system, 
181 

description of, 374 
facial and bodily signs of, 373 
faculty of, 373 
mental uses of, 377 
what an excess or deficiency of, in¬ 
dicates, 373 

Modesty, blushing not a sign of, 449 
definition of, 445 

dependent upon the nerves of the 

skin> 190 

description of, 190, 445 
facial and bodily signs, 445 
faculty of, 445 
in animals, 449 

what an excess or deficiency of, indi¬ 
cates, 445 

Morality and organic perfection, connec¬ 
tion between, 138 

dependent upon a healthy organism, 
156-159 


Morality and organic perfection, mode of 
discerning the grade of sexual, 
308 

observations concerning, 365 
sexual training in, 359 
Motion, 283, 757 

centre of the primitive system of 
functions, 273 
the basis of Form, 27 
the, of walking, etc., reveal the mind 
of the individual, 757 
Mouth, 837 

centre of the primitive system of 
functions, 273 

the, an indicator of the quality of a 
person, 352 
the artistic, 840 
the common-sense, 843 
the conversational, 840 
the criminal, 846 

the destructive or carnivorous, 846 
the economical, 844 
the graminivorous, 839 
the line of closure, 837 
the meditative, 842 
the oratorical, 841 
the orderly, 844 
the singing, 839 
Movements, 762 

dependent upon the differences in 
the form of the internal organs, 
763 

the mouth presents an infinity of, 762 
Muscles, combinations of, 76 

two general divisions of the, 75 
Muscular and brain systems, faculties de¬ 
rived from the, 200 
and osseous system (see Osseous and 
muscular system) 
system, 75 

Calculation dependent upon the, 
213-216 

Credenciveness derived from the, 
196 

diseases which assail the, 81 
faculties that depend upon the, 89, 
195 

Language dependent upon the, 220 
Locality dependent upon the, 206 
Magnetism a part of the, 89 
mechanical and artistic principles 
in the action of the, 79, 547 
Memory of Events dependent upon 
the, 201 

Music dependent upon the, 216 
or motive system, facial signs for 
the, 383 

Self-will derived from the, 195 
signs for the, 75 

weight dependent upon the, 204 
Music, analysis of, 217 
definition of, 665 

derived from the muscular system, 
216 

description of, 667 
facial and bodily signs, 666 



1200 


INDEX. 


Music, in animals, 668 

in combination with other faculties, 
677 

musical forms of, description of, 218 
physiological basis of, 671 
what an excess or deficiency of, indi¬ 
cates, 665 

Musical composer, the systems and facul¬ 
ties requisite for a, 1136 

Nails, color of the, 1083 

differences of form, size, color, and 
quality in the, 1082 
the texture of the, disclose character, 
1082 

Nature, finest products of, relatively 
small, 110 

the human face the index of all, 15 
Neck, 1057 

the aged, 1066 
the amative, 1060 
the attentive, 1061 
the avaricious, 1066 
the gluttonous, 1066 
the graceful, 1063 

the, is one very great aid toward the 
comprehension of character, 1057 
the language of coquetry in the, 1065 
the language of hypocrisy in the, 1066 
the language of Veneration, 1066 
the, of Self-esteem, 1061 
the sagacious, 1063 
the willful, 1059 
the youthful, 1066 
wrinkles of the, 1042 
Nerve and brain system (see Brain and 
nerve system) 

Nerves of the digestive apparatus, mental 
power of the, 166 

of the skin, faculties derived from, 190 
modesty dependent upon, 190 
Nervous and osseous systems (see Os¬ 
seous and nervous systems) 
system, facial signs for the, 283 
Nose, the, 405, 866 

abnormal type of the, 933 
acts as a sentry, 479 
an exponent of character, 289, 294 
an indicator of both lungs and heart, 
1094 

an indicator of power, 110 
argumentative type of the, 922 
artistic type of the, 910 
athletic type of the, 918 
commercial type of the, 923 
constructive type of the, 917 
convex class of the, osseous system 
dominant, positive character, 919 
critic’s type of the, 913 
crooked or convex, 121 
dishonest type of the, 928 
dramatic type of the, 915 
embryotic type of the, 894 
idiotic type of the, 896 
indicates the condition of the stomach, 
193 


Nose, indicative of the condition of the 
internal organs, 273 
infantoid type of the, 895 
literary type of the, 912 
lower division of the, mental signs, 
artistic and literary, 880 
mechanical type of the, 932 
melancholy type of the, 927 
poetic type of the, 910 
philosophic type of the, 913 
pug type of the, 898 
retroussee type of the, 899 
scientific type of the, 930 
singing type of the, 901 
snub type of the, 897 
straight class of the (passive char¬ 
acter), 903 

subdivision of the, 878 
the anatomical formation of the, 
877 

the concave, or immature, of the adult, 
negative character of the, 892 
the evolution of the, 866 
the physiology of the, 872 
the three basilar forms of the, 891 
upper division of the, mental sign, 
executive, 887 
wrinkles on the, 1038 
Nostrils, the three general outlines of the, 
891 

Number, basis of Form, 35 

science of, related to logic or reason, 
46 

Observation, analyzing the grade or 
quality of, 622 
cultivation of, 624 
definition of, 617 

dependent upon the osseous and 
nervous systems, 199 
description of, 618 
facial and bodily signs, 618 
faculty of, 620 
in the animal kingdom, 623 
what an excess or deficiency of, indi¬ 
cates, 618 

Obstinacy, analysis of, 269 
Olfactory ganglion, analysis of the, and 
glandular system, 191 
Opera-singer, the systems and faculties 
necessary for an, 1133 
Orators, the electric class of, 1146 
the magnetic class of, 1148 
- the systems and faculties essential to, 
1146 

Order, closely connected with Time, 690 
definition of, 695 
description of, 696 
facial and bodily signs, 696 
in animals, 703 

in combination with other faculties, 
705 

mental, dependent upon the brain 
and nervous system, 209 
derived from the brain and osseous 
system, 695 




INDEX. 


1201 


Order, physical, 209 

derived from the muscular and 
thoracic systems, 695 
squareness ot the osseous system an 
indication of, 697 
system is, 698 

what an excess or deficiency of, indi¬ 
cates, 695 

Organ systems, the five, which create form 
and character, 59-61 

Organic perfection, connection between 
morality and, 138 

Organism, Mind inheres in the entire, 
62 

Organized bodies, the structure of, 62 

Organs and functions from which mental 
faculties derive their powers, 236 

Osseous, or bony system, 83 

and muscular system, Executiveness 
derived from the, 194 
faculties derived from the, 194 
and nervous system, faculties derived 
from the, 199 

Observation dependent upon the, 
199 

facial signs for the, 284 
faculties derived from the, 192 
Veneration dependent upon the, 192 

Painter, the systems and faculties essen¬ 
tial for a, 1121 

Patriotism, definition of. 329 

derived from the glandular system, 176 
description of, 330 
facial and bodily signs, 330 
faculty of, 329 

in connection with other faculties, 
323 

what an excess or deficiency of, in¬ 
dicates, 329 

People, young, selecting trades for, 91 

Perversion, the law of scalenism, or, 50 

Philanthropist, the systems and faculties 
required by a, 1171 

Philologist, systems and faculties neces¬ 
sary to a, 1173 

Phrenologists are physiognomists to a 
large degree, 115 

Physical functions, rationale of, and men¬ 
tal faculties and their signs in the 
face, 149 

Physician, facial signs of a good, 435 

the systems and faculties required by 
a, 1141 

Physiognomical sensation common to 
people, 300 

Player the systems and faculties essential 
to a, 1127 

Poet, the systems and faculties essential 
to a, 1124 

Printer, the combination of systems and 
faculties required for a, 1116 

Professions, the combination of faculties 
for, 1111 

Physiognomists, phrenologists are, to a 
large degree, 115 


Physiognomy, ancient methods of study¬ 
ing, 8 

basic principles of scientific, 7 
definition of, 7 
established laws of, 146 
how the discoveries in scientific, were 
made, 13 
practical, 273 

relation between, and metaphysical 
theories, 8 

restored to former rank by Lavater, 11 
sub-basic principles of, 101 
teaches us to live in accord with hy¬ 
gienic law, 488 

theory of practical and scientific, 11 
what a study of, reveals, 11, 136, 157 

Physiological organs and functions, facial 
signs of the, 276 

Pneumativeness, definition of, 397 
description of, 398 
facial and bodily signs, 398 
faculty of, 397 

how to remedy defective, 408 
what an excess or deficiency of, in¬ 
dicates, 397 

Precocious children, 139 

Prescience, definition of, 588 
description of, 589 
facial and bodily signs, 588 
faculty of, 588 
in animals, 595 

what an excess or deficiency of, in¬ 
dicates, 588 

Principles, basic, of scientific physiog¬ 
nomy, 7 

Proportion, law of, or harmonious devel¬ 
opment, 131, 132 

Quality, 112 

the eye an exponent of, 113 
the finger-nails an indicator of, 117 
the skin an indicator of, 113 

Rationale of physical functions and men¬ 
tal faculties, and their signs in the 
face, 149 

Reason, dependent upon the brain system, 
227 

Reasoning, logical, should be taught to 
children, 232 

Regeneration of the race, right way of, 240 

Reproduction, scientific, among human 
beings, 55 

Reproductive system, 278 

Amativeness dependent upon the, 177 
faculties derived from the, 177 
Love of Young dependent upon the, 
179 

Resistance, definition of, 463 
description of, 463 
facial and bodily signs of, 463 
faculty of, 463 
in animals, 467 

what an excess or deficiency of, in¬ 
dicates, 463 

Revenge, analysis of, 247 






itfDEX 


1202 


Sanativeness, a primitive function, 429 
definition of, 427 
description of, 428 
facial and bodily signs, 427-435 
faculty of, 427 
in animals, 434 

wliat a deficiency of, leads to, 427 
Scalenism or perversion, law of, 50 
Scent, acuteness of, dependent upon large 
lungs, 414 

Science, mental, our knowledge of the 
history of, 8 

Scientific physiognomy, basic principles 
of, 7 

how the discoveries in, were made, 
13 

theory of practical and, 11 
reproduction among human beings, 55 
Scientist, the systems and faculties neces¬ 
sary to a, 1162 

Scorn and contempt, analysis of, 265 
Sculptor, the systems and faculties essen¬ 
tial to a, 1139 

Secretiveness, analysis of, 249, 263, 437 
definition of, 469 
description of, 470 
facial and bodily signs, 469 
faculty of, 469 
in animals, 470 

what an excess or deficiency of, indi¬ 
cates, 469-472 

Self-conceit, analysis of, 263 
Self-esteem, analysis of, 437 
definition of, 436 
description of, 437 
facial and bodily signs, 436 
faculty of, 436 
in animals, 440 
in children, 441 

in combination with other faculties, 
442 

in creative artists, 444 
what an excess or deficiency of, indi¬ 
cates, 135, 436 

Self-will, difference between, and Firm¬ 
ness, 575 
definition of, 569 

derived from the muscular system, 
195 

description of, 570 
facial and bodily signs, 571 
faculty of, 569 
how to cultivate, 577 
what an excess or deficiency of, indi¬ 
cates, 569 

Selfishness, analysis of, 259 

effect of, on the system, 261 
Sensation not limited to the action of the 
special senses, 12 
Sensitive, nervous, children, 140 
Shyness, 484 
Size, 609 

definition of, 609 

dependent upon the osseous system, 
612 

description of, 610 


Size, facial and bodily signs, 609 
faculty of, 613 

how to reduce the, of the body, 
1109 

in combination with other faculties, 
615 

of the head, 103 

what an excess or deficiency of, indi¬ 
cates, 609 

Skin, texture of, significant of mental 
quality, 96, 113 

Smiles, different kinds of, 1054 
the physiognomy of, 1054 
Society belle, the systems and faculties 
essential to a, 1133 

Speculator, the systems and faculties re¬ 
quired for a, 1120 

Statesman, the systems and faculties re¬ 
quired by a, 1181 
Stimulants, the use of, 1102 
Stomach, condition of the, indicated by 
the nose, 193 
facial signs for the, 282 
Strength, deficiency of Color indicates a 
lack of, 128 

Structure of organized bodies, 62 
Sub-basic principles of physiognomy, 101 
Sublimity, definition of, 507 
description of, 507 
facial and bodily signs, 507 
faculty of, 506 

in combination with other faculties, 
512 

very strong in Hebrews, 510 
what an excess or deficiency of, indi¬ 
cates, 506 

Surgeon, facial signs of a good, 435 
Surgeons, 1143 

the systems and faculties required for, 
1143 

Suspicion, theory of, 252 
Systems, faculty derived from the five 
superior, 210 

Time dependent upon the, 210 

Tea and coffee, injurious effects of, 345 
Teeth, 1045 

animal type of the, 1050 
breadth of the circle of the, 1048 
curving of the, 1048 
form and size of the, 1048 
narrowness of the circle of the, when 
extreme, 1048 

physiognomical significance of the, 
1045 

the form, size, color, texture, and rela¬ 
tive position of the, present dis¬ 
tinct meanings, 1045 
Temper, analysis of, 255 

effect of, upon the body, 257 
Texture of the skin significant of mental 
quality, 96 

Theories of the mode of action of certain 
traits, 239 

metaphysical, relation between, and 
physiognomy, 8 



INDEX. 


1203 


Theory of practical and scientific physi¬ 
ognomy, 11 

Thoracic system, description of the, 71 
diseases which assail the, 73 
faculties dependent upon the, 72 
peculiarities of people in which the, 
is dominant, 72 
signs for the, 72 

Thorough-bred persons, 1108 

facial indications of those who are 
not, 1100 

the conventional marks of, 1108 
the indications of, 1108 

Time, closely connected with Order, 690 
comprised in the five systems of func¬ 
tions, 681 
definition of, 681 

derived from the five superior sys¬ 
tems, 210 
description of, 683 
different kinds of, 210 
facial and bodily signs, 682 
in animals, 604 

motion the prime factor of, 688 
the faculty of Color has considerable 
effect upon, 693 

the principle of, adapted to eternity, 
691 

what an excess or deficiency of, indi¬ 
cates, 681 

Tobacco, its effects upon memory, 1101 

Tongue, 1052 

the, reveals the internal state and 
condition of the digestive tract, 
1053 

Touch, 287 

Trades, the combinations of faculties for, 
1111 

selecting, for young people, 91 

Tragedian, the faculties necessary to a, 

1129 

Truthfulness, facial signs for, 304 

Vegetative division, signs for the organ 
systems within the, 70 
kingdom, Form in the, 123 
state, description of the, 68 
system, 67 

Conscientiousness located in the, 71 
diseases incident to the, 69 
functions in the, 21 
liow to reduce the, 69 
productive of certain faculties, 21 

Veneration, definition of, 553 

derived from the osseous and muscu¬ 
lar systems, 124 
description of, 553 
facial and bodily signs, 553 
faculty of, 553 

its connection with the stomach, 
192 

the language of, 1066 
uses of, 558 

what an excess or deficiency of, indi¬ 
cates, 553 

Ventilation of buildings, 74 


Visceral organs, facial signs for the, 277 
how the facial features are shaped 
by the, 281 
Vision, 283 

Vocations, choice of the, 1111 
Voice, 825 

a large degree of Force gives clear¬ 
ness to the, 461 

a proper pitch of the, should be culti¬ 
vated in children, 836 
elements, features, and factors con¬ 
cerned in the, 825 

intensity of motion is best expressed 
by the, 825 

knowledge of human character de¬ 
rived from the, 825 
significant in disclosing character, 
299 

the construction and evolution of lan¬ 
guage taken in connection with 
evolution of the, 831 
the, related to the ear, 825 
the, reveals the dominant system or 
systems of the organism, 826 

Water, the human organization composed 
principally of, 341 
Weight, definition of, 643 

dependent upon the muscular system, 
204, 643 

description of, 644 
facial and bodily signs, 643 
in animals, 650 

what an excess or deficiency of, indi¬ 
cates, 643 

Will, analysis of, 255 

effect of, upon the system, 257 
Woman, as intellectual as man, 298 
signs of beauty in the, 1092 
Wrinkles, 1034 

the amative, 1038 
the approbative, 1037 
the, at the outer corners of the eyes, 
1040 

the conscientious, 1039 
the executive, 1039 
the general, 1042 
the malicious or knavish, 1039 
the mirthful, 1037 
the miserly, 1037 
the observing, 1040 
the, of the neck, 1042 
the, on the forehead, 1041 
the persevering, 1039 
the talker’s, 1036 
the, under the eyes, 1040 
Writer of fiction, the systems and faculties 
required by a, 1177 

Young, Love of, faculty of, 367 
analysis of, 179 
definition of, 367 
description of, 368 
facial and bodily signs, 367 
what an excess or deficiency of, in¬ 
dicates, 367 





















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